Wild swimming

[Houdini Logic]

6 hours ago, Paddy. said:

Are you in Leicestershire mate? If you're prepared to hop over the border to Northamptonshire then there's some lovely places along the Nene you can swim in. I'd recommend Harpers Brook in Aldwinckle, Oundle and Ringstead - all nice places for wild swimming.

Yep, I was going to suggest this stretch - always used to swim here as a kid and even do most summers as an adult. Noone ever bothers you.

https://goo.gl/maps/22gGWJu572zV6QUR8

[Nick]

Grafton Water

[Scotch]

Where I live in Scotland would be absolutely ideal for this if it was something I was into as there are multiple Lochs within a few miles of my house that would be perfect. 

 

Can't say I'm into having a five minute dip in sub zero waters before spending the rest of the day coaxing my bollocks out of my chest. 

[Guest Lako42]

deffo some spots on the Soar.

 

Look for the book Wild guide to central england 

[CosbehFox]

I work with an open water swimmer. She also swims in sub zero temps. 

 

Cliff Lakes is another location near Tamworth 

[Nick]

They do it on Rutland water and Willen Lakein Milton Keynes. 

[Soup]

On 07/06/2021 at 22:04, Costock_Fox said:

Was doing the Wim Hoff method about 2 months ago (cold showers/ice baths and breathing exercises) which got me thinking about it.

An update on this, it's around 150 days now of cold showering. I've gotta say it's the bomb, took a while to adjust but nailed them now. Doubt I'll ever go back. 

Edited 4 November 2021 by Soup

[VLC86]

18 minutes ago, Soup said:

An update on this, it's around 150 days now of cold showering. I've gotta say it's the bomb, took a while to adjust but nailed them now. Doubt I'll ever go back. 

I probably need to get back onto this. Feel like shit mentally at the minute and I felt unbeatable doing this.

 

Have you got in an ice bath yet? The pain in the hands and feet are something else haha

[Soup]

1 minute ago, Costock_Fox said:

I probably need to get back onto this. Feel like shit mentally at the minute and I felt unbeatable doing this.

 

Have you got in an ice bath yet? The pain in the hands and feet are something else haha

Yeah that's how I sort of feel tbh, so yeah you probably should. 

 

Can't to baths unfortunately as we've only got a shower. Would definitely be open to trying it though.  

[Merging Cultures]

I've been taking cold showers recently, but that's because it's been up to 40C here!

[Soup]

19 minutes ago, Merging Cultures said:

I've been taking cold showers recently, but that's because it's been up to 40C here!

Carry on with them in the colder month's, there's definitely a benefit.

[jgtuk]

3 minutes ago, Soup said:

Carry on with them in the colder month's, there's definitely a benefit.

How cold is a cold shower? Do you mean straight from the mains or low temp with electric shower?

Do you have a resource for the health benefits and implementation of this, I would love to know more.

[VLC86]

6 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

How cold is a cold shower? Do you mean straight from the mains or low temp with electric shower?

Do you have a resource for the health benefits and implementation of this, I would love to know more.

Put your shower as cold as it will physically go. Start with about 15/20 seconds and keep it up till you can do 2 minutes. 
 

58 minutes ago, Soup said:

Yeah that's how I sort of feel tbh, so yeah you probably should. 

 

Can't to baths unfortunately as we've only got a shower. Would definitely be open to trying it though.  

Its a different ball game trust me. Puts your body in pure panic mode.

[Soup]

45 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

How cold is a cold shower? Do you mean straight from the mains or low temp with electric shower?

Do you have a resource for the health benefits and implementation of this, I would love to know more.

Yeah like Costock said as cold as you can. However at first I found that hard so I started luke warm a gradually went colder. The more and more you do it you can get to the cold faster and then you can stand under cold for longer. First time I wouldn't go straight for cold as it is a shock. 

 

As for actual scientific health benefits I don't know. All I know is that it seems to make me loose for hours after, almost a glow over me. Makes me more alert and focused. There's loads of stuff on the internet saying that it boosts your immune system as well, but no idea if that's true. It just feels good and that's why I do it.

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-benefits

Edited 4 November 2021 by Soup

[Soup]

18 minutes ago, Costock_Fox said:

It's a different ball game trust me. Puts your body in pure panic mode.

