Swim Challenges Safety
Winter swimming challenges done safely
Autumn… for some it’s the start of indoor swimming and for some it’s the start of their cold water challenges! Our amazing cold water swim community will be out in full force, as they do every year raring to go as the temperatures start to decrease!
Whether you are a regular or a beginner, Open Water Swim Ambassador, Keri-anne Payne is here to share her advice on how to take on winter swimming safely.
There are many winter swimming challenges out there and I love that so many people are doing more cold water swimming.
I do however have some concerns over the safety of some of the challenges, as many people have already voiced across social media platforms. We can all do cold water swimming safely but there are a few things that we need to consider.
Here are my top 3 tips to think about when taking on ANY cold water swim or challenge
You do YOU!
Everyone is different and just because something has worked for one person does not mean it will work for you. And just because you swam a certain distance or time one day doesn’t mean you can replicate it the next day. Why?
There are many factors that effect how susceptible we are to the cold. Here are just 3 of the major stress factors that can effect your ability to stay in the cold
- Lack of sleep
- Menopause, perimenopause or being on your period
- Lack of nutrition
There are other factors too and here we give a handy list of questions to ask yourself before you go for any cold water swim. The sooner you can become in tune with your body the better you will be at taking on challenges.
Can we all also agree here right now to stop using the 1 minute per degree rule! It’s actually very dangerous advice even if it is coming from a good place.
Know what to do
Cold shock response
Hypothermia
Do you know what they are? Do you know how they effect you? Do you know what to do if you experience either?
For me the major factor here is the cold shock response. Sadly most drownings in the UK are a result of someone not knowing how to deal with the cold shock response and panic, ultimately swallowing water and drowning. The really sad part is that it only takes our body 30 seconds to two minutes to deal with the cold shock response. The RNLI have been campaigning for years to get as many people as possible to watch their #floattolive video. If there is one video you share on social media …… let it be this one (add link to RNLI video)
The best course of action for cold shock is to breath…. Yes it’s that simple. Breathing in for 3 and out for 6, go on give it a go now for 3 rounds - in for 3 out for 6, in for 3 out for 6, in for 3 out for 6. Feeling less stressed? Breathing is the key to helping us calm down so just remember if you feel stressed at work or whilst walking into the freezing cold sea…. Breath.
To find out more about hypothermia have a read of that section in the article, theres a bit about a chickens ….
It’s all about the coffee and cake
No cold water swim is complete without at least a warm drink and piece of home baked goodness! But did you know that this isn’t just a way to grow a community and have a laugh after a swim, its actually the BEST way to warm you up after a cold swim.
Effectively when we get cold our bodies need to rewarm from the inside out, and no I don’t mean because we are drinking a warm drink, I mean we a fuelling our bodies natural response to warming up … shivering. So its always a good idea to have a warm drink with sugar or a snack for after your swim to help give your body the fuel it needs to warm itself up properly. If you don’t then you might find that you feel really tired after a cold swim and not that euphoria so many people talk about.
To find out the science behind this you’ll find it in our article.
When it comes to winter swimming challenges just remember to do you and what feels right to you. Following a list of times or distances in the water might just catch you out if you are not ready for it on that day. YOU DO YOU
