Tranquil Topics
Tranquil Topics is a wellbeing podcast providing discussions and tips for self-development and spirituality.
Tranquil Topics
Wild Swimming with Anna
The views expressed in this episode are for informational purposes only and are based on personal experiences and research; they are not a substitute for professional or medical advice. Always consult with local authorities and experts when engaging in wild swimming activities.
On this episode of Tranquil Topics, join me and my close friend Anna as we recount the exhilarating experience of wild swimming. From our first meeting to the moment she introduced me to wild swimming, Anna shares her personal journey and how it became a source of solace and strength during tough times. Discover the profound mental health benefits and the vibrant community spirit that surrounds cold water dipping.
Learn how to start your own wild swimming adventure safely and effectively. We delve into the necessity of proper equipment like wetsuits and gloves and the importance of beginning in the warmer months. Anna and I offer practical tips for staying safe, such as avoiding head immersion and knowing the risks of cold water shock. We'll also share our love for nature and the joy of encountering wildlife during our swims, plus essential post-swim warmth tips to ensure your comfort.
Safety is paramount in this episode, and we emphasize the need for gradual acclimatisation and responsible swimming practices. Tune in to learn how this invigorating pastime can enhance your mental resilience and overall well-being.
Links mentioned in the episode:
https://www.mentalhealthswims.co.uk/
https://www.uswimopenwater.com/
https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/
Instagram pages:
@mentalhealthswims
@suzannaswims
@soup_sheffieldoutdoorplungers
@uswimopenwater
@outdoorswimmermagazine
@theoutdoorswimmingsociety
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Hi everyone, before we dive into today's episode of Tranquil Topics, we want to remind our listeners that wild swimming, whilst a beautiful and invigorating experience, can also pose certain risks. The views expressed in this podcast are for informational purposes only and are based on personal experiences and research. They are not a substitute for professional or medical advice. Always consult with local authorities and experts when engaging in wild swimming activities. Enjoy the adventure, but stay safe. Hi everyone, welcome back to Tranquil Topics. I'm your host, steph, and in this episode I have my first guest with me. She's one of my close friends and she's here to talk about everything to do with wild swimming. So, Anna, welcome to the podcast.
Anna:Hello, it's nice to be here on your first on location recording in the camper van in a lay-by, having just emerged from some cold water, which is exciting to talk about. Yeah, we are definitely on location, so you might hear some cars in the background, but that is because we are out in the wild recording this interview.
Stephanie:We are. We have been for an early morning dip today, so we'll get straight to it. Shall we start with how we met.
Anna:Yeah, okay, you were my friend's girlfriend and I met. I met your partner through another friend. I'm moving on scouts. It was a really tenuous link, was it scouts? Yeah, so his like really good friend from university I went to scouts with and then he kept coming drinking with us and then she moved away but he didn't, so I still hung out with him and then that was that and they're the friendship boss.
Stephanie:Yes, yeah, right, so with the in terms of wild swimming, you invited me to come with you months ago for the first day.
Anna:Was it a couple of years ago now, wow, um. So I, I people go a bit funny about this, but there is a difference between wild swimming and open water swimming. Open water swimming you definitely need the flow, you need the hat, you know, you need to be mindful of where you're going. You know it is, you are going across as it says open water. Wild swimming, you know, is the place where you are just outside. It's not a swim pool, it's not got chlorine in it and you're just going for a dip. You can go for a little pootle. You're not covering any distance. You're not there to try and set a pb or anything like that. You are just immersing yourself in nature and in cold water at the time. So that can be in a river, in the sea, and in scotland they have right to swim in all the reservoirs.
Anna:In england there are some designated swimming reservoir. There's one in saddleworth called spath reservoir that you can swim in, but there, you know, there's lots of different places. There's loads of private lakes now that are like you know, you can buy, you can pay to go and do cold water swimming in their lakes. Um, so I'll be talking about cold water dipping and wild swimming, because that is what I tend to do. I don't do open water swimming, I'm just a little pootler tend to do. I don't do open water swimming, I'm just a little pootler, pootler in the cold water having a nice time, shrieking because it's cold, but having a nice time. And so to tell you about how I got into it absolutely so I I'd seen.
