Wealden Times | WT230 | July 2021 | Education supplement inside

Wellbeing
Let’s Go Wild!
Sarah Maxwell takes the plunge and
braves the chill of wild swimming
Something which has caught
my eye over the last year is
open water swimming, or coldwater
therapy, gaining lots of media
attention and there is a good reason
for it. Over the last year of lockdowns
I have had many friends telling me
they have garnered a love of wild
swimming. I have closed my ears
many times because I have to admit
that I have an aversion to cold water!
I have been known to take 30
minutes to ease into the local swimming
pool (inch by inch) and getting into
a cold sea is a horror to me. This
being the case, I have turned down
every opportunity to give it a try.
However, after a lot of research about
the amazing benefits to be had I’m
going to give it a go. Starting my
practice by turning the shower to
cold on occasion to at least start to
gain some benefits and acclimatise.
Swimming in cold water reaps
the rewards of cold water therapy.
Cold water therapy has been used
for centuries and more recently
used in injury rehabilitation. It’s
known for reducing inflammation
and pain, it’s also a great boost
for the circulatory system.
But just why is wild swimming
in cold water so good for you?
• It has a positive effect with post
exercise recovery and muscle soreness
(I always encourage my athletes to
have a cold bath or shower after
training). I so know that after they all
see this I’m going to have to as well!
• It reduces body pain and
inflammation, improves circulation
and boosts your immune system
and burns more calories!
• Immersing yourself in cold water
and reconnecting with nature is widely
known to benefit our mental health,
reducing anxiety, stress and depression.
• It increases energy levels, improves
your state of mind and releases
endorphins, our happy hormones.
So, combining the therapeutic effects of
cold water and the benefits of the great
outdoors you have a winning recipe.
This is a lovely quote about wild
swimming from Wild Swimmer
Sophie Laurimore: “I swam every
week throughout lockdown and am
convinced that the adventure of ice cold
wild swimming helped keep me sane.”
And here’s another quote that I
read recently and I thought was a
very fitting one for current times:
“It helps slow down time and calm
the inner monologue.” Anonymous
A note of caution:
Please make sure you check with
your doctor before jumping in –
cold water is a shock to the body
and anyone with a heart condition
or contraindications to this activity
should make sure it’s safe for them.
Acclimatisation to the cold is a gradual
process, take it easy and stay safe!
In a year when the world has become
unstable and unbalanced, people are
looking for new ways to realign their
physical and mental health and this
has meant being more creative with
how we go about it. Wild swimming
is clearly something that’s going to
stay and increase in popularity.
Some essential links to go
wild in the water:
outdoorswimmingsociety.com
wildswimming.co.uk/south-east-england
healthline.com/health/cold-water-therapy
And for those who go to the
extreme, you can download the
following document from the
International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health:
https://res.mdpi.com/d_attachment/
ijerph/ijerph-17-08984/article_
deploy/ijerph-17-08984.pdf
Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning
Fitness and Lifestyle coach
and mum of two who juggles a lot
of balls. Find out more about Sarah
and her work at sarahmaxwell.com
Sarah shares her Fitness and Lifestyle tips
on Instagram @sarahmaxwelllifestyle
97 priceless-magazines.com