5 Benefits of Wild Swimming for Your Mental Health
Wild swimming is a growing trend in many parts of the world and can be a very effective way to reduce stress, improve your mental health and get in shape at the same time. It comes with several variances, but it involves swimming outdoors in open water, in rivers, lakes or the sea in its simplest form.
Here are reasons you should start wild swimming to improve your mental health.
1. Take Advantage of Its Meditative Effect
The meditative effect of swimming is often undervalued. You probably have felt the calming sensation when you’re just floating in the water and being at the present moment. Isn’t that such a fantastic feeling?
Wild swimming, or even the common type of swimming, can put you in a meditative state. The only difference is, wild swimming allows you to be fully immersed in nature—the sights, sounds and smells can be more relaxing, especially if you’ve wanted to get away from the city for some time.
2. Reduce Inflammation in the Body
Stress or virus can cause inflammation in the body—it’s just the body’s natural immune response. However, that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Although there is no problem with short-term inflammation, the prolonged inflammatory response can increase depressive symptoms.
Swimming regularly in cold water can help boost anti-inflammatory response, which is beneficial for those with mental health issues due to inflammation.
3. Decrease Stress Hormones
When there’s too much cortisol in the body, it can lead to anxiety that can wreak havoc on the immune system. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep it in check.
A wild swim can help due to the cold-shock response that releases stress hormones. In fact, doing it repeatedly can allow acclimatisation that can significantly decrease the level of stress hormones in the body.
4. Have More Happy Hormones
Don’t you just want to feel happy? Although it’s not ideal to be happy all the time, you can still increase your happy hormones in the body through wild swimming. Again, this is due to cold immersion that can increase dopamine levels by 530 per cent. Additionally, it can increase beta-endorphin and noradrenaline, which are the feel-good chemicals in the brain.
Swimming can also help increase natural endocannabinoid levels that will improve your mood levels.
5. Be Closer to Nature
Being close to nature is one of the most therapeutic feelings you can access, oftentimes, for free. As mentioned, wild swimming will have you closer to nature. This closeness will bring forth inspiration that naturally takes away stress and boosts the mood. It can also help cultivate a more positive mindset.
Go Wild Swimming Today
Wild swimming is one of those things that if you do regularly, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner. It makes every part of the day better. It involves swimming outdoors in locations where the water is all-natural with no chemicals or other pollutants, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, seas etc. Basically, anywhere clean enough to swim in is great for wild swimming. Wild swimming can do wonders for your mental health. Therefore, if you’re looking for a break from your usual routine, this activity is worth a shot.
Prepare for your wild swimming with the right swim accessories in Australia. Swim Secure has a wide selection of items, such as dry bags, that will come in handy when you go for wild swimming. Shop now.