Warm or Cold water?
Don’t get me wrong I’ve become accustomed to a nice warm pool just like the next person but over the past few years, there has been a huge movement into cold water exposure that is only getting more popular. Let’s take a brief look at two areas that would benefit greatly from this.
Physical benefits.
Cold water is a great way to get your body into shape, and the benefits can be seen in just a few weeks of regular swimming. First of all, cold water helps with fat loss. When you swim in cold water, your body burns more calories than it would if you were doing an equivalent amount of exercise in warm water – even if the intensity is the same. This is because your body needs to work harder to maintain its temperature in cool water compared to warm water.
Secondly, cold water swimming can help improve your cardiovascular system and strengthen your heart muscle. Studies have shown that regular cold water swimming can improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure and decrease cholesterol levels by up to 17%. It can also help reduce risk factors associated with heart diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Mental benefits.
The mental benefits of cold water swimming are less well known than its physical ones but they are just as important! Swimming in cold water has been shown to improve mood and help people sleep better at night due to the release of endorphins during exercise which reduces stress levels and improves mood by reducing anxiety and depression.
'..reduces stress levels and improves mood by reducing anxiety and depression.'
In summary its
- Getting you out of the house.
- A way to get some physical activity.
- A way to discover how cold you can handle.
- Helping beat depression.
- Helping beat anxiety.
- Boosting your immune system.
- Helping with weight loss.
- The endorphin is high from swimming.
Swimming in cold water can help you both mentally and physically. If you want to find out more check this site out. Some great information.