In recent years the mental and physical health benefits of immersion in water have gained lots of attention across the country. Since 2019 wild-swimming group Whole Health have sought to disseminate those benefits to as many people as possible, leading open-water swimming and sauna sessions at Colwick Park. Frances Danylec visited West Lake to meet founders Cat and Wales.
It’s a crisp, sunny morning when I pedal through Colwick park to the West Lake. I’m on my way to meet Cat and Wales, two open water swimming enthusiasts who established their business Whole Health in 2019. Providing safe open water swimming experiences alongside woodfired saunas, they offer a rare piece of Norway in Nottingham, and I’m intrigued.
I’ve read about the work of Dr Susanna Søberg, a leading researcher in the field of ‘contrast therapy’ - intermittently exposing your body to hot and cold temperatures, causing the blood vessels to dilate then constrict. She evidences that our circulation, heart, lungs and skin respond positively to this and that it can have a beneficial impact on our immune system and metabolism. Sounds good to me.
I’ve been invited for a morning dip, and after warm introductions we wade into the chilly five-degree lake together. The cold punches every cell in my body, as I dip my shoulders under and otter about a bit, gasping. Ducks and swans bob past, looking larger than ever at eye level. The sun glints on the water and I’m surrounded by nothing but peace. As I head out of the water feeling like I’ve conquered Everest, Wales tells me about the beginnings of Whole Health: “We wanted a safe space where everyone could come and just give open water swimming a go. We know how great it makes you feel and wanted to share that with others. You can swim, dip, paddle – whatever feels comfortable for you.”
It makes such a difference to stress levels. You know you can come here and go in the water, and you come out and everything is taken down a few notches. It’s so relaxing; you feel like you’re a million miles away from the city
It was a trip to Oslo and the opportunity to see traditional woodfired saunas in action that inspired their next steps for the business. “We wanted to bring an authentic experience to the local area,” Cat explains. “We started a crowd funding campaign and bought our first sauna in 2022. It was shipped from Estonia and it was an exciting day when it was craned into position!”. Popularity grew and they’ve since installed two more saunas. “People tell us they enjoy the social aspect of coming here,” Wales says, adding, “some come with friends, but many come alone, because it’s a welcoming community where people say hello to each other.”
The saunas are also available for private hire, birthdays or other special events. Stag and hen dos focused around open water swimming are becoming more sought after, as people seek a fresh alternative to a stereotypical night out.
Everyone who arrives at the lake is greeted with a smile, as they place their membership card on the welcome desk and head for the changing area. “A safety measure,” Cat explains, “so we know who is in the water and can keep an eye out for them coming back. We always have a lifeguard on hand too. We’ve got over a thousand members now and actually know a fair few of them by name!”
I notice that people wear whatever they want: their regular swim kit, a wet suit, or just a t-shirt and shorts. There’s no judgement or pretence – you can be yourself here – and Cat and Wales go a step further to celebrate their members too.
“We used to have a flag pole - it sadly got damaged - we’d fly the pride flag, the trans flag, and fly our members’ country of origin flags too,” says Wales. “It was a great talking point, passers-by would ask us why we were flying the Jamaican flag!”
A woman wearing a swim suit, a knitted bobble hat and a huge smile tells me that her name is Fiona. She works nearby and has gradually brought colleagues down here. “I recruited them slowly!” she laughs. “I think initially they just thought I was a bit mad. But once I got a few people to come, they were completely converted. It makes such a difference to stress levels. You know you can come here and go in the water, and you come out and everything is taken down a few notches. It’s so relaxing; you feel like you’re a million miles away from the city.”
So what’s Cat and Wales’ next venture? “We have a moveable community sauna that seats twelve and we’ve started doing special events by the lake. We held a poetry reading and it was just magical seeing everyone’s faces lit up by the fire; everyone read out a poem they liked or had written. We’d love to do more events like that and also take the sauna to other places. Not everyone can make it down here and we want to take the benefits of the sauna to the people.” I’m beginning to think ‘whole’ health couldn’t be a more appropriate name.
If you have any health conditions, have a chat with your GP first to make sure open water swimming and sauna use is suitable for you. Swim sessions with Whole Health are £6 for members and £10 for guests.
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