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70-year-old man loves his icy-cold river swims
Updated : 2020-12-15
By ( chinadaily.com.cn )
Zhang Dewu swims in the Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, as temperatures dropped below -10 C recently. [Photo by Zhang Qingyun/for chinadaily.com.cn]
Over the past two decades, Zhang Dewu has never skipped swimming in the frozen Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on a winter day.
As temperatures dropped below -10 C recently in Harbin, the 70-year-old retiree became more excited about braving the cold.
He fell in love with winter swimming when he first tried it 20 years ago and immediately became a devoted enthusiast. The extreme cold and strong winds on the frozen river don't dim his enthusiasm — in fact, the extreme experience is the whole point.
Before diving into the icy river, Zhang will do some warm-up exercises, such as jogging or dousing his body with room-temperature water.
"Winter swimming makes me healthy. I seldom catch a cold," he said. "However, this exercise isn't suitable for everyone, especially for those who are suffering from heart disease, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. But I will carry on."
Before diving into the icy river, Zhang Dewu does some warm-up exercises, including dousing his body with room-temperature water. [Photo by Zhang Qingyun/for chinadaily.com.cn]
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