The Montpelier Bridge
Lucinda Newman splashes in the icy Mad River on January 2. Photo by Nic Newman.
Looking for a way to juice up your immune system, improve your mood, and get a jolt of energy? More and more people, including many Vermonters, say you can accomplish those things by going for a winter swim or taking a bracing cold shower.
Of course, this is not a new idea. Many of us have seen photos of Russians jumping into holes cut into ice on the Russian Orthodox Church’s Epiphany feast day. And polar plunges, where people run and jump into lakes or the ocean in winter (and get out just as quickly) are a popular way to raise money.