'I cold water dip in a wheelie bin every day'

Every day Martin Lynch will have his morning coffee in freezing cold water inside a bin. The 44-year-old believes icy temperatures have had a profound effect on his life.

"Strangely, when I get in, it doesn't feel cold," says Martin, who has just spent more than 15 minutes meditating in a lake on the outskirts of Lincoln with swimming group Cold Water Warriors.

As well as outdoor swimming, Martin's mission for his cold water fix has even seen him fill up a wheelie bin each morning to ensure he never has to go without it.

"It would get me down on days I couldn't make it somewhere," he says.

"So, I fill up my clean bin and never miss a day."

Without fail for the past six months, he has enjoyed a daily dip. He says he has now reached 192 days in succession and that he has seen the benefits.

"I'm ex-armed forces and I've struggled with various problems with my mental health," he says.

"That feeling of achieving something and showing up for myself has been really helpful."

At first, Martin struggled to get into the water but now admits he doesn't want to come out.

"I feel peace and quiet."

The Warriors are a group of mixed-aged swimmers who meet at various lakes in Lincolnshire. Their swims are supervised but not every session is guaranteed or easy.

Only a few months ago they armed themselves with hammers as they smashed through layers of thick ice covering the lake before braving the dip.

"You want to swear a lot when you first get in," 56-year-old Lisa Smith laughs. "It takes 30 years off you."

Dressed in just a bikini, Lisa, who has been cold water swimming for seven years, prepares herself to take the plunge.

"I have a lot of aches and pains," she says. "Everything feels better after."

"I have my characteristic blue knees," Kellie Tarr laughs.

Kellie suffers with chronic vomiting and as she grapples with her feeding tube, she explains how the water has helped her, as yet, undiagnosed condition.

"I can't keep food down. I get cramps and I can feel sick and lethargic," she says.

"But the water resets my body."

Rain, sun or snow, for six years Kellie has taken to the water throughout the seasons.

She recalls while pregnant how it soothed her sciatica.

"Painkillers couldn't help it but cold water did," she says.

As well as the physical benefits, Kellie hails the impact the water has had on her mind.

"On those bleak, dark days, you get into the cold water and push your body to the limit," she says.

"If you can do this what else can you do every day?"

Andy Fox, assistant director of Public Health, says cold water swimming classes as "moving medicine", and can reduce the risk of heart disease, some cancers and dementia by more than 30 per cent.

"It produces a strong physiological response," he explains. "We know people's heart rate will go up, it produces adrenaline."

However, he urges the curious to partake in the activity in safe areas with others.

"If you just jump in you may get cold water shock," he adds.

Cold water swimming groups also warn about "after drop", which is where a person's temperature continues to drop for up to 40 minutes after they have got out the water.

The Outdoor Swimming Society (OSS) urges swimmers to not "dilly-dally" after and to get dressed quickly. Sipping warm drinks and wearing layers of clothing are also advised.

According to Swim England, latest statistics show 7.5 million people swim in open water and in outdoor pools.

First-time cold water swimmers are advised to swim when the temperature is warmer and to go with others who have experience of cold water swimming.

Experts also advise to immerse yourself in water gradually, wear a wetsuit and to float for the first few minutes, waiting for the cold water shock to pass.

The OSS and RNLI have more information and advice.

"I was told I'd be on crutches for the rest of my life," says 64-year-old Andrew Blakey, as he treads water.

In 2023, he was involved in an accident on his bike when falling branches from a tree during a storm flicked him into the road.

"I was told I'd done a huge amount of damage," he recalls.

But Andrew says he was determined to return to his active lifestyle and has since used the water to "reset".

"I'm back riding my bike now," he smiles.

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