Wild Swim Project research shows mental health benefits of wild swimming

The mental health benefits of wild swimming have been studied in research commissioned by a project that introduces people to immersing in cold water in the great outdoors.

The Wild Swim Project is a green social prescribing project based in Surrey that aims to transform the lives of adults and teenagers living with significant mental health, anxiety and depression.

Coaches Paul Mackenzie and Jude Palmer, who run the cold water wild swimming courses, conducted the study among their participants and reported significant mental health improvements.

Swimmers who maintained their regular group wild swim sessions for six months or more reported their life satisfaction improved by 25 per cent, their happiness increased by 20 per cent, whilst their feeling of worthiness went up by 23 per cent. Significantly, their anxiety levels decreased by 18 per cent.

Their research follows hard on the heels of Swim England’s Value of Swimming report, which underlined the health benefits of regular swimming with 78,500 cases of ill health prevented in 2022 alone. Swimming also generates a social value of £2.4billion per year.

The Wild Swim Project provides a non-clinical model for treating severe depression that is based on behavioural activation theories.

Clinicians observed that regular cold water swims had an immediate calming effect, often with depressive symptoms reducing and self-harm reducing or stopping.

More than 100 people have taken part in the project, with 60 of them signing up for a four-session course.

Feelings of euphoria and community

The participants include adults referred via GPs and mental health charities, as well as teenagers receiving support from the local NHS Child and Young Person Support team and broader NHS teams.

Paul said: “There is so much more to wild swimming than actual swimming. It is wonderful to arrive at a beautiful place and then to gently wade into cool calm waters and see the world from a different perspective as you become part of the scenery.

“Both dipping and swimming in nature makes you feel alive, it clears your head and makes you realise that if you can do this, you can do other things.

“Once you are out of the water, there is the feeling of euphoria and of community as you smile at your fellow dippers, share stories and agree to meet again same time next week.”

Jude added: “Participants benefit from improved confidence, body positivity, mental health, the learning and passing on of new skills, taking on new challenges, engaging with their local wild spaces and thereby creating emotional connections to it, meeting people from other walks of life and very importantly, socialising as part of a wider community.”

For more information about the Wild Swim Project click HERE.

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