Winter swimming in Cape Fiolent (Sevastopol, Crimea)

What are the benefits of cold water swimming?

It Gives Your Immune System a Boost. When your body is regularly exposed to cold water, it gives your immunes system some exercise. When you take a dip in the icy water, the body sees this severe temperature change as a physical attack. The reaction that occurs gives your body good practice.

Not only does swimming in cold water great for your immune system, it make you very happy as well.

Here is a list of some health benefits:

You’ll supercharge your metabolism!

There are two types of fat in your body: brown and white. These days, humans mostly stockpile the white variety, but back in our hunter gatherer days, the balance was much more even. Studies have shown that the unique brown fat can be activated by cold-water. Not only will brown fat keep you warm, but as its job is to raise body temperature, it burns through calories at a high rate and will help you shed excess weight, too. What better reason to get some Ice Age-style training in in your local outdoor facilities?

Boost your immune system!

By exposing yourself to nature and the cold, you’ll naturally encounter more germs. Provided you’ve had your flu jabs and quickly get warm afterwards, this is no bad thing. According to research published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, regular cold water immersion helps boost your body’s levels of the antioxidant glutathione, which in turn helps regulate the process of all other antioxidants in the body, helping to reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Men increase their libido!

And not just because of the swimsuits (honestly, invest in a wetsuit, come on). According to studies carried out by the UK’s Thrombosis Research Institute, cold water exposure increases testosterone production, which in turn boosts libido in men. And while it doesn't work quite the same way in women, the shock of the cold is guaranteed to boost energy levels and release endorphins, leaving you feeling pretty good regardless.

You’ll become a better swimmer!

Much how running on outdoor trails burns more calories and forces your body to adapt in a more natural way than pounding away on the treadmill, taking your swim to the wilds forces your body to work harder. Not only will you be burning calories to keep warm, tides, wind and obstacles naturally make it a harder session. So if you want to level up, go wild.