Winter bathing — why and how
Covid restrictions that we’ve been facing since 2019, have brought us a whole lot of inconveniences, such as closed entertainment venues or limited travel opportunities. The imperative to isolate ourselves forced us to find new hobbies and interests. We suddenly see our friends starting tik-tok accounts, learning how to bake bread, running 5k, but also… winter bathing.
As one of the people, who joined that trend and stuck to it pretty consistently, I decided to share my opinions and experiences on how to start winter bathing and whether you should even do it at all.
I started dipping in the cold water in November 2020 and got pretty hooked on it. When I lived a bit closer to the swimming spots I did it everyday or every second day (excluding weekends), and in February last year I even did a “marathon” with my friends — where we biked around the city (over 12km) and dipped in 6 different places (two of my friends did 10, but I couldn’t handle that many). So even though I’m not some sort of Cold Guru like Wim Hof, I believe that my advice can be valuable for those of you, who are considering it, or even just curious.
Why even bother?
If you google winter bathing, you can find a few (not too many) articles about the health benefits it provides and if you read or listen to Wim Hof’s materials you’ll even learn some cool stuff about how it can both reduce your “white” fat tissue and increase the brown fat tissue. I’m not a scientist or a doctor so I won’t get into that. I’m also not a big fan of the spiritual flavour, some people give it. I am of the opinion, that it takes more than just doing one specific thing, to learn how to deal with stress in your life and of course if some people find the spiritual value in winter bathing, I believe them and I’m happy for them, but I can’t really relate to that, so let’s talk about the observable reasons to dip in the cold water.
It definitely is a fact that the shock value, provided to the body by a cold dip, increases a feeling of happiness. I think it’s almost like when you’ve been starving for days and then you get to eat your favourite meal — you’re obviously gonna feel happy and it’s quite physiological. Our brains are designed to reward us for taking self-preservative actions, so going into the cold water feels terrible and leaving it feels amazing. It’s an easier way than starvation and of course, less harmful to the body. The feeling is also more intense, especially if you combine it with a few other things I’ll mention in the part “how”.
Cold dipping also gives you something to look forward to in the winter besides Christmas and sitting under the cold blanket with a hot cocoa. If you also live in a cold and gloomy country like I do, that actually means a lot. In Denmark, in winter it gets dark already at 4pm and multiple people can feel that it affects their mental well-being. While I’m far from promising you a cure to the actual seasonal depression, I believe that this extra dose of endorphins will brighten your day.
Another good reason to do it is temperature perception. I have noticed that winter bathing on a regular basis made me more resistant to cold. I don’t need to layer sweaters when the temperature drops and I can enjoy a colder shower than my boyfriend (even though I am a woman and stereotypically I’m supposed to bathe in lava). The shock from cold water helps also instantly, as by raising the blood pressure and heart rate, it improves the blood circulation.
On the “mental health” note, you can use this practice as a way to exercise your will power, as it really takes some effort to force yourself to get undressed and then immersed in the cold water. I also think about it as a way to train the anxiety-reducing skills. I’ve been struggling with anxiety for the most of my life and learned from my therapist that one of the ways to deal with it is to maintain its symptoms in the body. A cold shock can feel quite similar (racing heart rate, feeling of panic, even dizziness), but without the overwhelming thoughts.
But honestly, I mainly do it for social reasons. It’s not really safe to winter bathe alone and it’s also kind of boring, so I always do it together with some of my friends. It almost feels like a team sport, as we all have the same goal and have certain difficulties achieving it and once we’re out of the water, celebration of the success shared with other people makes it so much more pleasant.
How to do it and how not to do?
Now that I have definitely convinced you to give it a try, let’s go over some basic recommendations as well as my personal preferences on cold dipping.
First of all, you need to talk to your doctor, if you have any sort of health issues. Just be smart about it, because you don’t want to hurt yourself and I’m sure that there are cases in which winter bathing can do more harm than good. Don’t skip this part, but also don’t come up with excuses before hearing the doctor’s opinion, as you might be surprised by how much you actually are allowed to do. As a double-lung transplant recipient, I am extra prone to infections, because in order to avoid an organ rejection I have to take on a daily basis medication that lowers my immune system. Before talking to my doctor, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be allowed to winter bathe and yet I got a green light, so there is a pretty good chance that you’ll also get one from yours.
Another basic rule to remember is, as I already mentioned before, don’t do it alone. Besides for it being “no fun”, it can also be dangerous when done without supervision. Generally going to swim alone is not recommended even if you’re a good swimmer, and cold water can make you panic. Always have somebody nearby in case you need help, but also to share this achievement with.
You should also not feel cold right before you do it. Get dressed properly, move around. Walking counts as movement too, if you’re not one of those people who freeze all the time — then you might want to do some jumping jacks or something else to quickly warm up. Don’t overdress either, as you don’t want to be all sweaty when you’re getting undressed. Don’t enter the water with already wet hair (at least not in the beginning) and if it’s raining or snowing, maybe wear a hat. I know some people dip their heads too, but I don’t really like it and if you’re only a beginner, it might only worsen the experience and extend the time it will take for you to dry up afterwards. If you have long hair, put it up before you enter the water.
Packing for the occasion, always take more clothes than you need when you’re leaving. You might want to wear an extra pair of socks once you’re out, one more t-shirt underneath your sweater or even double layer your gloves (I did it once, when the temperature dropped below 0’C).
After the dip, you shouldn’t stay outside in the cold for too long. It feels deceivingly warm right after you get out of the water, but don’t get fooled and try to get dressed very warmly as fast as possible. Bring a nice hot beverage with you or at least a lot of water. One reason is to warm up, but also to hydrate. This kind of stress causes you to sweat excessively even if you don’t feel it and even though I don’t think you would faint from dehydration in this situation, it’s just a good practice to have something to drink afterwards. If you are an adult and you drink alcohol, it feels pretty great to take a shot of some strong liquor with your friends once you’re out of the water (it will also increase the blood flow and help you get dressed in the cold), but a nice hot tea, cocoa or a coffee will work too.
Extra tips to be fancy
Besides for the things I already mentioned, you can get some extras that are not necessary, but will make your winter bathing easier. Two of my friends always come with bathrobes and if you have one and have enough space in your bag (I usually don’t), it’s a good idea to have one for when you wait for people to change, or want an easy way to cover yourself while e.g. changing your underwear.
Another good thing to have is a special pair of shoes. You don’t want to walk in your winter boots from the changing spot to the water, because when you’re walking back, they will be wet and it’s gonna feel unpleasant to wear them afterwards. You can walk barefoot of course, but many people don’t like it. Your home slippers will do, but you might also want to buy a pair of covered shoes like these:
I have something similar (I couldn’t find the exact same ones) and the important parts are the rubber, preferably anti-slippery sole, a fabric that won’t get ruined by water and the shape that covers feet and keeps them warm.
One more item that me and my friends use when it’s really cold outside (or when we’re doing more than one place) is a nice water warmer, like this:
It’s amazing to put your feet on it while you’re changing and not wearing any socks yet.
I’m also thinking of buying one of those super-absorbent sport towels for swimmers, but I haven’t gotten it yet, so I’m not gonna recommend anything specific.
That’s about it, I hope I provided you with some useful tips and inspired you to give it a try! Feel free to leave a comment if you have anything to say and happy winter bathing!
