The Benefits of Swimming in the Winter

Experts have long touted the benefits of swimming to help increase endurance and cardiovascular health, build muscle, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure and manage a wide range of health issues such as arthritis and asthma. Swimming can also boost your mood and reduce anxiety and stress.

Most often, people swim to unwind and cool off during the Summer when temperatures are at their hottest. But did you know there are key advantages to swimming in cold water, especially during the Winter months?

That’s right! You don’t have to limit your swimming to an indoor pool this Winter. Thousands of people flock to lakes and ponds in the dead of Winter to participate in group swims (often dubbed Polar Bear Clubs), but there are good reasons beyond the social aspect to take a dip in freezing cold water. Check out some of the main benefits below and consider taking the plunge this Winter. You may even be convinced to set your pool temperature a few degrees colder this Summer!

Main Health Benefits of Cold-Water Swimming

1. Boosts Your Immune System and Your Mood

Swimming in cold water exposes you to more germs, but it also boosts your white blood cell count and over time builds a strong immunity to everything else. The endorphins generated from the high of coming into stark contact with cold water and exercising at the same time also naturally work to improve your mood.

2. Manages Anxiety, Stress, Depression and Other Health Symptoms

The endorphins released during a cold-water swim also help combat the effects of anxiety, stress, depression and additional symptoms from other health conditions that can take a drastic toll on your body over time. In a 2018 article from The Guardian, several studies and reports showed the incredible physical, emotional and psychological benefits many individuals have experienced from cold water swimming, including everything from injury recovery to managing depression, migraines and alcoholism.

3. Increases Metabolism and Burns Calories

Challenging your body to perform in extreme conditions such as the cold forces it to work harder and smarter for you. Your lungs alone need to compensate for the reduced oxygen you’re able to take in, pushing your body’s systems to adapt quickly, prompting your metabolism to fire up and tackle brown fat – the type of fat in your body that is directly activated by cold water. Because cold water lowers your body temperature, your body has no choice but to act fast to burn calories to stay warm.

4. Enhances Circulation and Skin Complexion

The cold truth is that taking a chilly dip sends blood rushing to our vital organs to keep us warm, effectively helping to wipe clean our veins and arteries, which can be extremely beneficial to those with certain cardiovascular conditions. Going from cold water to a warm space like a hot tub, sauna or hot shower redirects blood closer to the surface to push impurities outward, improving skin complexion.

Over time, repeated exposure to the cold through cold water swimming helps us to cope during the Winter and build endurance over time for other forms of exercise and other daily living activities. If you’ve ever been curious about taking a Polar Bear dip or want to experience the benefits of a cold-water swim for yourself, now is the perfect season to challenge your body.

Let us know if you’ve felt these benefits on social media, and feel free to reach out to us any time with questions or feedback, or for any other of your pool supply needs!

This Blog was Posted on January 10th, 2020
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