Cold-water immersion may boost mental health and well-being.

The practice carries risks, too, including drowning and hyperventilation, but dangers can be managed.

Experts recommend brief dips in 54-68°F water, warning against prolonged ice baths that could damage nerves and blood vessels.

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 minute or two until he was “recombobulated and able to think about something other than the cold,” Harper says. A surprise sensation soon replaced his discomfort.

“I remember getting out of the water the first time and feeling so good,” Harper, an anesthesiologist who has since researched the potential risks

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