Notes from a kallbad

 

By Raul Dias

Almost exactly a year ago, when countries around the world started going under lockdown one after the other like some sort of uncertain global game of dominos, there was one among them that resolutely refused to let its chips fall. And that country was Sweden.

Faced with mounting criticism, the Scandinavian county still managed to flatten its Covid-19 curve rather rapidly and effectively. This, without ever implementing a full-scale lockdown. A controversial strategy that at once had the country’s health leadership claim victory. But the cynics were not so impressed with this apparent inaction. And rightly so.

With many Swedes choosing the more sensible self-quarantine and social distancing, cases of mental unrest and depression saw a remarkable upswing across the country. All the while getting further exacerbated by the long, dark and miserably frigid Nordic winter that sets in as early as late September. Enough to send the country hurtling down the precipice of a major mental health crisis.

Slam Dunk

Recognising this and attempting to remedy it by turning to one of the Sweden’s greatest outdoor winter traditions of ice bathing called kallbad in Swedish is a charity initiative taken on by a few of the members of the Ladies Circle of Sweden club, Gripsholm in south central Sweden. Earlier this month, on the 7th of February at exactly 11.30am Sweden time, 80 women across the country—led by Anna Lyckström, a club member who came up with the idea—plunged simultaneously into the icy waters of lakes, ponds and other semi-frozen waterbodies nearest to them. Some of the ladies living in the high north of the country needing to saw through almost 60cm of ice to get through the water!

All this to raise both money and awareness in the fight against mental illness. Together, they managed to amass just over SEK 8,000 (INR 70,000 approximately) for the national charity project Fonden För Psykisk hälsa (Foundation of Mental Health). With the 'simulbaths' being aired digitally over the club’s Facebook page.

Shock Therapy

A brutally cold water dip is a Nordic favourite for many due to a host of health benefits ranging from raising ones feel-good hormones and lowering stress to improving sleep and general mood. Interestingly, a 2004 study conducted by scientists at Oulu University in Finland reinforces the immense benefits of ice bathing on mental health. 

Apparently, icy water causes the blood vessels to constrict in order to try to retain body heat and the blood pressure increases to avoid cooling down. In the process to protect the body, hormones such as endorphins, are released and act as pain relief (as well as anti-depressants) for a few hours. As a result, ice bathers are known to lead more active lives and are generally happier and more fulfilled people. 

But the Swedes have cottoned onto this trend and seen method to the madness for centuries. Given their nonchalance towards public nudity and taking full advantage of the coastline and multitude of lakes and rivers, skinny dipping in their icy waters is a national obsession come autumn and winter. With a session in the scalding hot sauna completing the therapeutic experience.  

Hot-n-Cold

Speaking of sauna, equally popular is the concept of spending a cold winter’s day in one of the many cold bath houses across the country, most of which are open year-round. These serve several purposes. Not only do they prepare one for the invigorating open-air kallbad, they typically house a number of saunas to sweat it out in, both before and after an ice bath.

It was during the last quarter of the 19th century that the first few cold bath houses began to surface across Sweden. All greatly inspired by the facilities found in health resorts in places like Switzerland. But before the fully-fledged bath houses emerged, stair-equipped outdoor swimming pools started cropping up as early as the 1850s. 

But keeping up with the times seems to be a mantra for many bath houses that earlier had specifically dedicated areas for men and women given the nudity aspect. Take for instance Malmö’s Ribersborgs Kallbadhus that now acknowledges transgender and non-binary people by making the bath house gender egalitarian.

(This column first appeared in the 28th February 2021 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/notes-from-a-kallbad-or-ice-bath-in-sweden/article33940727.ece)