Cold-water swimming in South Somerset…
I’m sure we’ve all had those days… where the monotony of daily life becomes overwhelming, and a slight annoyance or inconvenience hangs in your mind all day. Sometimes this is provoked simply by a poor night’s sleep, or maybe an ongoing stressful period in your life. During this time, it can be helpful to branch outside of your comfort zone, to do something different… to break the cycle. What better way to do that than submerging your body in cold water? As I’m sure you’ve heard, cold water swimming has a range of extensive health benefits and is a sure-fire way to boost your mood and eliminate those unruly negative thoughts.
For your mental health, a tsunami of endorphins could be the answer…
Looking for swimming spots along the coastal path
Stunning hidden bays can be found all along the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline
Cold water swimming, by definition, means that you’re outside in nature, getting your daily dose of Vitamin-D, with the wind in your hair and breathing fresh air into your lungs. As if this wasn’t good enough, it also has proven scientific health benefits…
Being submerged in cold water is an unnatural phenomenon for your body, hence it brings about different bodily responses. It brings your body close to the pain barrier, resulting in the flood of endorphins to help your body cope with this so-called ‘pain’. These endorphins are there to relieve pain, reduce stress and improve mood. A 2000 study carried out by scientists in Prague found that cold water immersion can boost dopamine (the happy hormone) levels by 530%. Therefore, a quick dip (only 2 minutes required to reap the reward), can massively boost your mood givng you a natural ‘high’, and make you ready to take on whatever the day throws at you.
Make sure you have warm clothes to put on straight afterwards
Always make sure you have company with you - safer and more fun!
And research suggests that they are also many other benefits of cold-water swimming…
It boosts your immune system.
It improves your circulation.
It increases your libido.
It burns calories.
Beware of the potential risks:
As with any good thing in life, cold water swimming can come with its risks. Luckily, research and being properly informed will minimise these dramatically. Here is a link to a good article which explains everything you need to know.
You can rent wonderful luxury country houses such as Bridge House in Somerset where in Autumn, Winter and Spring you can have an invigorating cold water experience with a surge of endorphins… followed by a hot chocolate around the wood burner…
Warm coats like DryRobe make excellent companions for throwing on after cold water swims
Around a 30-40 minute drive from luxury holiday rental, Bridge House, you will find the World Heritage ‘Jurassic Coast’, home to famous sites such as Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Lyme Regis, Burton Bradstock, Beer beach, and the fossil hunters home of Charmouth beach.
Coast: Lyme Regis
A particularly popular cold-water swimming spot is the wide bay of historic town of Lyme Regis. This offers plenty of beach space, both pebble and sand, as well as large areas of shallow water. In Summer, the average water temperature is 15 degrees celsius, and in Winter it drop to around 10 degrees. There are plenty of cafes, pubs and local fish & chip stalls to keep you entertained after your swim with hot food and drink!
Coast: Eype Beach
Eype Beach is a secluded peaceful beach away from the more popular beaches at Lyme and West Bay. It sits beneath the Golden Cap and have breathtaking views of the Jurassic Coast. It is a shingle beach and steeply shelving as you enter the water - ideal for confident swimmers. Early morning or sunset swims are ideal. This is one of the few beaches in Dorset to allow dogs all year round so you can bring your pooch for company!
Sunset cold water Winter swim at Eype - see if you can spot the brave souls!
Wild swimming: Warleigh Weir
Warleigh Weir in Bath is a beautiful spot for wild swimming, located on the river Avon. Why not make a day out of it and visit the beautiful city of Bath, an hour’s drive from Bridge House? It’s a picturesque spot and gets busy on warm summer days, so best to avoid peak times. It is also perfect for an endorphin rush in Winter.
Swimming Pools
It is not always possible to visit the seaside or a wild swimming location, however, swimming pools such as an outdoor lido or home swimming pools can result in the same benefits. You can rent luxury country houses such as Bridge House in Somerset, where although the pool is heated in Summer, guests will often use the pool in Autumn & Spring for cold water swimming, and the braver ones may even venture in for a dip donning a warm bobble hat in the height of Winter…. and finish off with a mug of hot chocolate, wrapped in a warm rug, sitting with friends around the crackling wood burner.