Cold-water swimming has benefits for the brain as well as the body (New Sci)

#1

Some things you just wish were not true. :wink: I did the polar bear swim on New Years a while back… it’s really painful, then you eventually go numb. But, the sauna and warm shower afterwards never felt so good…

For instance, in one study, 36 people who completed a four-month programme of open-water swimming for four days a week over winter showed significantly lower tension and fatigue compared with a group of non-swimmers who carried on participating in normal city life with occasional outdoor exercise. The swimming group also saw increased vigour, better memory and improved mood.

Even a single dip seems to have benefits: people who stood chest-deep in sea water at around 13.6˚C (56.5˚F) for 20 minutes reported reduced negative mood and increased vigour and self-esteem compared with a group who stayed on the shore.

Cold exposure acts on multiple physiological pathways, including the heart and immune system, and regular winter swimmers are known to have improved immune health, experiencing fewer colds and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. But it’s the neurological effects that I find most intriguing.

For instance, the effect on your mood may be because exposing your semi-naked body to freezing water triggers an acute stress response. If you’ve ever jumped into the frigid ocean or done a cold plunge in a spa, you’ll know the feeling: your brain orchestrates a sudden spike in adrenaline, dopamine and cortisol – a cocktail of chemicals that gives you a similar high to the one you get after exercising.

Full article: Cold-water swimming has benefits for the brain as well as the body (New Sci)

#2

I have never done a polar swim. I do take cold shower in AM. It ks typically 90-120 second. At the time, it can be numbing but once you step out.of shower its an amazingly refreshing feel. Its sort of hormetic stress and read somewhere that activates brown fat!

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#3

My weekly routine involves a consistent transition from my sauna to my swimming pond 2 or 3 times a week. In cold weather, like yesterday, and certainly when it’s freezing, my stay in the water is very brief, usually one to two minutes. Although my body has become accustomed to the shock, I still experience the intense, stinging pain in my limbs due to the reflex tightening of the blood vessels. I limit the time to this short duration and do not wait for the pain to subside (the so-called ‘shift’ at five minutes), as the primary health benefits of the acute thermal shock have already been achieved. I’m impressed by those who manage to swim a mile in freezing water as the body can’t be trained to not feel the pain but the mind can.