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IN TOUCH Photos Harvia, Touko Hujanen, LuinSpa and iStock
SWIMMING YOUR WORRIES AWAY Finland is a land of thousands of lakes and millions of saunas, so it is only natural to combine these two elements. The ideal Finnish sauna experience includes a refreshing swim in natural waters, no matter what time of the year it is.
FREEZING HOT Ice swimming is a big part of a Finnish winter bathing experience. While it may sound scary, in fact it is good for you – and nothing can be more refreshing. Finnish docent Pirkko Huttunen from University of Oulu has found that the
refreshing effect of winter swimming is good for the body: It improves blood circulation and boosts the metabolism. According to Huttunen’s findings frequent ice swimming will also lower blood pressure.