January is the perfect month to help a charity by braving a polar plunge into an ice cold lake. Can your body survive?
The Outdoor Swimming Society suggests a physical exam of your cardiopulmonary system because this event can be dangerous if you have heart disease or hypertension. Rapid cooling of the skin causes the heart rate and blood pressure to increase.
Eat a hearty breakfast to give your body the calories it needs to withstand the shock of cold water. The Outdoor Swimming Society reminds you to avoid caffeine until after the plunge.
Strip to swimming gear two minutes before you hit the water for your body to adjust to the cold air. Do not stay in the water longer than 15 minutes because you lose body heat 25 times faster in the water than in the cold air.
Do not drink alcohol because it accelerates hypothermia and will not warm you.
