swimming in the winter
 

I am going to swim this winter for a variety of reasons - and I dread having to dry my hair at the gym - only knowing I'll shower and shampoo at home. Has anyone done winter swimming and just run to the car in the cold weather with wet hair? Yeah, I didn't think so. I'll suck it up and deal with the locker room - I'm a huge germ freak that's why I dread staying there any longer than necessary :)

It it rarely gets below freezing where I live, but if I want to head home right away after swimming I usually put my hair in a bun, put a toque on, and run to my car.

I regularly swim and even on the coldest winter days, I don't blow dry my hair at the pool... and I do not only run to a car, but I go home by bike. It's a 10min drive up a hill. I wear a cap underneath a hoodie plus my coat and a scarv. I've never got a cold because of that, I guess because my hair is well covered and it's a short trip home. I think it depends on how long you will sit in your car before you get home.

Being cold doesn't make you sick... only germs can do that. Sorry if that feeds your phobia... on the other hand you can't build up an immunity to germs if you aren't exposed to them... basically you make yourself sick by not getting sick.

Anyway... the worst that will happen is your hair will freeze.

I've walked in the middle of winter with wet hair many times. It froze but I never got sick from doing it so I'm sure walking to your car will be ok.

Awesome!!! Thanks everyone! I love the idea of putting it in a bun and covering it up. Duh! Why didn't I think of that! It's only a minute walk/run from door to car and less than 10 minutes home with heater on in car. You guys are right - I'll be fine! I'm nervous to try this swimming stuff - it's one thing at the pool in the sunshine with my kids - me treading water and watching them dive - but this will be indoors, in the winter, kids in school and I will be extra self conscious with the pale legs and not in shape, etc etc...but I need to swim - too many injuries to continue treadmill - and I love treading water - the pool feels so good on my back and joints! I will run to the car with wet hair and I will stop being worried about it! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

Finally drixnot!!! i think its so funny how ppl think the cold makes you sick! cold air is cleaner fresher air! the germs are only worse in cold weather because ppl close themselves in n close places up... no fresh air! swim away girl n just imagine urself at beach!

Being cold weakens your immune system which makes it possible for the germs to make you sick. Germs are there all the time, but they don't make you sick as long as they get the chance to!

I'll be doing this same thing this winter... I joined a gym with an indoor pool that offers aqua-fit and aqua-zumba every evening after work and I intend on going at least 3 times a week. It gets pretty cold here, but I've been out in the snow a few times with wet hair and as long as I'm not making a day of it, I'll be fine. I'm hoping to shed some pounds this winter instead of packing them on. Goodluck to you!!

In high school I swam competitively in Ohio. You might not know this but swimming is a winter sport! I frequently did not blow dry my hair (I frequently showered but didn't carry a blow dryer) and actually stood out in the cold to wait for my parents to pick me up. I loved it when my hair would freeze (so dorky).

There've been quite a few studies of this, and as long as you've got a normal immune system to start, the chill doesn't significantly affect your immune system.

However, some recent studies have found that even small reductions in calorie levels actually does significantly affect the immune system adversely. So to compare the risks of dieting versus getting a chill - dieting is the bigger risk (I'm still going to do it though).

There's even some evidence that modern immune systems are weaker because we don't experience the wider range of temperatures that people did in the past (We stay warm and toasty most of the winter, and cool and comfy most of the summer, all at a nearly constant 65 to 75 degrees).

Now that I do have a compromised immune system (perhaps from the decades of yoyo dieting), I'm more careful about covering my head (more for my ears than for the head itself).

In college a group of us would swim in the winter and walk across the quad back to our dorms with wet hair. It would get crispy and frozen, but we never got sick from it.

Of course you can't judge by anyone's anectdotal experience, but in human biology and in developmental psychology classes we actually studied the research regarding cold affecting the immune system in healthy people. Repeated research couldn't find a connection.

I live in southeast sask and swim every morning. I regularly leave the pool with wet hair in -30 Celsius weather. It hasn't effected my health.

I swim in the winter as often as I can. I do not dry my hair at the pool. I just cover my head going out to the car and I've been fine, even in freezing conditions.

Actually, a thread in this forum has encouraged me to go swimming myself. There's a city rec center with an indoor pool about 5-10 minutes away. I'm going there tonight to go for a swim! I, too, will be self-conscious. I'm not the best swimming and I have pale, ugly thighs. So, sisters in solidarity!

Don't be self conscious! You're hidden under water! Lol