Dr. Mark Harper recalls his first cold-water swim in the south of England 20 years ago. It was August, but the initial jolt from the plunge took his breath away. The shock to his system lasted a ...

It’s 8am and I’m standing at the edge of my local lake at Beckenham Place Park in London, the early morning sun just beginning to peek over the trees. A layer of mist is rising from the cold water and ...

If you live near a body of water in the northern latitudes, you likely have heard of your local polar bear club — usually made up of a group of hearty swimmers who take part in cold water swimming.

Every winter, the search for the secret to staying well seems to intensify. Supermarket shelves fill with "immune-boosting" shots, cold water swimming groups grow and social media becomes crowded with ...

Taking a freezing dip in a lake or the sea is a valued well-being practice in the world's happiest country. In Finland, over 720,000 people (about 1 in every 8) are regular cold-water swimmers, ...

FILE - Revelers enter the cold water during the annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, file) (Andres Kudacki ...

Dr. Mark Harper recalls his first cold-water swim in the south of England 20 years ago. It was August, but the initial jolt from the plunge took his breath away. The shock to his system lasted a ...