Hi there!
I have fairly little body fat and find that it's hard to stay in the water (unless I'm in the Caribbean, or a too-much-heated pool) for any length of time, even when I'm moving around. I would like to know if this is a psychological or physical hurdle. In other words, I would LOVE to stay in water that feels very cold, so I can do long workouts, as long as I know it isn't hurting me. While I know that you'd have to actually be a doctor and know everything about me to give a 100% accurate answer, I value your opinion, and I'm 100% sure it's better than none. Wondering if anyone has ideas about this or any sort of charts that might help.
Thanks!
Maybe the chart below will help you.
I remember from my lifeguard training years ago the instructors saying that "technically" you can die from hypothermia in any water that is below your body temperature...it's just a matter of how long you stay in that water. If you know anything about open water swimmer Lynne Cox (http://www.lynnecox.org)...she pretty much throws that theory out the window. With nothing more than a one-piece suit, cap, and goggles...she's swan and survived in the waters of Antarctica that were at 32 degrees F. She explains in her book that doctors eventually determined that her body fat is distributed in such a way that it's like a wetsuit. But she also says that even though she can swim and survive in that cold water...she must swim hard in order to generate body heat or she too would experience hypothermia.
live.cgaux.org/.../Hypo-Graph-2-fix.jpg
Dan
Maybe the chart below will help you.
I remember from my lifeguard training years ago the instructors saying that "technically" you can die from hypothermia in any water that is below your body temperature...it's just a matter of how long you stay in that water. If you know anything about open water swimmer Lynne Cox (http://www.lynnecox.org)...she pretty much throws that theory out the window. With nothing more than a one-piece suit, cap, and goggles...she's swan and survived in the waters of Antarctica that were at 32 degrees F. She explains in her book that doctors eventually determined that her body fat is distributed in such a way that it's like a wetsuit. But she also says that even though she can swim and survive in that cold water...she must swim hard in order to generate body heat or she too would experience hypothermia.
live.cgaux.org/.../Hypo-Graph-2-fix.jpg
Dan
