I was walking along the beach on Amager today and although the air temperature was well below freezing I still spotted a winter swimmer. Whilst I gather my thoughts for new posts this month (it been a bit quiet here whilst I’ve had my mum staying), I thought I’d share this post from last year about winter swimming.

Last week I found myself in the well-to-do suburb of Hellerup as I was craving a browse around a book shop for some Christmas gift inspiration. I found myself drawn down one of the side roads leading to the front as the sun was actually shining and glittering off the sea. I was sitting looking out towards Sweden when I realised that I was sitting right by the Vinterbad or winter swimming area. A young woman emerged from the wooden building (which I now know is the sauna) wrapped in a small towel, which she discarded at the end of the jetty and jumped stark naked into the cold sea. She swam around for about thirty seconds, dipped her head under the water and then climbed out of the sea, wrapped herself in the towel and disappeared back inside, looking pretty pleased with herself.

A number of things struck me about this scene (although not the first time I have witnessed winter swimming). One was the complete comfort she had in being naked, she wasn’t super skinny or an exhibitionist, but seemed completely at ease. There was a building site nearby and not one builder even glanced over. Secondly was the total lack of hesitation in jumping into the sea which at a guess was probably well below 5 degrees in temperature. I ease myself into even a heated pool, shocked at the cold. And finally the sheer joy she seemed to have after the swim.

There are 80 official winter swimming clubs in Denmark with 20,000 registered members. Most official clubs, which seem to have saunas in a lot of cases, are full but you can be added to a waiting list.

The oldest club (I think) in Copenhagen is Det Kolde Gys (The Cold Thrill or Shiver) based at Helgoland baths since 1929 and there is a new one at Sluseholmen in the newish harbour baths there with a sauna and a special rotating ice breaker in the main pool. I believe they also have a waiting list. But don’t let waiting lists stop you, there are plenty of jetties all along the coast just waiting for you to dive in to the icy seas. You just won’t have the luxury of a sauna. Last winter I saw a number of winter swimmers at Bellevue coming from their cars in dressing gowns, disrobing, diving in and then returning to their cars to go home.I made me think that perhaps I was missing out on the Viking experience of winter swimming. I love swimming in the sea and the liberating aspect of it but only on a hot day. I have been warned that starting winter swimming is not a whim thing. If you are new to it, it’s best to start at the end of the summer so your body gets used to the gradual change in the seasonal temperature of the water. They say the sea never gets colder than minus 2 degrees otherwise it freezes, although the surface may freeze and need to be broken before you can dive in – you definitely need to be feeling brave. But is it worth it?

There are supposed health benefits to winter swimming even if you only dive in for a few seconds. It invigorates blood circulations, raises your metabolism and flushes out your system of toxins add onto that the amazing natural high that can last for up to four hours afterwards due to the release of endorphins, there is no wonder it is so popular here.

Are you a winter swimmer or is it a step too far into the Viking way of life?

A version of this post appear in The Huffington Post

Winters here can seem very long and dark at the best of times and you need to start preparing your health reserves early.

For me it is the dark that really takes it toll so for fear of repetition from last winter my daylight lamp is a crucial part of making winter bearable. I use it to wake up naturally in the morning and also for a blast of daylight during the day. I really do believe that it makes a difference to my mood and general energy levels over the winter. They are not cheap but are definitely worth the investment.

On the subject of darkness, our bodies can really start to miss Vitamin D over the winter so it is well worth considering taking either a Vitamin D supplement from the autumn onwards or a decent multivitamin including Vit D. These can be bought relatively inexpensively from the pharmacies and you can buy very specific combinations depending on your age etc. Although my son eats a varied, healthy diet I have decided this year to supplement this to try and keep the sniffles at bay.

Flu jabs are another thing to consider seriously. Many workplaces offer these for free and if you fall into specific categories you can get the jab for free from your doctor (over 65, pregnancy after the 12th week, obese, have heart disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and other health complications which you can discuss with your doctor). Last year I paid for my jab at the pharmacy (they advertise dates and times) and they were happy to give it to me, however they refused my husband and directed him his doctor. One way or another you can get this done easily and its worth it to avoid really suffering.

