Cold water swimming could help alleviate symptoms associated with menopause such as hot flushes, anxiety and mood swings, according to a recent study.
Menopause marks the end of the female menstrual cycle. It occurs when the person has gone without a menstrual period for 12 months. The transition phase usually happens between ages 45 and 55, signifying the onset of various symptoms that can often disrupt one’s sleep, mood and overall well-being.
To know the effects of cold water swimming on women’s health and well-being, researchers behind the study surveyed 1,114 women, 785 of whom were going through menopause. The researchers then noted that cold water swimming could provide a range of physical and mental health benefits for menopausal women. Their findings were published in Post Reproductive Health.
“The findings showed that menopausal women experienced a significant improvement in anxiety (as reported by 46.9% of the women), mood swings (34.5%), low mood (31.1%) and hot flushes (30.3%) as a result of cold water swimming. In addition, a majority of women (63.3%) swam specifically to relieve their symptoms,” a news release said.
Some respondents described the cold swimming as “an immediate stress/anxiety reliever” and something that helped them with “healing.” For some participants, cold water swimming not only helped with menopause symptoms but was a chance to be outdoors, improve mental health and exercise.
“Cold water is phenomenal. It has saved my life. In the water, I can do anything. All symptoms (physical and mental) disappear and I feel like me at my best,” a 57-year-old woman said about her experience, as per the news release.
Earlier studies have shown that cold water could improve mood and reduce stress in outdoor swimmers. Ice baths have been known to help muscle repair and recovery in athletes.
“Our study supports these claims, meanwhile the anecdotal evidence also highlights how the activity can be used by women to alleviate physical symptoms, such as…
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