Anna:I'd seen that, like you know, when it was all restrictions and all you could do is be outside during like the back end of the pandemic, and I'd seen some people like camping and swimming. I thought I want to do that, so I'd gone to a couple of times. Camping. There was like a river nearby North Wales is beautiful for it. I thoroughly recommend North Wales for some of the rivers there Gorgeous. And then I'd done it a couple of times and enjoyed it.
Anna:And then one day I was treated really badly. It was November, so it's cold. I was treated really badly by some people who I thought were my friends. I was really upset, I was really sad. And I woke up and I was really sad and I was really upset and I just started walking, put a jumper on and put a coat on and I started walking. And about 10 minutes into the walk I said to my husband when, when I finish walking, will you come meet me with my wetsuit and pick me up and we're going to go to a place where I know you can go cold dipping? And he went, yeah, okay, so like 15 kilometers later I ring him up. I'm done now. And he was like okay, so uh, and then we drove down to it's like south Manchester, north of Northchester, there's a place you can go and I wrestled on my wetsuit shoes and I had this wetsuit that I'd bought from eBay and it was cold, it wasn't nice, and there were some people coming out of the place to go swimming two or three.
Anna:And then there was some woman going in and I looked like I'd been crying. I looked like I'd been crying, I looked like I was tired, I looked like upset. And she got in the water and she just says I'm having a really bad mental health week and I'm just going to be here and I'm going to do what I can do. And she just and that's what she said to me and I just was like I'm having a really bad day and I'm going to do what I can do. And just the instant vulnerability and kindness and warmth from her was just so lovely and I thought this is where I need to be. And we ended up spending about 20 minutes like dipping in and out, shrieking, giggling, and and I emerged from that cold water dip and I obviously didn't solve all the sadness and all the hurt I had, but what it did do is it made me feel like I could cope with it.
Anna:I thought, well, if that's that's what it feels like when I'm having a really bad time and that's a reactive way to deal with it, what are the benefits if I'm proactive with my cold water swimming, so I actually don't have to have a be in a bad mood to do it, and let's see what that feels like?
Anna:Well, obviously, if you're in a really sad place and you come out of it emerging giggling, you can imagine how you feel like if you go into doing it and you're in a really good mood and you come out and you're just elated and there's some. I mean, I've like listened to the podcasts and things like that and there's loads of information about all the benefits for it and I've seen memes for it. But you know there is adrenaline and there is dopamine and actually what a lovely way to be able to sort of experience that sort of excitement and happiness. It's completely healthy. You know rivers are free. You know still just about. You know the sea is free so you can actually go and you can do some cold dipping and really enjoy it. And so then I started going and by myself, I filmed myself and I'd put a little video up on my Instagram saying swim TV.
Stephanie:Yeah, give a shout out to swim TV, swim TV.
Anna:A little stream of swim TV. I put a little bit of music with it. It's 30 seconds of my tiny head and the horizon going round Swim TV. And then, like you, messaged oh, I really wanted to try that. Can I come and have a go? Yeah, okay. So then we went and then, obviously, obviously, you were on swim tv and then my friend saw that you were on it, friend helen, and she was like oh, I've always fancied trying that. It's like yeah, I'm going at six o'clock in the morning, do you want to come? So she was like yeah, okay. Then she was on swim tv and then her friend saw that she was on swim tv because she then shared it on her instagram you're going global.
Anna:So there's about eight of us. There's about eight of us who like, if one of us wants to do it, then one of us will always probably go along with them, as it tends to be me. But I've never really been on my own and the rare times I've gone on my own, there's always a rando in the places where I go that you can have a little chat with, and I just think everybody, overwhelmingly in a cold water spot, is really kind and really friendly and just really positive, because it's actually impossible to stay in a bad mood if you're making shrieking noises going into cold water. It's impossible. We were shrieking noises going into cold water, it's impossible. So we were shrieking this morning really so that was cold.
Anna:You can't shriek without a little giggle, and if you're giggling then you get in a better mood, don't you?
Stephanie:well, I've only been swimming with you outside, um, I really enjoy it. But even this, I think we need to mention how great that community is, because there were three other ladies that arrived after us and every single one of them had a chat, yeah, and they're just so welcoming and just loving life.
Anna:Yeah, and I've been before where a bloke set up his little tent for the day with his kid.
Anna:And so he had a little life jacket on and they'd gone for a swim. And then he's like, obviously bridled with a Mars bar afterwards. And then yesterday, when I was in Anglesey Bull Bay absolutely gorgeous place to go swimming Me and my little girl were swimming as we emerged there's somebody else who's like, oh, how cold is it, is it?
