Menopausal women who regularly swim in cold water report significant improvements to their physical and mental symptoms such as anxiety, hot flushes, finds a new study. The research, published in the journal Post Reproductive Health, surveyed 1,114 women, 785 of which were going through the menopause, to examine the effects of cold water swimming on their health and wellbeing.

Led by researchers from the University College London (UCL), the findings showed that menopausal women experienced a significant improvement in anxiety (as reported by 46.9 per cent of the women), mood swings (34.5 per cent), low mood (31.1 per cent) and hot flushes (30.3 per cent) as a result of cold water swimming. In addition, a majority of women (63.3 per cent) swam specifically to relieve their symptoms.