Is Open Water Swimming Good For You?

Why are so many people stepping out into open water to swim when it has become increasingly trendy to do so? People from all over the world now swim in lakes, oceans, and other open bodies of water. Let’s examine the advantages!

1 Open Area

Because there are no pool walls or lanes, you can swim in privacy and at your own speed without worrying about anyone tapping on your heels or experiencing lane rage, which can ruin a session. Additionally, you experience progress rather than repeatedly coming up against the same wall. When you can see the results of your labor and can look back to where you started swimming, you feel quite accomplished.

2 Increasing Your Social Network

The societal advantages are enormous. Numerous open water swimming clubs meet frequently to take enjoyable and frequently chilly dips. This sport has a kinship unlike any other. You don’t even have to be competitive to participate in the sport; you can just do it for the pure delight of being outside.

3 Harmonizing With Nature

Being outside in the open as nature intended with lots of stimulation to keep your mind active is a calming yet invigorating experience. Before swimming in the ocean, it is advised to practice in a controlled setting such as a lake.

4 Challenging on a physical and mental level

It can be difficult to adjust to the chilly temperatures of the open water; it challenges both your physical and mental abilities. Training your body’s cold reactions can sometimes be just as rewarding as finishing the swim because your skin can lose heat up to 70 times faster than air of the same temperature.

Wetsuits are suggested for beginners to help with temperature adjustment and can help with buoyancy. It presents a task that isn’t there in a small swimming pool scenario, and it’s also a fantastic challenge knowing there’s no floor to stand on or edge to cling onto.

5 Boost your energy

The best method to experience a natural high is in cold water, which can enhance energy levels, make nerve endings stand up, and speed up your heart rate.

6 Loss of weight

Your body needs extra heat to warm up when it is exposed to cold. Your body must therefore process more energy in order to accomplish this, which will improve your metabolism and help you burn fat more effectively. Swimming is among the best types of exercise since it gives you an all-over body workout and burns about 200 more calories per hour when done in cold water than in warm pool water.

7 Reduce Pain

Amateur and professional athletes employ the therapeutic method of immersion in cold water to treat injuries and relieve muscular discomfort. Swimming in water this cold can have the same beneficial impact, assisting in reducing inflammation, chronic discomfort, and bodily pains if you have an accident. The nervous system can be better controlled and circulation in general can be enhanced by the cooler temperatures.

8 Boost to the Immune System and Other Health Benefits

Scientists have established that submerging yourself in cold water three times a week raises your white blood count, which aids in the fight against infection and strengthens your immune system by triggering antibodies and boosting metabolic rate. Additionally, it aids in clearing out pollutants and improves your overall wellbeing by forcing blood through your veins, capillaries, and arteries. Cold water has even been shown to lower stress levels and even depression.

The ability to adjust to the water’s temperature in comparison to a pool and the inability to see what is below you is an accomplishment in and of itself, regardless of whether you complete your first open water swim or your first competition.

Swimming in the open ocean reduces stress

Workday not going well? A dip might be the solution. In a poll of 4,000 swimmers from around the world, 74% claimed that being in the water helped them relieve stress and tension, and 70% concurred that it gave them a mental energy boost. Swimming in open water activates your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which promotes feelings of relaxation and may even aid in a better night’s sleep.
Why is natural swimming so beneficial?

Benefits for Health of Cold Water

• Less discomfort in the muscles helps with recuperation.
• Reduces swelling and pain in the body
• Improve your immunity
• Boost circulation
• Boost your mental capacity
• Possibility of weight loss (albeit not assurance) due to a faster metabolism
• Through regular cold swimming, it is possible to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce fat disposition, block blood clotting, and boost libido. This process is known as “cold adaption.”
• Beneficial for the hair and skin

Benefits for Mental Health from Cold Water

• Control your stress, anxiety, and sadness
• Boost energy, clarity, and attentiveness
• Let endorphins out (happy hormones)
• euphoria, a sense of accomplishment, and willpower
• A feeling of belonging: socialize with other swimmers while having a great time