How do you introduce yourself to cold water swimming?
Get in slowly, no jumping in here, breathe, lie on your back, float and take a few deep breaths once you have slowly entered the water, don’t underestimate the cold shock response, it immediately makes us want to take a gasp of air and puts our body under stress. Stage 1 or initial “cold shock” happens in the first three to five minutes. Cold shock can cause immediate and involuntary gasping, hyperventilation, panic, and vertigo. All of these can cause water inhalation and drowning. Immersion also can cause sudden changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rhythm.The secret to acclimatising to cold water is just to swim in it, often – at least once a week, and preferably two or three, gradually extending the time that you stay in the water,’ says Dr Heather Massey a swimmer and a researcher at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth.Stage 1: Initial “cold shock” occurs in the first 3-5 minutes of immersion in cold water. Sudden immersion into cold water can cause immediate, involuntary gasping; hyperventilation; panic; and vertigo—all of which can result in water inhalation and drowning.Wear a wetsuit of appropriate thickness for the amount of time you plan to spend in the water and the type of activity you’re doing, if entering. Wear a flotation device. It greatly increases your chances of making it through the initial shock.Here are some pointers to get you started. Try a cold shower first. This is less intense than outdoor swimming and can help to test how your body responds. Gradually reduce the temperature and increase the time you spend in cold water as your body gets used to it.
How to train your body to swim in cold water?
Acclimate and warm up: cold water swimming can expose your body to colder temperatures, so acclimate gradually to the water to avoid shock. Begin with shorter swims and gradually increase the duration as your body adjusts. Perform a proper warm-up before entering the water to prepare your muscles. A condition called ‘after drop’ can also affect people who have been swimming in cold water. This is when the body’s core temperature continues to drop. It can make you shiver and feel faint after getting out of the water.The cold can dull your blood pressure response and make you feel dizzy and faint. Now that you are out of the water doesn’t mean you will instantly start to warm up. In fact you will continue to cool, sometimes called the ‘afterdrop’. This period of cooling can potentially last 30-40 minutes after your swim.Experiments have shown that people can reduce the cold-shock response by 50% in as few as 5 two-minute immersions in cold water 59F (15C). Moreover, most of the habituation remains for up to a year. Brief cold showers have a similar but less marked effect.Cold water (50-60°F / 10-15°C) can put you at risk within 30 to 60 minutes. Remaining in the water for one to two hours can have the potential for severe effects that can put your health and life at significant risk. If you see someone fall overboard in cold water, the goal is to get them out immediately.
How to swim in cold water for beginners?
To get use to the cold water just start with putting legs in up to knees. After a few mins go a little deeper and slowly move into deeper and deeper water, or jut be brave and jump in all the way. Gradually increase the length of time that you spend in the water. You don’t need to swim at first, in fact, it’s safer if you initially go in only waist or chest deep and squat down so that the water covers your skin. Although it appears to be less effective, you can also acclimate by taking cold baths or showers.Over time, you can build up more tolerance for colder water by slowly increasing your exposure to it. One of the best ways to get more comfortable with cold water is by “swimming down the temperature” from summer to fall. If you’d normally be out of open water by Labor Day, try swimming a few more times into the fall.How quickly can hypothermia develop in 50-degree water? In 50-degree water, exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur within 1-6 hours, with death potentially following. However, the greatest danger comes from cold shock and incapacitation in the first 30 minutes, well before traditional hypothermia develops.To avoid cold shock it is important to acclimatise to the water temperature slowly – more about that later! The heat in your body can’t instantly disappear. Hypothermia comes on slowly over time.Keep warm before you swim. Get undressed at the final moment before entering the water. Enter the water steadily and purposefully. Don’t jump or dive, but also don’t spend so long doing it that you’ve got cold before you start.
Who should not do cold water swimming?
As a general rule, get expert medical advice before winter swimming if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma, or are pregnant. Cold water swimming can improve blood pressure and fat levels in the blood when practised regularly by those in good general health. However, if you have a heart condition, there are risks you should consider and discuss with your doctor or nurse specialist before starting swimming.As a general rule, get expert medical advice before winter swimming if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma, or are pregnant.
How long should you stay in cold water swimming?
Don’t swim in colder water for longer than 10 minutes, and avoid using how you feel as a guide — cold incapacitation can occur with little warning. If you have difficulty swimming because of the cold, move onto your back and move your limbs as little as possible whilst staying afloat. Stage 4 of cold water immersion is called post-rescue collapse. In this stage, a drop in blood pressure caused by hypothermia can cause a person to become unconscious or stop breathing, even several hours after the rescue. This is why receiving immediate medical attention after cold water immersion is critical.When body temperature drops, the heart, nervous system and other organs can’t work as well as they usually do. Left untreated, hypothermia can cause the heart and respiratory system to fail and eventually can lead to death. Common causes of hypothermia include exposure to cold weather or immersion in cold water.
Can you train your body to withstand cold water?
The best way to get used to cold water swimming is through gradual progression. Begin by swimming in water just a few degrees cooler than you’re accustomed to and slowly increase exposure times. This trains your body to handle the cold while improving your mental resilience. Swimming in cold water could be a great option for longevity Literally speaking, maintaining a cool temperature in your body could extend your life span. Scientific studies indicate that as metabolism increases at higher temperatures so should the rate of ageing. What is the best way to keep your body cool?
What gear is needed for cold water swimming?
If the water temperature is 50F (10C), a 2mm wetsuit will protect you from cold shock, but it won’t delay incapacitation for very long. If you wear a wetsuit, be sure it provides you with enough protection for the conditions in which you paddle. That’s why we advise you to swim-test and field-test your gear. In the military we used the 120 rule. If water temperature plus ambient air temperature is above 120 degrees F then you can swim without a wetsuit for about an hour without getting hypothermia. So if the water is above 37, you’re good for an hour before you risk serious injury/death.