Anna:You know always a little bit of you know swim chat and then someone will sit on the wall and talk to you about where they've been swimming and even if they're not in the water, like it's just, it's just a really simple thing to do. It's a really sensory thing to do. It's really mind you can't be on your phone and swim. So like you have to be like in the moment. You also have to concentrate on your breathing as it gets colder, so like it just becomes a really pleasant thing to do. And and everybody at some point has like jumped in a river, so they want to talk about the time that they've jumped in a river and enjoyed themselves and or tell you about a spot where they've been or which is a nice beach. I've tried that beach, that's a good beach, and you're like it's nice, it's really nice so I remember the first time we went swimming.
Stephanie:I I knew you'd been loads of times before I came with you, but I actually felt quite uh I don't know if hesitant is the right word maybe a bit anxious about what it was going to be like, how cold it was going to be, how my body was going to react, because I didn't know what to expect. So if someone's sat at home and they haven't done it before, but they're like I'm interested in this. What would you advise them in terms of how to start, in terms of what kit do they need if?
Anna:any. So I mean, there is growing numbers of places where you can go swimming that are organized by people. Uh, you know you swim mental health swims online. There's plenty of people you can do. But if you just want to go by yourself, um, I mean there's loads like blue tits facebook group. They've got locations and things like that.
Anna:If you want to start, you need to start in the summer. You cannot start going cold water swimming in in november, december, because the water will be too cold, it's dangerous for you. You need to start. You know, june, you start going in the water. You do four or five minutes. The next time you do 10 minutes. By july, august, the water is warm enough for you to be in it 15, 20 minutes. Um, and then keep going, don't have a break. You've got to keep going weekly, so as the water incrementally gets colder, you acclimatize with that temperature. You cannot just jump straight in and and that's where you get to see all these signs of like. You know people die in cold water. But of course you have to be careful, um, don't jump straight in, like I never get my head wet, because if you get your head wet you get colder quicker, equipment wise, um, if you're just going to go in the summer like, you just need a swim costume.
Anna:If you're going in winter, you do need to have gloves, feet, ideally a wetsuit. I don't have a wetsuit that covers my legs, but I've got a wetsuit that covers my arms and my torso. I think Crocs are excellent because as soon as you take your wetsuit shoes off, you can just slip the Crocs on. I've got a really good and Dean laughs at me. I have a coat hanger which is specially shaped to dry off my wetsuit shoes, my gloves and my wetsuit.
Anna:And I know that sounds completely indulgent, but if you're going weekly and you need to hang your stuff in the bath, then you can hang it out properly, doesn't get damaged, and it's just then kept nicely. Or you can hang it outside on the washing line and it's all together. So that's a really good coat hanger. Like you know, if you put wetsuit coat hanger in google, you can see that. And then I mean, a dry robe is nice, you don't need it, it just makes it easier. Um, but the tip is really as soon as you get out from being wet, you get dry and you get warm as quick as possible. It's hanging around afterwards being wet. That will make you cold, and that's when it's uncomfortable yeah, I still come running to danger sometimes yeah, yeah, I mean I certainly wouldn't be starting this if I had any sort of health condition.
Anna:You know, if you're pregnant, if you're, you know if you're managing things, then you know, really, look for the correct websites, ask your gp. But for me, I'm perfectly healthy and I go in and I love it, I mean, and also it's not. It's not. I mean, if you're in for five minutes, you're in for 20 minutes, you're still doing a cold dip. You're not getting any prizes for being. It's not an endurance test, not a challenge. You know, this is about you having a nice time outside, because actually it's not just about the cold water and the wild swimming and cold water If you're surrounded by hills or you're surrounded by trees or you're in a really beautiful spot. It's also about the nature and all the health benefits about being around nature and then if you have a really positive interaction with someone who's also cold dipping, so it's about, then, your community connections. So it's not just necessarily about cold water. It's about, then, your community connections. So it's not just necessarily about cold water.
Stephanie:It's about all the trimmings that come along with doing these cold water dips that make it such a positive experience. Yeah, I know the last time we went we had that flock of geese in with us.
Anna:Yeah, yeah, I'm sure they're coming near us they were getting nearer and nearer.
