If you've ever been cold water swimming, you'll know all about the short, sharp shock it gives your senses as you plunge in. According to a new study, it can pretty quickly change the stress response ...

Canda-Leigh Habonimana takes a dip in the waters of Gatineau Park’s Meech Lake in Chelsea, Quebec, during a polar bear plunge on New Year’s Day. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press files) Dr. Mark Harper ...

If you've ever been cold water swimming, you'll know all about the short, sharp shock it gives your senses as you plunge in. According to a new study, it can pretty quickly change the stress response ...

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.

For recovery after intense training and to promote health, ice baths have been trending for years. But do all people benefit from “cold therapy”? Studies and experts increasingly suggest that women ...

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 ...

On January 1, some hardy souls will greet the new year not by nursing a champagne hangover in bed, but by plunging into frigid water. In New York City, thousands of people participate in a seaside ...

It started with a cold-water plunge, and now outdoor, natural swimming is an obsession of mine. With 15,000 lakes and a robust water-quality testing system, Wisconsin is great for wild swimming. It ...

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 ...