Haha sounds fun. I'll try it next time I'm staying anywhere that's got a bath

[jgtuk]

31 minutes ago, Costock_Fox said:

Put your shower as cold as it will physically go. Start with about 15/20 seconds and keep it up till you can do 2 minutes. 
 

Its a different ball game trust me. Puts your body in pure panic mode.

 

13 minutes ago, Soup said:

Yeah like Costock said as cold as you can. However at first I found that hard so I started luke warm a gradually went colder. The more and more you do it you can get to the cold faster and then you can stand under cold for longer. First time I wouldn't go straight for cold as it is a shock. 

 

As for actual scientific health benefits I don't know. All I know is that it seems to make me loose for hours after, almost a glow over me. Makes me more alert and focused. There's loads of stuff on the internet saying that it boosts your immune system as well, but no idea if that's true. It just feels good and that's why I do it.

Cheers guys. I'm always open to (otherwise harmless) ways to enhance health. I have a blood cancer so my immune response is very poor (6 months after 2 covid vax shots I have no antibodies).

I always take cool showers and take the occasional wild swim. There are a few unofficial wild swimming sites around here, mainly mountain lakes, which are so isolated you can swim naked if you wanted. I live about 9 miles from the sea too.

I'll definitely give the shower thing a go.

[VLC86]

5 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

 

Cheers guys. I'm always open to (otherwise harmless) ways to enhance health. I have a blood cancer so my immune response is very poor (6 months after 2 covid vax shots I have no antibodies).

I always take cool showers and take the occasional wild swim. There are a few unofficial wild swimming sites around here, mainly mountain lakes, which are so isolated you can swim naked if you wanted. I live about 9 miles from the sea too.

I'll definitely give the shower thing a go.

There is limited info to suggest measurable benefits but as far as mental health the theory is that because you kick your body into fight or flight you forget everything else.

 

The breathing element of the Wim Hoff method does have more documented benefits. It increases blood oxygen levels and there have been studies that show people who were injected with a virus showed no ill effects of the virus where as everyone else did.

 

It’s the same virus the Covid jab uses so I tried it after my first jab…. Didn’t work and I was rough as hell.

Edited 4 November 2021 by Costock_Fox

[jgtuk]

1 minute ago, Costock_Fox said:

There is limited info to suggest measurable benefits but as far as mental health the theory is that because you kick your body into fight or flight you forget everything else.

 

The breathing element of the Wim Hoff method does have more documented benefits. It increases blood oxygen levels and there have been studies that show people who were injected with a virus showed no ill effects of the virus where as everyone else did.

 

It’s the same virus the Covid jab uses so I tried it after my first jab…. Didn’t work and I was rough as hell.

Nothing lost, nothing gained

Anything that helps mental health is a good thing.

[VLC86]

7 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

Nothing lost, nothing gained

Anything that helps mental health is a good thing.

You will definitely lose a bollock.

[Soup]

20 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

 

Cheers guys. I'm always open to (otherwise harmless) ways to enhance health. I have a blood cancer so my immune response is very poor (6 months after 2 covid vax shots I have no antibodies).

I always take cool showers and take the occasional wild swim. There are a few unofficial wild swimming sites around here, mainly mountain lakes, which are so isolated you can swim naked if you wanted. I live about 9 miles from the sea too.

I'll definitely give the shower thing a go.

Mountain lakes, sounds amazing. Very envious

[jgtuk]

11 minutes ago, Costock_Fox said:

You will definitely lose a bollock.

I've got two so

[jgtuk]

43 minutes ago, Soup said:

Mountain lakes, sounds amazing. Very envious

The first two are the same lake which you can get to with a 20 minute walk and through a tunnel in the rock.

The third one is isolated and about an hours walk in the hills and the last (tarty photo) is just up the road from my house.

Edited 4 November 2021 by jgtuk

[VLC86]

1 hour ago, jgtuk said:

I've got two so

Nobody likes a show off.

[VLC86]

55 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

The first two are the same lake which you can get to with a 20 minute walk and through a tunnel in the rock.

The third one is isolated and about an hours walk in the hills and the last (tarty photo) is just up the road from my house.

Stunning mate, where is this?

[SpacedX]

The first one reminds me of the Blue Lake, Gwynedd Wales.