Anna:I was swimming away but there's times when I've come especially if I've come here and like I've come at six o'clock in the morning, before work and there's been no one here, like I was swimming, it was, it was like a mill pond, it was absolutely so still like um and like a duck, just it was. So just didn't care, just swam with me for a bit and then, like a flock of geese, landed on the, on the bit of swimming, then the bit of the water that I was swimming on, I was like wow, it's just so nice. And then you hear the birds and it's lovely and you think, well, this is a great way to start your day and actually, if you do it in the, if you do it in the morning before you go to work, then your day started with something that you wanted to do, not that work wanted you to do, which I always think is a really good way to start your day yeah, break up the routine.
Anna:Yeah, and just like you set the tone of your day, then. And if that's shrieking and cold water talking to a dog, it's a bit more interesting than putting it on the telly, isn't it?
Stephanie:I want to say so. I remember it wasn't the first time we'd been, but it might have been the second, and you've got this camper van, which I think is stunning. I actually I want one. It's gorgeous that camper van, I can see one in my future now, because you've got so much freedom with it. Yeah, you go wherever you want.
Stephanie:Yeah, you've got your hanger to dry all your stuff I do and like I just, I've not had that for me in my life. I've just had. I mean, yeah, you can get places in a car, but I can't. I don't want to camp in my car no you know what I mean. But we went and we did a swim early morning I hope you remember this and you brought brioche, yeah, and we had our hot bimto think you had a tea and we just watched the sun come up after the swim lovely, yeah, and then we went off on our day and I felt amazing I mean, I brought welsh cakes today, but you didn't want one
Anna:no, I didn't want one, I might wait for my hula hoop, yeah, but yeah, you set your tone of the day and that's it. And there is now increasing science about being outside is much better for you. They call them blue spaces, don't they? Which is good for your mental health. I mean when it's freezing, when it really. I don't mean freezing in zero degrees, I mean when it feels like glass on your skin because it's cold.
Anna:It's not easy to go into the water. But if you do that, if you find the mind space to walk into really, really goddamn cold water, you are so ready to take on anything else. Like if you've got a really annoying line manager and I thought, what do you know? But he walked in six degree water today, pal, shut up. Do you mean like you can literally take on anything in of water today, pal Shut up. Do you know what I mean? Like you can literally take on anything in such a way because you're like, well, I can do that, I can really handle this, it's fine. Obviously, we have our chants. I like to shout. If there's people there, I'm a bit quieter, but if there's no one else there and I usually isn't people there um, I like to. You know my chance. It's good for my immune system, it's good for my endocrine system, it's good for my cardiovascular system, it's good for my mental health.
Anna:I like to say that over and over again. Quite often I will say I am a strong woman, I can do hard things. I am a strong woman, I can do hard things. I am a strong woman, I can do hard things until like like I've stopped, I've stopped being really uncomfortable.
Anna:But then, like once it, once the initial shot goes and I not everyone gets this but I get at the back of my brain, it will feel pain. It's like it's like ice cream brain freezer. But I get it at the back really, and I get it and it's and it's excruciating right. But I get it for like two minutes, sometimes three, and then it goes. And then, once that pain goes and it is like brain freeze from ice cream, once that goes, like the absolute wave of happy chemicals that I get is just brilliant and I'm like, yeah, I'm free that now, and you know, I just like just enjoy it. Um, but you know, not everyone gets that, that's just me, don't know why yeah, I don't get that no, um, but like you see, people come in, they walk in halfway and then they leave.
Anna:That's fine, of course that's fine, but that is the worst bit. All you've done is the worst bit. If you go in and you have half your body out of the water dry, so you're feeling all the outdoor coldness, and then you have all half your body wet, you're getting the worst of both worlds. You're not getting it in a nice way, so you're best off going in up to your shoulders for like 10 seconds rather than standing for five minutes waist deep going. Oh god, I can't go any further. Oh god, I can't go any further, especially if it's windy. Yeah, if it's windy, that's the worst. But then, like, get out, get dry as quick as possible, that's what. That's why the croc is so good. You can slip that bad boy on in no time I have recently invested in crocs I mean other crocs.
Anna:Croc based clogs are available, but crocs man, yeah, brilliant, yeah I used to be like stood on a rock, trying to balance, trying to get my sock on and then my trainer yeah, just yeah.
Stephanie:No, no, I don't have that problem today.
