Winter swimming

Main page: Physical fitness

Bathing in an ice-hole, Poland.

Winter swimming is the activity of human swimming during the winter season, typically in outdoor locations, or in unheated pools or lidos. It is done mostly for health benefits. Many winter swimmers swim with standard swimming costumes rather than with wetsuits or other thermal protection.

In colder countries winter swimming may be synonymous with ice swimming. In Finland, Northern Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia the ice swimming tradition has been connected with the sauna tradition.

Other websites

• Cankar.org on how to create an avanto
• Winter Swimming — the technique of winter swimming and its healing effect.
• Winter Swimming World Championships, pictures Oulu Finland 3.-5.3.2006
• Winter Swimming Championships 2008 - held at Tooting Bec Lido, London, UK