Sea swimming creates a better healthier you
Sea swimming can be one of the biggest mental thrills and most invigorating body experiences you can achieve and all it takes is to build up enough courage to take the plunge.
We don’t all live in a country that has crystal clear waters and lush warm sea temperatures and so I am sure we have all heard the typical “it’s alright once you’re in” catchphrase. It can seem like such a crazy idea to challenge ourselves to enter the sea especially after sometimes confirming with a single bare foot just how cold you thought it was.
So why do so many people swim in the sea and where does that feeling that we get come from when we see the sea some days and it looks so appealing to enter. Why is it that now and then we summon upon our mental strength and will power to take that some what painful entry into the cold waters of our local seas.
The benefits to sea swimming
Sea swimming may sound crazy when you dip your foot in and feel the cold, however it comes with numerous benefits that make it almost more crazy for those that don’t try it.
For those of us that live by the coast, one of the most obvious benefits to sea swimming is that it costs nothing, and like running or cycling, once we have our sports kit, it is a totally free form of exercise that we can do at any time using nothing but the natural surroundings we live in.
There have been many studies relating to sea swimming and cold water immersion that show just how positively it can affect our mental and physical health.
The Mental benefits
Luckily it almost seems like the colder the sea temperature the more you can use this one single form of exercise to forget all about any worries, stresses and troubles we have going on in our daily lives. Once you strip down to your swim suit and walk towards the end of the land that meets the oncoming waves, everything in your mind just switches off and the only thing you can focus on is how you’re going to enter, whether you’re going for the run and dive style or the slow creep in inch by inch style. You will also probably have that inner arguement with yourself from turning back.
Those first few seconds in the water create a moment of euphoria as your body takes control of your mind, the blood rushes around your body, the heat rushes to protect your vital organs leaving a tingling feeling running through your feet and hands. While this might not sound like fun, it’s actually one of the greatest moments of the entire experience as for those few seconds you feel alive, you notice a connection to every inch of your body.
Any of those life pressures of how you are “supposed” to look, any of the negative feelings towards your body that you might normally despise (as you’ve been given such a media hyped perfect body image for so long) disappear and you appreciate every tingling sensation that runs through your entire body. Your mind switches off and your body takes over!
Once your mind starts to take control again, it is the natural side of your mind that comes to life as you begin to think of the natural environment that you’re in, you feel the sounds of the waves and become one with the enormity of the sea.
The physical benefits
Again the benefits in your physical health that have been studied over the years just go to show how easy it can be to help yourself to become a better healthier you.
Cold water immersion has been shown to flush out toxins and waste from within your body. It can improve your blood circulation. It can almost reset your body’s natural temperature regulating system so you don’t always need to rely on turning your heating up or wearing extra clothes. Plus one of the most positive affects it can have is that of a soothing effect as it reduces inflammation on any sore and tired muscles.
The differences to pool swimming
Swimming is swimming right? Well when it comes to swimming in the sea, it can be a totally different experience to swimming in the pool.
As mentioned, we don’t all live next to crystal clear seas. So one of the main differences is, you can not just follow a line along the bottom or a lane rope along the surface.
Sea swimming can be a lot more fun as you need to take into account the elements of nature such as the waves, the bright sunlight, the darkness when your face is in the water and not to mention the possible floating sea weed and the living sea life.
One of the biggest tips I can give you for sea swimming is learn how to swim using SIGHTING. It is quite possible that you will be swimming blinded by the natural elements that come with sea swimming.
Sighting means that you look for something to swim towards that is easy to see in the distance such as a pier, a groyne, a buoy, or a distant building. When you swim, now and then you should break from your normal stroke and breathing to aim to bring your head up forwards to breathe and sight for the object, this will help you go in a straighter line. The more waves or choppier the sea, the more frequently you should sight the object as it is easy to be thrown of course by the sea.
Swim safely
When it comes to sea swimming, there are some obvious cautions you should take to make the experience as safe as possible for you.
1.try to always swim with a friend or group of friends and if you can’t convince anyone that it’ll be one of the best things they do that day then try to have someone nearby to watch for you from the beach.
2.try to swim in or near to lifeguarded beaches.
3.check the water before going in, it’s usually straight forward to find out if the sea water is deemed clean enough to swim in but also check how rough the sea is, swimming in calmer seas is a lot easier and safer.
4.try to always swim along the coast rather than out as far as you can, it may seem more of a challenge to swim out but it brings a much greater risk.
5.think about what kit you are wearing and if you can be easily seen, for example, you can wear a bright swim hat or tow a bright swim buoy for safety. Also a wetsuit can help you stay warmer in the water longer and if you come into difficulties can help you float.
When it comes down to it sea swimming can be one of the biggest mental thrills and most invigorating body experiences you can achieve but know your limits. On certain days, just like any form of exercise your body might not be as ready as your mind is so know when to turn back or when to cut a swim short.
One other thing to take into consideration is again like any form of exercise any long term health issues you might have, so speak to your gp if you want to give sea swimming a go but are worried.