Anna:You don't, and also, like, when I go back, when I drive back now, I'll put my feet, my feet blowers, on really high, intense, and it'll warm my feet up, but I think it's one of the best things you could do. Um, so, yeah, online looking, there's a woman in the lake district called susannah swims and she has a brilliant book, which I thoroughly recommend, which tells you where you can swim in the lake district with parking. She's got a really good instagram. She also does guided swims and walks that aren't expensive. Um, she also posts a lot of pictures of her dog, which is very cute. But that is I mean.
Anna:If you're in the northwest or you're going to the lake district on holiday, there is a really good place to start because you know she is somebody who does guided swims and, you know, will keep you safe if you're wanting to dip your toe into it. Um, obviously just have to be safe, like, don't. Like the northwest coastline is not a safe coastline. You've got to check, check your currents, check the weather. You know there's rivers sometimes. You know if there's been a big storm, rivers are swollen. Don't go swimming in a swollen river.
Stephanie:That's a bad idea yeah, because there's debris underneath as well. Oh goodness me.
Anna:I mean, I wouldn't swim in any of the rivers in manchester. They're disgusting, but like, but there's plenty of like, like you know, look online. There's so many online forums now where you can get good spots to go swimming. Yeah, and I always think a good rule like, if you think it might be dangerous it probably is don't do it. And you know, keep safe because it's not fun if it's dangerous.
Stephanie:Yeah, it's only fun if it's fun that includes telling someone where you're going as well, doesn't it like? Even though I've come with you this morning, I still told alan where we were going before I left yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, of course.
Anna:Um yeah, what else you've got to ask me?
Stephanie:well, I just wanted to. I googled before we had this chat and there's the outdoor swimming society. Have you heard of them? I've got, I think they've got a magazine.
Anna:There's an outdoor swimming magazine you can sometimes get, which is which, again, is really nice and like some some of it is like. Some of it is like why people got into it, some of it is like like a nice abroad places to go to, some of it is like why they go swimming but that's a nice place to go to and obviously that's got all your recommendations for bits of equipment as well. So maybe just buying one of those episodes well, there's the outdoor swim society.
Stephanie:They have an interactive wild swim map where you can search for wild swim spots all over the world and even add your own if you find any brilliant. And they have a app that you can download direct to your phone. That's good.
Anna:I'll sound that out, yeah so the health benefits with it when I've listened to podcasts and whatever like. Don't at me if I get this wrong, but from what I can gather, under 11 degrees for five minutes twice a week is the like if you go five times a week you won't get much better than twice a week. So it's twice a week, five minutes. Five minutes is enough time for your body to go wow, oh no, it's fine. Um, and then under 11, like tap water is about 11. Fresh tap water is about 11. So if you have a tub in your garden you can sit in that for and you know those tubs are going secondhand on eBay all the time as people think they want to do it and then they don't, but I think even new they can be. I think 60 pounds, right, which is not a huge amount of money if you're going to use it twice a week indefinitely, if you want to sort of make cold water dipping your practice. But yeah, twice a week, five minutes under 11 degrees I have the coldest I've ever swum in is six and a half.
Anna:How did that feel? It was horrible, but I did four and a half minutes. And the. It was horrible, but I did four. I did four and a half minutes and the reason why I left my hands my hands were just that was awful. The pain was unbearable. So I now have thicker gloves. So the next time it's six and a half degrees, I should be able to get to five minutes. My cold water dipping pot in the garden that once went to minus one wow um, did you get in it?
Anna:yeah, but I was in it for like one second and I jumped out and I went in to get one second and I jumped out and one second I thought that's it. I can't do this. But really you're not supposed to go into anything under four.
Stephanie:Yeah, well, it's all coming to the news recently, hasn't it? More than recently, actually, because of wim hof. He sort of brought it to the forefront and he's made it trendy, hasn't he? He has, but with your, so with the tub in your garden, because I've seen this on your instagram. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you ever add ice?
Anna:uh, no, don't need to, because it like sometimes, like, if we have like a you know, like a late summer, it will go up to like 16 degrees. Well, that's no good for me, but, like, if I only put it out, so I will go to wild spots march till end of october, start in november, so I'll only bring it out into my garden halfway through november. Well, it's cold enough to stay around 10 degrees and, um, it's harder to do it in a tub because you can't swim. You've not got geese and ducks, you've not got geese and ducks, you've not got geese or ducks, no company. Like you can't also move around in the true sense that you can do.
