It's getting hot in here

The world of cold water swimming is getting a bit steamy and I'm all for it.

There is a new trend in the world of cold water swimming, you’ve probably seen it on your Instagram feed or joined in already yourself. 

Pop up waterside saunas are the swim ritual de jour. 

Now, rather than just getting absolutely freezing cold, we must also get absolutely roasting hot too. 

So, on a chilly, rather grim April evening I sat in my swimwear in a hot and steamy tent with a bunch of other ladies alternating the heat of the sauna with the chill of the North Sea. 

Of course, this isn’t a new trend, in fact, in Finland the act of following a sauna with a cold water dip is a deeply embedded cultural ritual. For over 300 years, generations of Finns have partaken in the custom of hot and therapy, benefitting from the wide array of benefits and no doubt contributing to the nations high ranking as happiness country in the world. 

Saunas and cold water exposure is credited with increasing the immune system, boosting endorphins and providing a natural high, providing relaxation, social interaction and an incredible sense of achievement. it's no wonder its such a popular hobby for Finns, and no surprise that we want a slice of the action too. 

So while the practice of visiting the sauna and/or taking a cold plunge has been around a while in Finland, it is new to our shores. Outside of the plunge pools at fancy spas or maybe a cold shower next to the sauna at your local leisure centre there hasn’t been much in the way of a market for hot/ cold therapy. Until now. 

Earthbond Sauna, North East

Sauna tents or steamy cabins on wheels are popping up on beaches and the shores of lakes across the country, giving cold water swimmers the opportunity to extend their experiences and benefit from the warmth of the sauna along with the cold water.

Curious to know what the Finns thought of us borrowing their tradition I spoke to Jussi, his Instagram reads “I heart sauna (winter) swimming and running!” He rounds off with the Finnish flag so I know he’s the perfect person to ask my queries. 

When I ask him  how he feels about sauna/ cold water plunge ritual becoming the latest export to gain traction over here he is quick to point out that it’s not just us Brits that are borrowing the hobby, but that in fact Finnish sauna culture has been added to UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. Jussi says: “It makes me very glad that more and more people get a chance to enjoy sauna. That’s something to be proud of.”

One of the reasons that prompted me to write this article was a conversation I had during my own recent sauna/ cold swim experience. When debating whether or not to do ‘one final dip’ someone mentioned that ‘THE WAY’ to do it was to end with a cold plunge. That’s what the science says she assured me, and while this made sense, when I googled the science behind it- I couldn’t find it. (If anyone does have anything concrete I’d love to read it), I was happy to make do with anecdotal experience and reason- after all, ending on a cold dip meant that when I was getting ready on a chilly north east beach I was getting warmer, rather than getting colder compared to the warmth of the sauna. 

I decided to ask my sauna expert (Jussi told me that when he is at home he goes to the sauna 1-2 times a week and when he’s at his summer cottage (which is by a small lake) he goes every single evening. During winter swimming season he goes to a public sauna by a lake 2-3 times a month- so I think that makes him an expert) and felt reassured by his answer: “I think that everyone should take the sauna sessions and cold water dips just the way they wanted. I don’t think there is a ‘right order’ to do it. My suggestion is to try it different ways to find the way that fits yourself.”

It might not be a scientific study but advice on a sauna from an actual Finn is basically the same thing.

And so I’ll be doing it my way, mixing it up, seeing how I feel, but most of all I’ll just be enjoying it.

Google sauna and cold plunge and you’ll find a host of benefits, and I certainly felt good on the drive home after mine; ‘My insides feel like toasted marshmallow’ I told my friend, ‘I’m all warm and squishy’

Jussi describes the result of the ritual simply; ‘It just gives you such a great feeling both mentally and physically. As simple as that.’ 

He’s not wrong.

While the cynic in me partly wonders whether this is just a great way for people to monetise what was a relatively free or cheap hobby- my hour session in a sauna tent cost me eleven quid, which, while not crazy expensive was eleven pound more than my free swim in the sea- I am incredibly grateful for this new experience. 

In fact, I adored my first beach sauna experience.

Discussing the merits of being by the sea; being out of the house; being with other people was a great way to spend an evening. 

And the experience was a big  improvement on the unsolicited diatribe from grumpy old men that I’m subjected to the sauna at my local pool. 

It was a wonderful, light, joyous experience and one I can’t wait to repeat. It’s been one of my favourite things I’ve done recently, so much so that I’ve booked in for another session at the start of next month. So while it won’t be something I’m doing all the time, maybe I’ll be partaking everyone now and then.

My sauna experience was with Earthbond who are based in the North East-

https://earthbond.uk/