We all know about the health benefits of swimming, including building endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular(心血管) fitness. Many people feel that swimming is very exciting and relaxing.
Cold-water swimming sometimes called wild swimming involves swimming in natural areas including ponds, rivers and the sea. Jumping in cold water gives a short sharp shock to the body. A cold dip might wake you up, but research has found it can have much bigger benefits than those for your body and mind. As well as being good exercise cold-water swimming improves well-being.
One man who suffered constant pain after surgery claimed he was cured by taking a swim in cold open water. And another swimmer, Sandria Simons, told the BBC "the immersion of your body in cold, salt water, just feeling like you're at one with nature if you like, just feels amazing".
What is it that people are gaining from this cold experience? Doctors say getting into cold water makes a stress response, but the more you do it, your reaction to stress is reduced. In addition, cold-water swimming can exercise swimmers' willpower. But there are bigger benefits of this exercise. Some experts believe cold-water swimming helps "cross-adaptation", where one form of stress prepares the body for another.
So, if you're convinced that this is for you, take advice：approach it with caution, swim with a friend, and maybe start in the summer, when the water temperatures are higher.
A. Cold-water swimming can substitute medicine.
B. However, many participants say they get used to it.
C. If you don't mind getting wet, it can be fun too.
D. It's also thought to strengthen our digestive function.
E. We all know exercise can extend people's life span.
F. For example, it helps reduce the stress of exercising at high altitudes.
G. Cold-water swimming can function as a dose of medicine.
