Is Cold-Water Swimming the Secret to a Happier Life?

Finland has been named the world's happiest country for seven years in a row. It’s also home to 3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million people. And roughly one-fifth of Finns take part in something called “cold water” or “winter” swimming.

Coincidence? We think not, and our guest, Katja Pantzar, agrees.

A Canadian-Finnish journalist based in Helsinki, Pantzar first discovered cold-water swimming a decade ago and now swims in the Baltic Sea almost every day — all year round.

She’s also the author of several books on the subject, including the bestselling The Finnish Way — about Nordic well-being, winter swimming, sauna and sisu — which has been translated into 24 languages to date. 

In this episode, Pantzar shares:

• What cold-water swimming is all about (spoiler: no laps are involved)
  
  
• The physical and mental health benefits associated with it 
  
  
• The dos and don’ts for safe cold-water swimming 
  
  
• The connection between winter swimming and “sisu,” a uniquely Finnish brand of perseverance, fortitude and resilience
  
  
• The details of her latest book, The Power of Hot and Cold, which she co-wrote with Carita Harju

…and so much more!

**********

Mentioned in this episode:

Katja Pantzar
The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu
The Power of Hot & Cold: From Sauna to Sea: The Finnish Way to a Happy, Healthy Life
Carita Harju, Executive Director of Sauna from Finland

**********

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.