River therapy

Overview & Synopsis

The successive lockdowns of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic have substantially increased citizens will to escape from the city and seek out nature for walking, cycling, swimming and other health-enhancing activities. While the heatlh benefits of bathing in natural rivers is empirically known since ancient times, wild swimming is actually booming as never before, partly in response to the lockdowns imposed by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the United Kingdom, the vogue for taking a cold plunge can be traced back to 1587 when a Cambridge don suggested using pigs’ bladders for water wings (Macintyre 2021). In France, king Henry IV (1553–1610), also known as the Green Gallant, enjoyed cold bathing in Paris, which marks the start of wild swimming in the Seine river by a rising population after 1600 (Duhau 2007). Humans benefit enormously from the positive effects of clean rivers on human health. Good quality river waters together with good biodiversity and a riparian habitat structure all concur to create such a positive practice. There is quantitative evidence for the relaxing effect of the sounds made by rivers. Moreover, riparian vegetation can boost human immunity after inhalation of plant-emitted volatile organic compounds. River waters carry plant metabolites that are known ingredients of traditional medicines which induce, among other beneficial effects, antipsoriatic healing. Protecting river ecosystems and improving water quality are therefore challenges worth facing to improve psychological and physical wellness. Here, we present scientific insights on river therapy, aimed at healing both psychological stress and physical disease.