Swimming
Why open water swimming is great, according to science
From muscle to mental health, donning your wetsuit and heading to the great outdoors has a whole host of benefits, which are actually scientifically proven...
There's no better feeling than grabbing your wetsuit and diving into your nearest lake, coastline or lido for a leisurely crawl surrounded by nature. Especially in summer.
But don't take it from us. Science says so, and here Greg Whyte, professor of applied sport and exercise science at Liverpool John Moore’s University, tells us exactly why....
Word of caution: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swim England advises that only competent and experienced open water swimmers use this form of exercise, while adhering to social distancing guidelines. Check out the Swim England website for more information.
1. You’ll make new friends
“My mantra for open water swimming is never swim alone,” says Whyte. “So the wonderful backdrop to that is that it makes open water swimming incredibly social. You always swim with other people, so there are social health benefits that you may not get from pool swimming.”
There are plenty of clubs that you can join, and lots of open water swimming areas that are supported, with lifeguards and safety measures in place. “You’ll form a new group of friends, and these social benefits boost the mental and emotional benefits you’re already getting from exercise on its own.”
2. You’ll boost your ‘happy hormone’
“People often talk about increases in adrenaline with open water swimming, but dopamine, AKA the ‘happy hormone’, is the key driver,” says Whyte. “Exercise increases secretion of dopamine – a hormone that creates a feeling of euphoria, excitement and enjoyment. You get a greater surge in those happy hormones exercising outdoors compared to exercising indoors and particularly in cold water due to the stress it places on the body.” Another recent report showed that swimming in water of 14 degrees Celsius increased dopamine levels by 250 percent.
3. You burn more calories
Submerging yourself in cold water is never fun, but as the coldness washes over you, remember: it’s helping to burn more calories. “As you enter cold water, your body responds physically – you hyperventilate, your heart rate increases, blood pressure increases, and those things are potentially dangerous,” says Whyte. “But because of this reaction you also get an increase in metabolic rate, so energy turnover increases.”
You may also start to shiver if you’ve been in the water for a while, adds Whyte: “By shivering, you’re trying to increase your body temperature. As humans, we don’t cope with changes of two degrees in body temperature because we can rapidly become hyperthermic, and hypothermic. So we try to control that – as we get cold we increase our energy turnover. From a weight management perspective, we burn calories more rapidly in cold environments. Shivering thermogenesis can increase your metabolic rate up to tenfold, so you get a tenfold increase in energy expenditure.
4. It can help with depression
Whyte also points to exercise in general having a wholly positive effect on depression: “There's evidence people who are physically active have lower suicidal ideation. Exercise brings about a very positive impact on mood. It improves vigour and reduces lethargy and depression. Open water swimming does that, too [as shown in this BMJ Case Report]. And because of the added benefits of being in cold open water, we see greater gains in those areas - greater improvement in mood and a more positive impact on depression.”
5. It’s less competitive than other sports
“It’s not like everyone will talk about their 5k or 10k PBs like they would with running, as it’s less measurable than other sports,” says Whyte. “Open water swimming comprises groups of like-minded individuals who do it for the experience. It tends to be a friendly community.”
6. It’s like your long run on a Sunday
“Structurally, it’s different when training in open water. It’s not divided into clear lengths like in a pool, there’s no clock on the wall. So if you put it into running terms, open water swimming is your weekly long run. It tends to be a prolonged, longer duration effort. It’s more about distance rather than time."
7. It improves your confidence in and out of water
“Often, fear stops people participating in open water swimming,” says Whyte. “But actually, if you’re part of a confident group, the support they provide reduces that fear and therefore improves the enjoyment, and that comes back to mental and emotional health. We develop a fear of open water via life experience. Overcoming that fear leads to more confident swimming. And you can extrapolate that into life: you’ll find you actually become a more confident individual because of that."
8. It boosts your immune system
Suffering from a cold? Weirdly, open water swimming will help with that. A survey by Czech scientists found that immersing yourself in cold water for an hour, three times a week increases your white blood cell count, which boosts your immune system, meaning less colds through winter, despite regularly dipping yourself in icy cold water.