Lastly for comfort and warmth make sure you have a decent pair of warm, waterproof boots, a longer length winter coat, warm hat and gloves, ear muffs so you can enjoy the winter without freezing. If you are newly moved here from the UK whatever you would wear normally in the winter will not be enough if we do indeed get another winter like 2009/10 as is being predicted so it’s time to part with a fair chunk of money, but like the daylight lamp, good quality is a worthwhile investment.

For more ways to survive winter once it arrives, here is something I wrote last year. Also bringing hygge into your home this winter,  and how to take on winter like a true viking.

The beginning of September (and to a certain extent the end of August) as the time when you need to get a jump-start on winter here if you have children. It came as a shock to me the first few years of being a mum but if you don’t buy your kid’s winter stuff now as soon as it comes into the shops, you face a stressful time and potential unequipped (and cold) child once the temperatures drop. Already people are buying winter boots, coats and snowsuits and if you want to have a chance of a decent choice in your child’s size then you need to get shopping now.

We usually buy Ecco boots for my son for the winter, they are not cheap but last all winter, are warm and keep his feet very dry and he wears them everyday. When I went last week to Skoringen (best selection I think) to get them there were very few choices left in his size. Same with a winter jacket from H&M, although there are more available on their website at the moment.  I tend to keep my eye on Føtex for a snowsuit as they have them at a great price but you again need to be quick (and also for elephant hats (like balaclavas) and gloves). Billka do a special weekend in August where they sell these suits at a cheap price and I was about two hours too late on the first day of the discount to get his size. H&M have just released their snowsuits and padded trousers online and in some stores, and already the popular colour ones are sold out.

The weird thing here is that once these things sell out the shops don’t seem to restock them, so woe betide you if you leave it until the actual autumn begins or your child grows out of them over the winter. Another piece of advice in regard to gloves is to adopt destroyer tactics. You know your child will be losing these constantly over the winter, it is a fact of life and you can’t just get more at the drop of a hat, so buy up a big supply when they are in the shops. You will need thick padded ones (gloves or mittens) which you need to make sure your child doesn’t lose too many of as they are expensive (you can buy natty little clips in Name It to attach them to coat sleeves) but you can stock up on triple packs of wool ones in H&M to last the winter. We started last winter with six pairs and we now have one matching pair and three odd ones.

One last piece of advice from someone who got caught out on this one – if you child is in a Danish børnehaven or school they are likely to be taking part in Santa Lucia in December (you can check now). For this they will more than likely be expected to wear a white long sleeve top under their costume and to my mind only crazy people already have white tops for their children. Danish parents know this and get them from places like H&M in double packs well in advance so panicked mums like me circa 2013 who run in two days before have nothing to buy. Don’t be caught out!

If it’s your first winter here with children here is a quick checklist of things you need to get:

• Winter jacket
• Snowsuit (flyverdragt) or above jacket combined with padded trousers
• Winter boots (waterproof, warm and high up the ankles – wellies are not going to cut it)
• Padded gloves or mittens (and clips to attach them to coats)
• Wool gloves
• Vests and leggings (undertøj) (in case it gets properly cold)
• Elephant hue or elephant hat. (Many preschools and bornehaver will ask that you don’t use scarves for safety but these kind of balaclava hats that come down well below the neck for extra warmth but in my opinion they are very warm and more practical than a hat and scarf combo anyway)
• Thick warm socks for all and tights for girls

This can all add up so keep an eye on tilbud specials in supermarkets like Føtex, Kvickly and Bilka over the next few weeks. H&M is also a great source for basics.

This should be enough for your child to stay warm and dry (and whinge free) over the winter, especially as kids will be playing outside at school etc whatever the weather as is the Danish way. I hope this helps ease you into winter!