Hundreds of Canadians rang in the new year by jumping into near-freezing bodies of water on Monday.
The New Year’s Day cold plunge, or Polar Bear Dip, is an annual tradition more than a century old — a social event of perhaps limited appeal that unites shivering strangers in joyful discomfort.
But the cold plunge has entered the mainstream in recent years, along with lofty claims about its supposed health benefits, from reducing inflammation and boosting immunity to alleviating depression and anxiety.
Influencers are taking ice baths all over TikTok, and the practice has been touted by celebrities including Drake, Justin Bieber and Joe Rogan. Cold
