Winter swimming has a long tradition that dates back to ancient times. In recent
years, there has been an increase in interest in this activity in Poland and
European countries. This review aims to present the positive and negative
aspects of bathing and swimming in cold water. Regular winter swimming by
adapted people has benefits. However, the risk of adverse consequences occurs
when inexperienced and unadapted people try winter swimming. Researchers
analyzed blood serum of swimmers who regularly took cold baths to search for
changes in the concentrations of hematological indicators, which allowed them to
demonstrate the beneficial effect of winter swimming on the process of
hematopoiesis. The impact on increasing human immunity is probable, though it
should be studied on a larger group. The studies did not show any significant
effect on human plasma hormone levels. However, the impact of winter
swimming on the circulatory system might have positive or negative depending
on the degree of adaptation of the practitioner.
Keywords: Winter swimming, cold water bathing, hypothermia