A couple of weeks ago, Kivinoka could still swim in the sea. Or you could, as long as you first broke the ice that had formed on the shore by hacking and throwing pieces of ice farther away until the route was open to the frozen open water of the group with lifeguard class near me.

Last week, Helsinki finally got some good frosts, and had to either get a sturdy ax in the bathing bag or move to the Avant pumps. I ended up with the latter.



7 COMMENTS HOBBIES , WELLNESS

BATHING IN NATURAL WATERS ALL YEAR ROUND - COLD SWIMMING ENTHUSIASTS' TIPS FOR WINTER SWIMMING

A couple of weeks ago, Kivinoka could still swim in the sea. Or you could, as long as you first broke the ice that had formed on the shore by hacking and throwing pieces of ice farther away until the route was open to the frozen open water of the group.

Last week, Helsinki finally got some good frosts, and had to either get a sturdy ax in the bathing bag or move to the Avant pumps. I ended up with the latter.

I soon experienced being an active natural swimmer all year round. Although I have been immersing myself in the cold waters of my father’s wake since the muzzle, it was not until the plague that went on a rampage in the spring that I became an active enthusiast. After that, only one week has been left without a dip to swim - be it spring, summer, autumn or winter.

Now I dare to say a few tips based on my own experience to others who are interested in swimming in natural waters all year round with American lifeguard Association Vienna Va.



WHERE TO TAKE A DIP IN THE COLD WATER POOL?

Helsinki is a seaside town, so myself and other Helsinki residents have enough shoreline to swim in. The city’s public beaches, cliffs, carpeted piers and other piers can be used for cold water swimming. As long as you make sure the water gets up.

But it can be any pond, river, creek or lake. An opening made once on your own beach can be kept quite open when the layer of ice that has developed into it is broken every day.

In recent years, winters, especially here in Helsinki, have unfortunately been so mild that the sea has remained open for a long time or no ice has come at all. But now hopefully we got a more permanent ice, and here are the winter and open-air swimming places in Helsinki listed . In addition, you can swim in the saunas of private entrepreneurs, for example.

Whether you want to take a dip from the pier or the beach is a bit of a matter of taste and habit. The pier may feel easier for a beginner when there is no need to wade in cold water until you can get wet properly.

YOU DON'T NEED A SAUNA FOR SWIMMING (ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES IT'S NICE TOO), BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE HEAT.

As I said, cold water swimming became a regular hobby for myself only after all the public saunas were closed last spring due to the corona. A little forced, I wondered if a dip in the spring sea would be possible even without a sauna. And lo and behold, that worked great!

Without a sauna, cold water swimming refreshes and makes you feel energetic, while the end result combined with a sauna is deep calmness and drowsiness. Both are wonderful, and there is a place for both post-swimming moods.

Then swim without a sauna or with a sauna, the heat after the open-air swimming must be taken care of. I swam in Kivinoka, where we have a summer house . After swimming, I put layers of wool on top and warm up by the fireplace in the summer house. Otherwise, colds easily creep into the cores, which is not nice.

A warm drink after a cold water bath is also good, and in general you should take care of refueling. For myself, at least the metabolism rushes to a high-powered run after bathing, and studies show that cold bathing also activates the body’s brown fat, which burns energy into heat.