Since the Covid-19 pandemic wild swimming has risen in popularity, with people driven to its health benefits, but also its growing community.
Social media has played a significant roll with wild swimming and ice bath videos amassing hundreds of thousands of likes on TikTok.
The growth has been particularly strong among younger swimmers with Gen Z, ‘the health-conscious generation’, engaging in all thing’s health and wellness.
Lola Culsán and John Weller, Authors of Outdoor Swimming London said: “Wild swimming is hugely popular and getting more so all the time, especially in the winter.
“You’ll see many young people wild swimming in London, everyone is welcome.”
London is a hotspot for wild swimming locations with more plans in the works for new spaces to open very soon.
Hampstead heath is set to be welcoming swimmers all year round as the City of London Corporation propose extending the season, as well as installing saunas and new changing facilities.
East London waterworks park charity also has plans on opening a new biodiverse wild swimming pond in Waltham Forest.
The expansion of wild swimming spaces in capital comes with many health benefits too, according to the authors of Outdoor swimming London.
Culsán and Weller said: “Immersing yourself in cold water acts like a ‘reset button’ for the nervous system, triggering a huge release of feel-good hormones.
“The feeling of being in cold water can lift your mood for hours afterwards.
“For menopausal and premenopausal women, cold water swimming is increasingly recognised not just as a hobby, but as a powerful therapeutic tool for managing the systemic shifts that occur during this transition.”
A study carried out by scientists at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and The University of Sheffield found that for women specifically, swimming was also about getting in touch with nature and providing an opportunity for them to escape busy lives.
Culsán and Weller said: “Indoor pools are noisy and chlorinated. The ‘Blue Space Theory’ suggests being in or near natural water significantly reduces cortisol levels. Wild swimming is a total system reboot.
“Urban wild swimming provides an alternative space- it isn’t work, it isn’t the pub, and it isn’t home.
“It’s a real leveller where people from all walks of life come together.”
Photo by Junel Mujar on Unsplash
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