Irony I know – an article about cold water swimming in August!
As I was swimming today, I really missed that buzz you get when the water is a challenging temperature – so I thought I’d write this so you can work up to it as the weather cools – eventually!
If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d look forward to climbing into cold water, I’d have laughed. Now it is my daily medicine.
I started cold water swimming because I read a report from Manchester University about the benefits of cold water. At the same time I’d seen a TV program with a Doctor who was trying to use different methods to help people get off long-term prescription drugs. One of them had been on Prozac for 20 years and what the doctor prescribed was cold water swimming.
Now I wasn’t depressed but I thought it was really interesting as it was obviously a mood lifter and so I and a friend started swimming on the 20th November six years ago. I haven’t looked back!
People often ask why I do it. Surely it’s miserable? Isn’t it freezing? The answer is yes, it can be. But that’s also where the magic happens.
The first few seconds are always the hardest. Your body protests. Every instinct tells you to get out. Then something shifts. Your breathing settles, your mind quietens and, for a few precious minutes, nothing else matters.
It’s impossible to worry about your inbox or your to-do list when you’re immersed in cold water. For me, that’s one of its greatest gifts. It forces me to be completely present.
There’s growing evidence that cold water swimming can improve mood, reduce stress and leave you feeling energised. Many people describe feeling calmer for hours afterwards. I certainly do. Whether it’s the cold itself, the beautiful surroundings or the sense of achievement, I always come away feeling lighter.
When I worked with people approaching retirement, I often saw the same hesitation. Leaving behind a career can feel like stepping into icy water. It feels unfamiliar, uncomfortable and a little frightening. Your instinct is often to retreat to what you know.
But if you’re willing to stay with the discomfort for a while, something remarkable can happen. Confidence returns. New possibilities appear. You realise the world is your oyster.
The water doesn’t care who you are, what job you have or how successful you’ve been. It treats everyone exactly the same. For me, cold water swimming isn’t really about swimming at all. It is my daily reset, and I leave the water feeling that anything’s possible.
Here on the Costa Tropical we are blessed to have the sea and if you want to start cold water swimming (and if necessary, check with your Doctor first) then you can gradually build up to it. Swim regularly now and then just keep in swimming – through, September, October, into November and so on. That gradual cooling of the sea will help you acclimatise to it.
And if you want to get a swimming buddy then join the Costa Women Costa Tropical group, there not only might you meet someone who wants to start this adventure with the cold water but there are lots of other events available through the year.
By Jessica McGregor Johnson
(Club News: Costa Women, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Keyword: Cold-Water Swimming, Growing Evidence, Improve Mood, Reduce Stress, Feeling Energised.
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