Take a swim on the WILD SIDE

WHETHER you’re swimming front crawl, breaststroke or doggy paddle, the physical benefits of swimming are long documented as a low impact way to tone muscle and build cardiovascular strength. But over the course of lockdown, thousands of people discovered what many in the wild swimming community have loved for a long time. Come rain or shine, summer or winter, wild swimming can have an incredible impact on your mental health and wellbeing.

Women are more likely to swim outdoors more often, and in any weather, than men, according to a recent report*, with 63 per cent of female swimmers swimming outside once per week or more in winter, compared to 44 per cent of men. And female participation in outdoor swimming grew 65 per cent in 2020. While groups abstained from meeting for much of lockdown, as restrictions ease, swimming communities are thriving. It’s this social side of wild swimming that many are finding as valuable as the swim itself.

Along the Cornish coast every day, I see women swimming and laughing together, sharing an experience that provides a collective sense of accomplishment,’ says Charlotte Lodey, 35, a qualified life and wellness coach with) and a registered Blue Health Coach. ‘So many women reach a point where they’ve given so much of themselves to their children, partner or career and they feel something is missing or lost. But when wild swimming with other women, who are all stepping out of their comfort zones, they’re doing something nutritious for themselves and so they have so much more to give others.’