2020 has been a difficult year, to put it lightly.
Not only have Brits been worrying about their physical health, taking all precautions possible to limit the spread of coronavirus, but we’ve been collectively worrying about our mental health, too.
A study conducted by the ONS at the beginning of the first lockdown showed that almost half (49.6%) of people were experiencing high anxiety due to loneliness, work stress and the pressures of home schooling during lockdown – a marked increase from anxiety levels in 2019.
One silver lining is that many of the activities that can help with anxiety symptoms aren’t off-limits during lockdown: calling a friend for a chat, doing breathing exercises, and getting outside to exercise.
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And if you’re brave enough, you can try an outdoor activity that’s growing in popularity: cold water swimming.
Cold water swimming means taking a dip in an outdoor pond, lake or in the sea, and the British climate means that the term applies at just about any time of year. While the International Swimming Association demands that the water temperature is colder than five degrees Celsius for competitions, generally ‘cold water’ means anything up to 15 degrees Celsius.
If that sounds scary, consider this: there’s growing evidence that cold water swimming can help combat the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
‘We think there may be benefits of cold water immersion for mental health and wellbeing, but at the moment the evidence is mainly anecdotal,’ says Dr Heather Massey, a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, which is leading the research on the subject in its Extreme Environments Laboratory.
‘But you only have to go down to a local beach and people will reel off the benefits.’
The idea of cold water immersion being good for body and soul goes back centuries. Sea swimming and sea air were recommended to treat diseases as far back as 1750, but it’s only been in the last couple of years that the medical community has started to question whether cold water swimming can treat symptoms of depression, alongside other forms of treatment or if a patient isn’t responsive to medication.
Dr Massey’s team conducted a case study in 2017 of a 24-year-old woman with symptoms of a depressive disorder and anxiety that weren’t responsive to medication. She wanted to be medication-free, so took on a new treatment of open water swimming twice a week.
‘I’d tried everything – CBT, several different drugs, and nothing worked,’ she says.
‘Although I didn’t enjoy the cold to start with, the effect it had was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.’
After a year, she was still medication-free: ‘I still feel down occasionally, but that is more part of what life throws my way rather than the state I was in before.’
For some experiencing anxiety this year, outdoor swimming has been a lifeline.
‘It’s what I do when I start feeling overwhelmed,’ says wild swimmer Sam, who swims in lidos as well as rivers and other natural spots.
‘When I can’t fit in a swim, I take a cold shower. It has the same effect of clearing my head.’
According to Dr Massey, the potential benefits of cold water swimming come down to your body’s ‘cold response’.
‘When you immerse yourself in cold water, you have hormone responses of dopamine and cortisol. That’s what they call the post-swim high,’ she says. ‘There’s lots of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this physiological response improves immunity and general fitness, too.
‘But there are other aspects of cold water swimming that improve wellbeing. Just exercising outside, being in a group of likeminded people in a challenging environment and achieving a goal.
‘And the re-warming process, when you have a cup of tea and something to eat, and have a chat. There are lots of things combining to cause this groundswell of interest in cold water swimming.’
If this has got you raring to go and jump in the nearest river, don’t be too hasty. While it’s possible to wild swim all year round, it’s best not to try cold water swimming in the winter if it’s your first time.
‘Your body’s cold water response is rapid breathing and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure,’ says Dr Massey.
‘So go in slowly – don’t race into the water, because this exacerbates the cold water response. Keep your airway clear of the water so you can breathe.
‘When you get out, don’t just hop in the car and drive home. Your body keeps cooling for up to 40 minutes after being in the water, and the risk of cooling down too much is hypothermia. Dry yourself completely and have a drink, something to eat and a chat.
‘And bear in mind that the heart works harder in cold water, so anyone with an underlying heart condition could have a heart attack if they dive in too quickly.’
That’s something to remember if you’re planning a Christmas Day swim in the sea.
While cold water swimmers wax lyrical about its benefits, there’s currently more scientific evidence of its risks. If you do give it a go, make sure you go with someone who’s knowledgeable about the local area and any hazards.
‘Remember, you don’t actually have to get in the water to reduce your anxiety,’ says Dr Massey.
‘There is evidence that just being close to nature can improve wellbeing. If it’s not safe to get in, just having that proximity to a natural environment, green or blue, may reduce those symptoms or feelings of anxiety or depression.’
For some outdoor swimmers, it’s certainly about the environment as much as the activity itself.
‘I swam outside once a week right through the summer and I swear it preserved my sanity,’ says Charlotte, who has bipolar disorder.
‘It’s so unlike swimming in a pool. I want to see ducks and herons and kingfishers while I swim now – it’s set the bar so high.
‘Just the very act of going in and out of cool natural water is somehow restorative and therapeutic. I swear by it.’
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