Why I Get in the Ocean Every Chance I Get

I am not a beach person, by nature.

I grew up in rural southern Illinois, which is about as landlocked as you can get. But sometime in my sixties, I stopped standing at the edge of the water and took the plunge in.

Today, the salt water and sun and motion of the waves are a part of how I stay well, wherever I am. It’s also one of the most profound things that makes me feel truly alive — fearless, adventurous, clear-headed. Swimming makes me part of a community of people who choose to be out there. They tend to be an optimistic lot.

I swim in the sea as if my life depends on it. In a sense, it might.

Ocean swimming is an ancient human experience that your cells might remember, even if you consciously don’t. The physiological reason that might explain why your body recognizes the ocean is that blood plasma and seawater share almost identical mineral compositions.

When you swim, your skin absorbs some of the minerals directly from seawater — magnesium, potassium, iodine. Magnesium matters, as it’s involved in hundreds of the body’s basic functions like blood sugar regulation and protein production.

Since most people run low on magnesium, a swim in the ocean may replenish what daily life on land keeps draining.

And beyond these shared mineral roots, ocean swimming can have some other undeniable benefits for physical and psychological health.

An ocean plunge could also offer a metabolic boost that lasts for hours after you’ve dried off. When you swim, especially in cold water, your body activates brown fat — a type of tissue dense with mitochondria (the energy producers of our cells) which burn calories to generate heat.

Swimming in cold seawater is also one of the few biological interventions that costs nothing and works on contact.

The cold (most oceans are cold) is an additional bonus. When you enter cold seawater, a biological reflex kicks in called the Mammalian Dive Reflex (MDR). This is the same one that lets dolphins and seals to dive deep without panicking.

MDR helps slow your heart rate and slow down your nervous system so that you feel calmer. My Oura ring always shows that my sleep and heart rate trend in the right direction after an ocean swim.

When I come out of the ocean, most of my body aches always seem to disappear.

Ocean swimming taps into something primal and biological — not just nostalgic or emotional. Some say that the human body has an almost instinctive, physical response to being in the sea, as if our cells carry an evolutionary memory of water (we did evolve from it, after all).

Woo woo aside, it can have real psychological benefits that have helped me feel relief from my crazy making mind. One of the main benefits is boosting dopamine. The sight and sound of moving water can raises the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain, while lowering stress-producing cortisol.

Some of my friends fear what’s beneath them in the sea. The mystery is part of what draws me in. But there are a few things I’ve learned about what NOT to do:

Don’t rush into the surf. Cold shock is real. I wade in slowly, get a fix on the currents and wave breaks. Then, I focus on exhaling, and wait two minutes for my breathing to settle.

Don’t take a hot shower right after swimming in cold water. Your body is still pulling cold blood back from your arms and legs to your core. A hot shower forces your blood vessels to open quickly, your blood pressure drops, and you can faint. A cool rinse works best for me.

Don’t leave the salt on your skin. It pulls moisture out of your skin as it dries, leaving you with a tight, itchy feeling. Your hair takes the same hit (not a problem for me).

Seawater is alkaline, hair is acidic, and the salt keeps the hair cuticle open, which leads to that brittle, straw-like texture. A quick rinse with fresh water clears it.

Check local water quality before you take a plunge. Runoff and pollution can turn something good for you into an infection. Sea bugs and jellyfish can be a problem, but never for me.

What about sharks? I once asked a lifeguard. He said, “If you spot one, are you going to bite it? It doesn’t want to bite you either.”

I’m not saying ocean swimming solves everything — the body doesn’t work that simply — but the pattern is consistent enough that I no longer think of this as a leisure activity. It’s part of my routine.

I didn’t grow up near water and I found the ocean late. But the body doesn’t seem to care when you start.

The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.