Empowering women through fitness: the joys of cold water swimming

Cold water swimming is enjoying a renaissance for the benefits it delivers, such as improved circulation, boosting the immune system, and positively impacting our mental health.

I spoke with Rachel Maitland, Enterprise Mobility HR Generalist, on why she loves swimming outdoors, and how it helped her to join a new community.

Rachel, tell me about your sport!

Until recently I lived near Loch Lomond and often used to kayak. My mum suggested swimming in the loch, and in the beginning, I hated it. But I quickly became hooked and knew I wanted to keep going. I got into a routine where I would go every single Sunday morning, and it cured a few hangovers along the way! I would go down for maybe a half hour swim, or sometimes, when there was snow on the hills, for just a quick dip. I recently moved house and needed to find somewhere new to swim. I found a local gym with a ‘self-love club’ – a fantastic group of women who swim outdoors every other Saturday with some yoga thrown in. We bring positive mantras with us, and it’s an amazing experience. I really appreciate being out in nature, and the great feeling after swimming lasts the whole day.

So, it’s a sociable activity for you?

Fitness is definitely a sociable activity for me. The gym I joined is all female, and I chose it to help me make new friends when I moved. I’ll go to the gym three times a week and do circuits, yoga or Pilates.

You get chatting to people you wouldn’t otherwise have spoken with. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with anyone. I’ll make plans to incorporate a swim when we go to new places since I moved away from Loch Lomond, and the loch isn’t on my doorstep anymore. Last summer we went to Harris in a motorhome and we found beautiful places to swim. Some nights we’ll get pizza with friends and then go swimming.

“You get chatting to people you wouldn’t otherwise have spoken with”

What items are key kit for you when you swim?

My Dry Robe and life buoy bag are absolute essentials. I’ll wear a wetsuit if it’s cold, and wear water gloves and shoes in the water. I’ll take a bobble hat for afterwards, a hot water bottle, a blanket, flask of tea and a snack.

How do you stay safe?

I always swim towing a life buoy so that I’m easily seen and I wear a wetsuit in the colder months as your core temperature can drop quite quickly when you’re in the water. It’s good to build up time in the water over several trips, and I’d recommend always going with someone else for safety.

Steady breathing in the water is important to keep your body and mind calm. It’s also important to be aware of ‘after drop’ - this is where your body temperature continues to drop up to half an hour after you’ve got out of the water, and you might feel warm, or faint, or just unwell. Also, some lochs can have a dangerous undercurrent. I’d advise checking out local swimming groups for advice. There’s plenty on Facebook, and this will also give you guidance on checking the local water quality, and any swimming restrictions in place in the area as well.

What benefits do you feel from cold water swimming?

It’s a real mood booster. It’s also great for muscle recovery - once I climbed Ben Lomond with friends and swam straight after and I had no muscle soreness the next day. I always notice my metabolism is jump started, this is where the snack comes in!

“The gym I joined is all female, and I chose it to help me make new friends when I moved”

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