If you want to join the advocates of open water swimming, such as Linford Christie, who told The Independent that he finds it peaceful, then we have a look at the benefits gained from wild swimming.
A group of determined open water swimmers have taken the plunge into Lake Windermere for the Great North Swim to help raise funds for a 12-year-old boy with a rare muscle-wasting condition.
This bold undertaking requires mountain adventurers to climb to the summits of the highest mountains in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon) inside 24 hours.