Winter Swimming: The Nordic Way Towards a Healthier and Happier Life

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1. WINTER SWIMMING THROUGH TIME
	The dawn of science
	Sea swimming then and now
CHAPTER 2. WHY SWIM IN THE WINTER?
	Inner peace and abundance
	A sense of the seasons
	The “cold-shock response”
	The pace of nature is slow motion
	The motivation of winter swimmers
CHAPTER 3. THE WHERE, HOW AND WHEN OF WINTER SWIMMING
	Winter swimming around the world
	Ice swimming and ice bathing
	How long and how often?
	The best time of year to start
	At the edge of the cold water
	Starting in winter
	All year round
	Water and air temperature
	Pros and cons
	Sea, lake, lido or beach?
	Morning or evening?
	COLD FACTS: HOW TO GET INTO THE WATER
CHAPTER 4. BAPTISM BY FIRE
	9 March 2019, 2 p.m.
	On the jetty, 2.17 p.m. – Andre’s baptism by fire
	Christopher’s swim
	The body’s reflexes
	Mental strategies
	COLD FACTS: THE FIRST SWIM
CHAPTER 5. THE COLD-SHOCK RESPONSE
	What happens in your body?
	What happens in your brain
	A cascade of hormones and neural activation
	Adrenalin
	Endorphins
	Noradrenalin
	Cortisol
	Dopamine
	Serotonin
CHAPTER 6. COLD ACCLIMATIZATION
	Habituation
	Metabolic acclimatization
	Non-shivering thermogenesis
	Muscle shivering
	Brain and core
	Blood flow to the skin and insulation
	Accepting the cold
	Relax your shoulders
	Performance, fat stores and muscle
	White fat
	Becoming an ice swimmer
	The cold shower
	A way of treating physical and mental illness
	COLD FACTS: UNDER THE COLD SHOWER
	Cold adaptation in the shower
	Cold showers versus winter swimming
	COLD FACTS: EQUIPMENT AND PREPARATION
CHAPTER 7. BROWN FAT
	A universal problem
	COLD FACTS: WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES?
	What is brown fat?
	How does the cold activate brown fat?
	Can the cold create more brown fat?
	Brown fat and winter swimming
	Why do we have brown fat?
	Brown fat in practice
	Not brown, not white – but beige!
	Brown fat in a bottle
CHAPTER 8. ON YOUR OWN OR WITH A CLUB?
	The oasis of the club
	Community and togetherness
	Club culture
	All roads lead to the sea
	Nudity
	The disappearing penis
	Finding the motivation
		GOOD HABITS
		SWIM BUDDIES
		BE TENACIOUS
		SPREAD THE WORD
		TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
		SET SPECIFIC AND REALISTIC GOALS
		KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES
	WINTER SWIMMING LINGO
CHAPTER 9. DANGER AND SAFETY IN COLD WATER
	The statistics
	Cold water – a broad concept
	Hypothermia
	Symptoms of hypothermia
	Survival and cold habituation
	Cold-water swimming and cardiac risk
	Children and winter swimming
	The afterdrop
	The physiological explanation
	Warm up naturally
	Minimizing the afterdrop
	Afterdrop and habituation
	Hang in there for three sessions
	Breathing
	COLD FACTS: HOW TO SWIM SAFELY IN COLD WATER
CHAPTER 10. DOES IT MAKE YOU HEALTHIER?
	Brown fat and sleep
	Activating the immune system
	Improved antioxidant protection
	Anti-aging and winter swimming
	Winter swimming can reduce inflammation
	Arthritis and joint pain
	Atherosclerosis
	Prevention of atherosclerosis
	Winter swimming and atherosclerosis
	Winter swimming versus exercise
	COLD FACTS: WHAT DOES COLD WATER DO?
CHAPTER 11. WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR ANCESTORS
	A modern lifestyle lowers cold-induced energy burning
	COLD FACTS: MIMICKING OUR ANCESTORS
CHAPTER 12. WINTER SWIMMING AND MENTAL HEALTH
	Cold water as a treatment for depression
	Winter swimmers’ moods
	Winter swimming against depression
	Winter swimming to combat substance abuse and addiction
CHAPTER 13. IN THE SAUNA
	Sauna heat
	Sweating and toxins
	HOT FACTS: WHEN YOU TAKE A SAUNA
	Are saunas healthy?
	Hot or cold – what feels best?
	Heat stress and habituation
	Sauna and cardiovascular risks
	Exercise for the heart
	Cholesterol and the sauna
	The sauna and the immune system
	The sauna and mental health
	Essential oils
	HOT FACTS: HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE SAUNA
	HOT FACTS: THE SAUNA CAN BE DANGEROUS
AFTERWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
REFERENCES
PICTURE CREDITS
About the Author and Translator