Winter Swimming
The Nordic Way Towards a Healthier and Happier Life
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A beautifully illustrated exploration of cold-water traditions in Scandinavia and around the world, and a thorough account of why it provides such a boost to body and soul. Whether in lake, lido, river or sea, we know the benefits of swimming outdoors and in nature - environmentally friendly and accessible, it can influence our happiness, our energy and our inner tranquility, and give us that winter glow. Danish scientist Dr Susanna Søberg leads us step by step into the icy water and explains the "cold-shock response", the massive endorphin rush as our body reacts and adapts to very cold temperatures through the winter season. Not only do our circulation, heart, lungs and skin respond positively, but our immune system, metabolism and mental health too. In particular she explains how our "brown fat" is activated to benefit multiple health conditions. Winter swimming is fast becoming one of our most popular pastimes. This beautifully illustrated exploration of cold-water traditions in Scandinavia and around the world shows how it can have a significant positive impact on our physical and mental health, confidence and well-being, providing such a boost to body and soul. Translated from the Danish by Elizabeth DeNoma
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Overall a decent read with interesting insight - mostly for beginners - but I had a few issues.
Research findings were too often sprinkled with anecdotal evidence. The author acknowledges when that is the case to avoid confusion, and that is fair enough. But the reason I read the book was precisely to go beyond anecdotes and find out about what's actually backed by research.
Also, while there is a bibliography at the end of the book, there are no clear citations linked to each claim made throughout the book. It's always vaguely expressed as in: “a study” or “a cohort test”, “studies” etc. without any clear specification. That came as a surprise considering that the author has a Ph.D.
There were a few mentions here and there about obesity and weight loss that I personally found out of place and addressed quite superficially, like associating obesity with being comfortable as opposed to being active, to name one.
Finally, most of the studies mentioned only involved male swimmers or men. While that may the be the only dataset available, I would have appreciated a brief mention of the fact that there were no studies available (?) that involved more heterogeneous groups in terms of gender/age/body type. But nothing was said to that regard.
