What are the benefits of cold water?

It finally feels like cold water immersion has entered the mainstream. Wim Hof the Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete has a lot to answer for with his 2022 BBC programme - 'Freeze the Fear,' which took celebrities through a gruelling regime of cold water immersion in freezing temperatures.

The recent hit series 'Bad Sisters' on Apple TV also included several scenes where the scheming sisters met together on wind-swept beaches to swim in the sea (and many of us Googled online to see where we could buy an exclusive 'dry robe,' like the one Sharon Horgan was wearing).

On social media if you scroll through your feed you will see influencers climbing into their plunge pools and timing themselves to see how long they can stay submerged in cold water. It's clear that being in cold water can make people feel invigorated on a physical level but are there real proven health benefits?

Studies so far have proven inconclusive and a recent study that collated evidence from different sources stated: "Clear conclusions from most studies were hampered by the fact that they were carried out in small groups, often of one gender and with differences in exposure temperature and salt composition of the water. Cold water swimming seems to reduce and/or transform body adipose tissue, as well as reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity. This may have a protective effect against cardiovascular, obesity and other metabolic diseases and could have prophylactic health effects. Whether winter swimmers as a group are naturally healthier is unclear."

So the long and the short of it is that the jury is still out in terms of whether you will experience significant health benefits.

Having said that people who try both cold water immersion and outdoor swimming self- report better mental health (and swimming is a great exercise as it is low-impact). Outdoor swimming clubs are also becoming more popular, and as a social activity and way of meeting people are incredibly useful.

Here's some tips if you want to try different forms of cold water therapy yourself:

Try having a cold shower

If you can't afford to buy your own outdoor plunge pool and want to sample what cold water feels like, then why not try a short burst in the shower? In a interview Mike Tipton, professor of of human and applied physiology at the extreme environmental laboratory at Portsmouth university said: “The measures of immune function seem to suggest that if there is going to be a benefit to going into the cold it arises from a shorter immersion rather than a longer immersion." So try turning your shower to cold for a short amount of time i.e. 30 seconds and then build up to a minute. The effect can be incredibly invigorating especially if you are feeling sleepy and in need of waking up!

Try swimming in a lido

For many the idea of swimming in a river or the sea can be frightening and truth is that these are not always the safest of environments. A good alternative is an outdoor lido where you will have lifeguards on duty and be in an enclosed environment with other swimmers. Check out the outdoor swimming society website who provide a list of lidos in the UK

Join an outdoor swimming club

The outdoor swimming society provides a list of swimming clubs. This is safer as you will be swimming with others and not going out on your own. Check this list for more details.

Whilst jury is still out on on the health benefits of cold water immersion, it's clear that there are other more sensorial and social benefits.

So why not book a trip to the Lido with a friend and try it for yourself?