Benefits and harms when swimming in cold water

Although in Vietnam, swimming in the water in winter usually does not happen because the cold cold will make many people afraid to touch the water, let alone take a cold shower in cold weather.

What is the effect of a cold bath?

However, in Western countries in winter, when the temperature often drops to 0 degrees and the water surface freezes, many people often have the habit of swimming in cold water. There is evidence that swimming in cold water stimulates brown fat to generate heat and burn calories.

But not everyone can tolerate cold water long enough that brown fat can effectively burn calories.

Another effect of a cold bath is to increase the human immunity and this is quite controversial. A study in the Netherlands has more than 3,000 trials of cold water bathing every morning for 1 month.

As a result, during an outbreak of flu, cold bathers were 30% less likely to recover from illness than those who did not. Even just 30 seconds of cold water showers have the same health benefits as long “soaking” in cold water.

Another case in British Medical magazine is about a 24-year-old girl named Sarah who has been taking antidepressants since the age of 17 who joined this program of cold-water swimming every week.

And the positive effects of swimming in cold water had brought about amazing changes and she no longer needed to depend on drugs.

If you are thinking of taking a cold shower, don’t do it alone. You will be gasping for breath if you suddenly jump into cold water and if you are under water at this time it could be dangerous for you.

How harmful is a cold bath?

People with heart disease, blood pressure, chronic illness, young children, the elderly and pregnant women should absolutely not take cold baths in the winter.

In addition, taking a cold shower can cause a stroke if the water temperature is too cold for the body to bear. So you should avoid cold showers and late-night showers, if the water is too cold, increase the water temperature accordingly.

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