People warming up the frozen sea by swimming in it - Documentary about Ice Swimmer Mikko

Mikko's story is a classical success story. Start something one day, and some other day it might turn into a big thing! When Mikko started to swim there was almost no people around. Now there are hundreds who have joined him in his swimming group. "When so many swimmers are down in the ice hole it things start to get intensive!" - Mikko Ojanen

Documentary about Ice Swimming in Helsinki, Finland.

❄️

Cold water swimming, for example, can be a threat to health. In particular, this means people with heart disease and asthma. Momentary cold exposure strains the heart and constricts the bronchi. Peripheral blood circulation narrows, which momentarily raises blood pressure and increases the heart rate, resulting in a load on the heart.

Such an additional load can only sensitivity to cardiac arrhythmias. In the respiratory system, the contraction of the cold air causes the bronchi to become unaccustomed to breathe and can even lead to a shock reaction. The phenomenon is caused by an increase in the levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline in the body.

– Excerpt from YLE.fi article Avantouinti ei ole riskitön harrastus, 27.03.2001 (Ice Swimming is not risk-free hobby)

🧊

Benefits of Cold Water Swimming are:
1. It boosts your immune system. The effects of cold water on the immune system have been studied widely.
2. It gives you a high, which is natural, not chemical. Ice Swimmer Maari talks about this in the documentary    • If I'd stay here I'd enjoy hypothermia - D...  .
3. It improves your circulation.
4. It increases your libido. Makes you more sexy.
5. It burns calories. You'll be more fit!
6. It reduces stress. Tuuli talks about this effect in her documentary    • Ice Swimming makes you STRESS-FREE - Docum...  .
7. It is a great way of socializing and making new friends. Just look how many friends Mikko has in this documentary.
8. Acclimatize. You don't feel bad for shitty weather.

🥶

Subtitles in English, Finnish and Russian*.
(Also automatic translation to Korean, Portuguese, France, Japan, German, Spain and Hindi.)
--

Filmed and directed by Konstantin Nikkari:
  / konstantin.nikkari  

Ice Swimmer
Mikko Ojanen
  / ojmikko  

Music by:
Kevin MacLeod
– Deliberate Though
– Simple Duet
– Garden Music

Cover image and still photography:
Alessandro Rampazzo
  / alessandrorampa  
https://alessandrorampazzo.com

Filming location:
Helsinki Finland, Eira beach

Thank you, Valeria (  / poutintseva.valeriia  ) for helping to translate Russian subtitles.

Production:
Raccoonbox - good story inside
www.raccoonbox.com