Open Water

How to explore the many health benefits of swimming in nature

- STORY BY STEPHANIE VERMILLION

WHEN STRESS FEELS all-consuming, it could be time for a swim—or better yet, a wild swim. Wild swimming, the act of submerging into an open body of water, attracts wellness seekers with its benefits. It blends the soothing effects of time outside with cardiovascular exercise to minimize stress, fatigue and anger while improving the swimmer's mood and enhancing overall well-being.

“Any body of water outdoors is going to be scenic. It's going to make you feel immersed in nature,” says Emma MacDonald, founder of Wild Hebridean Swimming. “The experience is different from being in a hot swimming pool.”

MacDonald, who runs open-water swim retreats on the Scottish isles of Mull and Iona, says interest in the activity soared during the pandemic. “People have done wild swimming for millennia,” she says. “It's had a resurgence primarily since the pandemic because people couldn't get into swimming pools.”

Cold-water swims can have an especially positive effect on one's health. Participants often report reduced anxiety, pain relief, minimized depression and increased alertness. “With the water being cold, there's a physiological response,” MacDonald says. “You're getting this feeling of a thrill, a sense of adventure, and a cortisol spike because there's a fight-or-flight response.”