Anna:If you're swimming, like you have to just stay in your little tub so you're like rocking. Also, like you know family life you've got like children asking you where their shoes are, whilst you're like sort of trying to regulate your breathing in a garden, in a 10 degree water tub, um, but I do quite like if it's about 10 degrees once I've got my breathing control and I don't know if this is cheating, but I don't care because I like it. I like a hot cup of tea, so I will sit in it drinking a cup of tea, which I'm not sure is the rules, but I mean, if it means that I feel good, go for it. Then, like you know, maybe did wim hof ever do that, I don't know well, wait. Well, maybe there should be an episode of that maybe celebrities drinking tea in hot water, in cold water, and then drinking cold drinks in hot water so let's talk a bit more about the health benefits.
Stephanie:So I know it helped with your mental health. Did you find it became sort of addictive for you, like almost a new hobby. Straight away you knew you wanted to continue with it.
Anna:Jo, I wouldn't even call it a hobby. I just it's just what I do. Like a hobby is like embroidery, drawing, but it's like I, it's a compulsion, I need to go and do it. So I went on holiday to france recently and it wasn't, the water wasn't cold enough, it was like 19 degrees. And as soon as I got back I was straight away to my friend, like do you want to go? Went straight to a place where it's 16 degrees and I was like that is more like it.
Anna:I cannot deal with it if it's too warm in that water. It has to be refreshing. I have to yelp, I have to feel that cold water rush. And I don't want to use the word addictive because that sounds destructive. But I have a compulsion to do it and I miss it when I, when I don't do it and I I get.
Anna:I get itchy if I'm not done it for it, like if it's been really bad weather, like in December.
Anna:So in December I can only do it on Saturday mornings or Sunday mornings, really, because it's dark, so you get one of those crisp, lovely, fresh mornings. I'll go only do it on Saturday mornings or Sunday mornings, really, because it's dark, so you get one of those crisp, lovely, fresh mornings, I'll go and do it and I'll love it. But if I've had a couple of weeks where I've not been able to do it and I've only been in my garden, the garden tub is like like it's all right but it's not. It's a bit like it's a bit like pizza in a supermarket and pizza in a restaurant, like you get your pizza hit from a supermarket but it's not the same, is it so like, yeah, being in my cold water tub it's fine, like I'll get, I'll feel refreshed and exhilarated and ready to attack the day, but it's nowhere near as good as going out to the countryside and being in the, the natural spot to be in cold water. Yeah, that's better so so, yeah, I'd like. I can't imagine me not doing it now.
Stephanie:And is it a sense of restlessness then that you get, when you've not done it for a while, like I need to come and do it? I?
Anna:don't know, maybe I'm a restless person anyway, I think I get that if I don't do a lot of things often, but it just feels it's just really exciting. It's like that is the word exhilarating. It feels just incredible, even though it's painful yeah it's, it's like I mean I I always wear my wetsuit.
Stephanie:I bought it specifically to go swimming with you. Yeah, never needed to date well, I like having that, just that layer between me and whatever's in there.
Anna:Yeah, whether it's geese or fish or whatever, I do like having that little extra layer so I won't put my wetsuit on till probably end of October and I'll, but I'll keep it on till end of April, because April the water's still a bit chilly right yeah, and rivers are colder than like still standing water well, you are an experienced swimmer.
Stephanie:Now at this yeah, yeah, it's all new man the acclimatization aspect of it yeah it's like if someone's starting new, there's no pressure to stay in is there.
Anna:no one's coming for you if you leave after 20 seconds like this yeah, there's. There's no way of recording on strava, there's no pbs, there's none of this cadence, none of this. No gold, silver, bronze. It isn't really about what makes you feel nice in water, and I know plenty of people who hate it. I've tried it. You can tell when there's a heat wave on, because that is the only time my husband will go into water if it's absolutely roasting hot. He hates being cold, he really hates it, and it doesn't make him feel good. So why on earth would you do it if it doesn't make you feel nice? So, but you do have to practice at it, just like you have to practice at anything, don't you?
Anna:yeah um, but like you don't you have all these shows, don't you? Like you try and get it there and I just wouldn't like just go and go and have a nice time with it. And if you and after a while if you're not having a nice time, don't do it, because you can just sit on the side and look at the water, and that's beneficial anyway yeah, did you feel that your confidence has grown from doing this? What in going into water, or just in general. Just in general.
