Since the pandemic, more and more have been stepping into the deep end

It was in the winter of 2020/21 when something strange happened in the lakes, ponds and rivers of Switzerland. The restaurants are partially closed, “stay at home” and “keep your distance” are the maxims of the first Corona winter. In the hot summer before, outdoor activities were easy. It’s getting cold now, but more and more Swiss people are starting to go swimming in winter too.

Anyone who regularly used social networks during the pandemic saw what the population was trying out. First, pictures of banana bread, sourdough, elaborately cooked menus and virtual aperitifs were shared. When winter came, pictures and videos of a bath in the ice-cold water flooded Instagram and Co.

You wanted to show how cold-resistant you are, how hard-boiled – and of course you also wanted to be a bit crazy. But is swimming in winter, with water temperatures in the single digits, more than a social media trend?

Hippocrates believed in the positive effect

As early as 400 BC, the famous Greek doctor Hippocrates of Kos assumed that cold baths were healthy. If one believes his biographer Soranos of Ephesos, this cure paid off particularly well with Hippocrates; he is said to be different depending on the source at the biblical age of 85, 90, 104 or 109 years. Had Hippocrates lived 2400 years later, he would have been a lifestyle influencer.

The Swabian pastor Sebastian Kneipp took up Hippocrates’ ideas in the mid-19th century. He suffered from a lung disease, probably tuberculosis. He then bathed in the cold water of the Danube two or three times a week. According to their own statements, the cold baths helped – Kneipp is said to have recovered.

Kneipp expanded the idea of ​​ice bathing to include nutritional recommendations and herbal remedies and developed Kneipp medicine. This has been known for a long time, but Kneipp has an alternative look; it never became a mass phenomenon. Ice bathing is completely different.

According to the method of the cold pope Wim Hof

Simon Hegener has also noticed the trend. He started ice bathing seven years ago. “Most passers-by looked at me in amazement and asked if I had lost a bet and if that wasn’t dangerous,” says Hegener.

But Hegener was immediately fascinated and founded the Swiss Cold Training Association (SCTA) with like-minded people. The association offers cold training, ice swimming or snow hikes in swimming trunks, for example. Hegener is the president.

In addition, Hegener was trained in the Wim Hof ​​method. The Dutch court is considered the cold pope in the scene and has set several records. In 2011 he stood up to his neck in ice water for 1:52 hours, in February 2009 he climbed the 5895 meter high Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, in two days. He only wore shoes and shorts. According to the extreme athlete, he achieved all this through a combination of breathing techniques and meditation.

In Scandinavia, ice bathing has long been part of the culture, in Switzerland there is now hardly anyone who has never heard of it. Hegener attributes the trend to social networks and the pandemic. “But it wasn’t as if the majority of ice bathers stopped after one winter. From my point of view, the growth is sustainable,” says Hegener.

In some cities there are already networks of swimmers, for example the “Gfröörli Club” in Berne and the “Pinguine” in Schaffhausen. and In Zurich, the Samichlaus swimming takes place every year in the Oberer Letten river pool – this year on December 4th.

There’s no point in going into the cold lake once a month

Hegener says: “Once you’ve learned how to swim properly, you experience a great feeling.” The SCTA teaches those who are interested what to watch out for when stepping into cold water, since this autumn also every weekend in the seaside resort of Utoquai. After an initiative by two municipal councils, the city of Zurich decided to start a pilot test and open the seaside resort at the weekend.

Hegener recommends that beginners prepare themselves and swim in the lake from the end of September. “The water temperatures are still pleasant, everyone can do that,” he says. The body should gradually get used to the low water temperatures. “It’s no use sitting in the lake in January and then taking a month’s break. That would put too much strain on the body.” Hegener draws a comparison to fitness training. “There, too, you don’t put the heaviest weight on the dumbbell the first time you train.”

Lake Zurich currently has a temperature of 14 degrees; According to Hegener, entry into winter swimming is still possible. The preparation also works at home. After the normal warm shower, you can continue to shower under colder water for a few seconds. Hegener advises reducing the temperature from time to time.

Don’t run straight into the hot shower

When the day of the first ice bath has come, the body must first get used to the ambient temperature. Then you should step slowly into the water and breathe deeply and calmly. A hat helps against excessive cooling, people lose around a third of their body heat through their heads. That’s why immersion is not advisable, it is enough to sit in the water and immerse yourself up to your collarbones.

Anyone who slips into warm clothes immediately after a cold bath or takes a hot shower is making a mistake. Rather, Hegener says warm up with light muscle exercises and then dress slowly.

When bathing in ice, the body primarily protects the torso and organs, the extremities cool down first, which leads to a temperature difference. If you warm up too quickly, the warm blood in your torso could mix with colder blood from your arms and legs. In extreme cases, there is a risk of circulatory collapse, Hegener warns. He says: “The fact that you risk catching a cold after ice bathing if you don’t immediately run into the hot shower is a myth.”

Hegener says only advanced swimmers should swim in cold water. “It’s like putting a spoon in a coffee cup. The more you move, the more you cool down. And it’s easier to lose focus,” he says. Whether you’re sitting down or doing a few swim strokes, never venture into cold water alone.

The positive effect on the immune system has not been proven

The question of the positive effect of ice baths remains. Top athletes have been using cold to regenerate their muscles for a long time, and this effect has been scientifically proven.

The opinion has also spread that regular ice baths strengthen the immune system, boost fat burning or help against (winter) depression. However, these effects have not been fully proven. Norwegian scientists from the University of Tromsö have studied the effects of ice baths on health. You write: “Most of the suggested effects can be traced back to subjective statements or anecdotes.”

Hegener is also skeptical about strengthening the immune system. “When I started ice bathing I thought I’d never get sick again, which turned out to be wrong.” The fascination for ice bathing is something else for him. When he leaves the cold water, he feels euphoric, strong, relaxed and invigorated at the same time.

Hegener says: “The feeling is so nice that I would like to cheer.”

Winter swimming in the seaside resort of Utoquai: From November 6 to March 26, 2023, Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Membership with the Swiss Cold Training Association is required, costs: CHF 80 until the end of November, CHF 100 thereafter (admission to the seaside resort included). Further information: www.swiscoldtraining.ch.