The Case for "Wild Swimming" This Summer

A short swim in Lake Champlain after a Montreal trip became a lasting memory for friends, tied to the practice of wild swimming. Red Rocks in South Burlington offers hemlock-lined trails, a pebble beach, and easy routes to boulders along the water. Wild swimming is common in the United Kingdom, with about half a million people going each month, including during coldest conditions. Swimmers seek lakes and ponds across the country, from Scottish lochs to London’s Hampstead Heath. The activity is straightforward: jump in, kick around, and swim if desired. Cold water temperatures in the low 50s are embraced, and immersion is associated with injury prevention, blood pressure reduction, increased metabolic rate, and immune support, with mental health benefits also emphasized.

"There's a park in South Burlington called Red Rocks that features a few hiking trails lined by hemlocks, a pebble-set beach and easy-enough routes down to the boulders that line the water. We couldn't have spent more than a couple of hours there - we jumped in, waded around and stared at Juniper Island, an islet the state paid just $200 for in the early 19th century - and for much of the ride home, packed into an air-conditioned Jeep, our suits remained damp and uncomfortable."

"Half a million Brits go wild swimming each month, even during the coldest days of the year. Inspired by the aquatic adventures of writers like Roger Deakin and Kate Rew, they seek out swims in the United Kingdom's 40,000-plus lakes, from lochs in Scotland's volcanic national parks to the ponds at London's Hampstead Heath. The procedure is simple and invigorating: jump in, kick around, swim if you wish."

"Wild swimming has proliferated despite the country's famously dour weather, and perhaps even because of it. British water temperatures hang around the low 50s, but the nation's swimmers - competitive and casual alike - embrace the chilliness. (Not that they have much choice.) They were in on cold-water therapy long before it was cool."

"As you've no doubt heard on a podcast by now, immersion in frigid water has positive (if not conclusive) correlations with injury prevention, decreased blood pressure, increased metabolic rate and immune system support. But I'd vouch for the practice's mental healt"

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