Anna:No, but my, my perspective and ability. I don't know like there's too many things, it's too multifaceted, but I think what you do when you do cold water swimming is you surround yourself with really nice people because of the community it is, and if you're surrounded by nicer people, then it is just a nicer place, a more confident place to be. Anyway, yeah so I've never met anyone awful cold war swimming. I've only met really nice people same, completely the same so it's not.
Anna:You know that's about the people, the connections you have with it, rather than the so, yeah, I suppose that's nice. That's confident building, isn't the connections you have with it, rather than the so, yeah, I suppose that's nice. That's confident building, isn't it? If you just surround yourself with nice people who aren't horrible to you.
Stephanie:The social aspect.
Anna:Yeah.
Stephanie:So can we touch on cold water shock? Because, even though it's a wonderful thing to do and we really enjoy the cold aspect of it because I'm a warm person anyway I think that's why I took to it as well, because I thought it was so nice to feel cool but it is it can be dangerous. So people need to do the research, be safe, you know, find the right kit to wear and what suits them. But just because it's a hot day, it doesn't mean the water's hot, does it?
Anna:no, well, I've got barry the thermometer. Barry, um, my friend barry goes with me everywhere, but barry only tells me what the temperature is for the length of the thermometer. And so today it was 14 degrees. But in the middle of where we went swimming today that won't be 14 degrees, it will easily be seven, eight, nine degrees. So I just, I just keep, I get to waist to chest height and I keep to that sort of depth. I don't go outside of that depth.
Anna:Um, river and stand up yeah, I want to be able to stand up at all times. Like rivers feel colder than still standing water. Sea tends to feel a little bit warmer, but not always. Sea has currents. It's like.
Anna:You know there's loads and loads of dangerous things that happen when you are in the wild. Of course, I think cold water shock. I mean anyone with a heart condition. Don't jump into cold water, ease yourself into it. You know like start having cold if you want to do it. You want yourself into it. You know like start having cold if you want to do it. You want to be really baby steps, start having cold showers at home before you even start doing it. But that's when you know these people like guided swims, like Susanna swims in Lake District. That's when it's really useful to sort of like tap up one of those surfaces until you feel more acclimatized.
Anna:Um, you know what happens with cold water shock and this is what people don't quite understand is your body is going into a place where it thinks it's in danger, so all the blood rushes to your organs to protect your organs. That that response is a normal response. If a lion is in front of you or any sort of dangerous moment, that is the natural response, because your body's like protect the organs at all cost. Obviously, if you've got blood not in your arms and legs and they're protecting your organs, you are unable then to move your arms and legs, and that is when you can't swim and then that is when you will drown. So that is one of the ways that it obviously is dangerous. Another one is is cardiac arrest, because people's hearts again can't deal with it, because it's a shock. Um. Another one is people actually hurt themselves and they can't actually then move themselves because they've jumped into something that has got sharp rocks. I mean, I see people diving off things and I think you don't know how deep that is yeah what are you doing?
Anna:just ease yourself in. Um so again, like I said before, if it thinks, if it looks like it might be a little bit dangerous, it probably is don't do it. Just don't do it. Be careful. There's plenty of signs as well around with information on what to do where the authorities know. But I mean there's so many supervised swims now around Bluetooth, facebook, youswim. I mean they do it at Salford Quay, so it's their water park. There's loads of places in London that are doing it. They've got designated swimming ponds there anyway, really famous old ones, which is kind of cool, where the Royalty used to swim yeah, so cool.
Anna:Obviously, in Scotland, every reservoir is legal to swim in. In England that's not the case. It is illegal to swim in reservoirs in England unless it's a designated swimming one, and that will be on your app, your outdoor swimmer app, to find out what that is. Some rivers are tidal, some aren't. I go swimming in the Tyne sometimes, which is lovely by Hexham, a really nice spot that I go swimming in, but I wouldn't go in it when it's swollen because I'll get swept away. So you know, I just think people need be take responsibility for their own safety if you're not a strong swimmer only ever go up to like your waist. You don't need to go further and you can just bend down and get yeah, get to your shoulders. Splash it on you, yeah, splash it on you. I don't ever put my head in if you're a contact lens, where, if you're a contact lens wearer, you're definitely not supposed to put your head in. I am a contact lens wearer.
