UNCOVERING NORTHERN WELLBEING: Ice swimming: Take a dip in icy water
Many people in Finland start their mornings by dipping/swimming in icy cold water to set them up for the day ahead. The change you feel in your body is purely amazing.
Winter swimming/ice swimming is a traditional Finnish outdoor activity. First winter swimming clubs were founded in the 1920’s and since then ice swimming as an outdoor and health enhancing physical activity has become increasingly popular.
Many ice swimmers say that they feel strongly alive in water and after a swim: they experience a hormone boost and it is also about experiencing outdoors and nature and cold water giving instant whole body sensations and feedback.
Ice swimming has been studied a lot and it has enormous amount of benefits.
For starters:
- It gives you a natural high
- It boosts your immune system
- It improves your blood circulation
- It burns calories
- It reduces stress
If you are in a doubt, just give it a try! And remember, It´s all about breathing! Go slowly into water, breath slowly and dip yourself into water as short or as long as you like. You might have difficulties to keep up your normal breathing rhythm and you might feel tickling in your fingers and toes. These sensations are totally normal reactions to cold-water immersion. When you come out of water, you’ll start slowly feeling better and better and your circulation kicks in and your body starts to warm up. Cold-water immersion is definitely a positive shock to your body.
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References:
https://www.iprshealth.com/news/8-benefits-of-cold-water-swimming/