第1598期:Cold-water swimming

We all know about the health benefits of swimming. It offers a great workout for the body – it builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. If you don’t mind getting wet, it can be fun too. But who would enjoy swimming in water that’s ice cold? Well, many people are taking the plunge, based on evidence that it can actually be good for us.

我们都知道游泳对健康的好处。它为身体提供了很好的锻炼——它可以增强耐力、肌肉力量和心血管健康。如果你不介意弄湿，它也可以很有趣。但是谁会喜欢在冰冷的水中游泳呢？好吧，许多人都在冒险，因为有证据表明它实际上对我们有好处。

Cold-water swimming – sometimes called wild swimming – involves swimming in natural areas including ponds, rivers and the sea. Jumping in gives a short sharp shock to the body, but many participants say they get used to it. A cold dip might wake you up, but research has found it can have much bigger benefits than that for your body and mind. As well as being good exercise, spending time outdoors and by water improves wellbeing.

冷水游泳——有时也称为野外游泳——包括在池塘、河流和大海等自然区域游泳。跳进去会给身体带来短暂的剧烈震动，但许多参与者说他们已经习惯了。冷浸可能会唤醒你，但研究发现它对你的身心有更大的好处。除了进行良好的锻炼外，在户外和水上消磨时间还可以改善健康。

There is much evidence, mostly anecdotal, that suggests cold-water swimming has cured certain health conditions. One man who suffered constant pain after surgery claimed he was cured by taking a plunge 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.”

有很多证据（主要是轶事）表明冷水游泳已经治愈了某些健康状况。一名手术后持续疼痛的男子声称，他通过在冰冷的开放水中跳水而痊愈。另一位游泳运动员桑德里亚·西蒙斯 (Sandria Simons) 告诉 BBC，“将身体浸入冰冷的咸水中，如果你愿意，就感觉自己与大自然融为一体，真是太棒了。”

But what is it that people are gaining from this chilly experience? Doctors say getting into cold water evokes a stress response, but the more you do it, your reaction to stress is reduced. It’s also thought to have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. But there are bigger benefits to this stress-reducing exercise. Some experts believe cold-water swimming helps ‘cross-adaptation’, where one form of stress prepares the body for another. For example, it also helps reduce the stress of exercising at high altitude.

但是，人们从这种寒冷的经历中获得了什么？医生说，进入冷水会引起压力反应，但你做的越多，你对压力的反应就会减少。它也被认为具有很强的抗炎作用。但这种减压运动有更大的好处。一些专家认为，冷水游泳有助于“交叉适应”，一种形式的压力可以让身体为另一种形式的压力做好准备。例如，它还有助于减轻在高海拔地区锻炼的压力。

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!

所以，如果你确信这是给你的，请接受建议：小心接近它，和朋友一起游泳，也许从夏天开始，那时水温更高！

词汇表

workout （身体）锻炼，训练
endurance 忍耐力
muscle strength 肌肉力量
cardiovascular fitness 心血管健康
take the plunge 决定运动，冒险尝试
wild swimming 野外游泳
pond 池塘
a short sharp shock 短暂而剧烈的冲击
dip 游泳
wellbeing 健康
open water 开放水域
immersion 浸泡
at one with nature 与自然融为一体
stress response 应激反应
anti-inflammatory 消炎的，抗炎的
cross-adaptation 交叉适应