How to beat the winter blues and stay healthy and energised.

I have always been a person who is sensitive to cold and loves and always searches for sun and warmth.

People call me mainly crazy, some brave and a couple cool. I had no logical explanation for this idea so it really made me curious what could it be that makes me go in slightly above 0°C water week after week. So I have done some reading and research.

It started last year when I felt cold all the time. Knowing that I cannot change the winter I was wondering what I could do to be more resistant to it. For that purpose I started taking cold showers every day. Just a few seconds after a hot shower. It was challenging at the start but once I got in the habbit it actually become quite pleasant, how stragely it may sound.

And this year I felt an urge going swimming.

So here is the WHY. There are a number of health benefits of cold water swimming:

• Boosts your immune system

Apparently there has been a lot of research on this and immersing in cold water significantly increases the number of white cells. This is because the body is made to react to different conditions and that way it mobilises its defence mechanism which results in boosting the immune system.

• Enhances blood circulation

This is very obvious so no need for research as everybody who gets out of the water is red. With the change from warm to cold the heart pumps stronger and pushes blood to all the organs. With repeated exposure to cold water, your body also adapts and copes better in extremities of weather. So quite useful for the winter. Skin gets firmer and people also claim that cellulite disappears.

• Improves metabolism and burns more calories

Not only that the body burns much faster because it needs to work much harder to keep warm, but cold water swimming can also regulate the metabolism in general and therefore have a positive impact on related issues, like indigestion etc.

These are amazing side benefits and I take them as a bonus for now and will most likely appreciate them much more in a longer term. But they would not motivate me enough to do something so challenging for me.

So I read further. And the following benefits are taking me closer to why I think I might be drawn to what also to me seemed like a random activity. On that however, right on my first visit I saw what a high number of people go swimming in the winter so I don’t see it very unusual anymore.

What I am referring to are the mental benefits of cold water swimming. I do struggle with the winter, the cold, wet, lack of sunshine, short days and I can tend to get a bit blue and down over the winter time so these are really making a difference. So here we go:

• NUMBER 1: Calming the mind

Our minds hardly ever take a break and by dipping in the cold water it feels like a shock and intense sensation for the body leaving literally no space for the mind, instead just void, peace and clarity. Enhanced by being in the nature, this can have a really great effect.

• NUMBER 2: Feeling high

I feel this is the one for me! First time I went swimming I felt high for half of the following week. I had so much energy, enthusiasm and such an overall great feeling that I found myself addicted enough to do this again and again. Endorphins are the answer. They are apparently produced in order to protect from the stinging pain of the cold water. Addiction to happiness - own supply.

• NUMBER 3: Stress reduction

The cold water causes a mild stress physically and mentally by which builds resilience to it. I am not a fan of building resistance to stress without doing something about the real stressor but in a busy city life where we can be overwhelmed by so many factors which we might not be able to remove easily or quickly, building resilience to those can help stay on the top of things and focus on what’s really important to us.

There is a great bunch of people, always encouraging the beginners or sharing tips and they are all high on endorphins so the casual conversation 'how was the swim today’ with the answer ‘cold’ always creates a good laugh.

Like with everything there are always alternatives if any of the benefits sound appealing. In either case, it’s always recommended to consider your own health and adjust to your needs. If swimming is not your cup of tea, cold showers will give you similar outcomes, or if you like to go a bit more extreme you might like to check out the ice master, Wim Hof.

What else can you do to improve your state of mind, health?

Veronika Sucha

Personal Wellbeing and Business Coach

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