Anna:Yeah, you know, it's just about being careful.
Stephanie:Yeah, I've done it. I remember when I wore my glasses and it was the only time that it rained, so the rain was getting in the water and bouncing up. So yeah, another thing I wanted to mention was, um, that cold water can trigger that involuntary gas response. So you know, when you go in you're like yeah that's when we start shrieking and screaming, but in some people that haven't done that before, that might cause panic, you know, even if they're still up to their knees. So what would you but if?
Anna:again. If these people have done nothing, no prep, and then walk into a really cold water, then then I mean I think I think that's irresponsible. Like you know, put the shower on at home, like, have a go at home, get the paddling pool out and sit in your paddling pool and see how that feels before you start traipsing off to north wales and jumping off a rock by betsy kovitz.
Stephanie:Do you mean like go slow, there's no rush yeah, and we go the places I've been with you. They're like they have, like, is it a bay? Would you describe it as a bay? Yeah, like a little slope. Isn't it a little slope? Isn't it A little slope? Walk into it. A walking slope, yeah, a walking slope. So if you go into places that don't have that you need to be aware of, I just wouldn't do it. Well, yeah, but you have to be aware of how you're going to get out.
Anna:Yeah, that's not where you go, don't you? And b how are you supposed to get out of that crikey? You see people swimming in canals. I think. No, thank you, I've seen shopping trolleys in canals yeah, I've seen rats in canals like yeah, like it's just like you know, you've everyone. You have to be very cautious, and that's the only way you're going to always be safe, isn't it? If you're just cautious, yeah safety first.
Stephanie:So, in terms of with the cold water, I'd like to mention hypothermia, because I think when people do get to the stage where, even if they've done prep, they need to be aware of signs that if they are with other people, so, um, you can one of the ways of hypothermia, can you?
Anna:you might not realize it. You actually start to feel hot and what your body is doing is it's like it basically makes all your blood vessels expand. So you feel hot, you feel like you're getting hotter because obviously your veins are radiating more heat, because they've expanded and actually you're losing heat very quickly. So that is a one sign of hypothermia. But also, like if someone's looking blue, get out, get them warm.
Anna:But but all of these things, if people, if people, people put themselves at risk of this, if they are, if they haven't read around it, if they're not playing safe, if they are expecting to be in cold water, at temperatures way too fast, and then they should do. You know, everything should be incremental. Everything should be incremental and you know, if you are only going to your waist tape and you start and you bend down, get wet water and you start to feel uncomfortably cold or you start to see someone else in trouble, then you just get them out, like, come on, we're getting out now. Like, have a flask of tea so you can have a hot drink straight away, get dry, get a hot drink in you. You know you're not going to be putting yourself at massive risk of these things.
Anna:These things happen when people are careless or people don't find out about what their body is able to do before they go and put themselves in a riskier situation. Yeah, obviously you'll have your anomalies there where it's bad luck, but most of the time if you just are careful. How long have we been doing this now? Years. I have never seen anybody in trouble. I have never put myself in a place where I am uncomfortable afterwards or ill. You just you know, play it really safe.
Stephanie:Yeah, but there's signs of hypothermia. So I looked these up so it can come as confusion. Yeah, drowsiness, pale and cold skin, slowed breathing, shivering, that can't be controlled and apparently at some point you'd stop shivering. Um, loss of coordination, slurred speech, clumsiness, drowsiness, memory loss and loss of consciousness. So I just wanted to say that, because, even if you're not getting in the water, if you are just going to, for the nature to look at it, to take it in before you start your day, if you come across somebody with those signs, to be aware of it, right, well, thanks so much for coming on the podcast, anna.
Stephanie:Thank you for being my first guest. You're welcome. I've thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and I'll swim this morning yeah, and then obviously we can.
Anna:I'll send you the links of the good Instagrams and you can get that output to the people so they can hopefully find those Instagram accounts as well and get them more information about yeah, I'll tag them all on my Instagram if you're interested in giving it a go, then just make sure you're safe and you do your research beforehand yes, stay safe, man amazing thanks.
Stephanie:So much, anna. Thank you for listening today. You can follow me on instagram at tranquil topics and please rate, review and subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening from. Thanks, and I'll be back in two weeks with another episode. Bye, thank you.