Braving the freeze: Meet the people who love plunging into icy winter waters

Every Sunday morning between October and April, Jarred Lustgarten races into the Atlantic Ocean with about 60 of his closest friends to swim in frigid water. Some stay in for three minutes; others splash around for the better part of an hour. They chant; they do “hokey dances.” Some wear costumes.

Lustgarten describes the ritual as “spiritual.”

“It’s life altering,” he said. “Once you surrender, it makes room for the magic. And when that magic happens, it's not even indescribable – it's something you have to experience.” 

Polar plunging has emerged as one of the coolest health trends on social media over the last few years, with countless celebrities from Harry Styles to former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey touting the practice's unsubstantiated body-healing benefits.

But cold-water swimming has been an American tradition for well over a century.

Lustgarten’s group – the Coney Island Polar Bear Club – hosted the first winter water plunge in the United States on New Year’s Day in 1903. The L Street Brownies in South Boston followed the next year with their own Jan. 1 chilly swim in the city's notorious ‘dirty water.’

Today, similar events occur across the country, from Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay to California’s San Francisco Bay, all winter long.

For those who’ve never taken an icy swim, the activity might seem bewildering. But longtime plunge aficionados say the allure often boils down to one primal need: community.

Biological benefits

Ice bathing has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years as online influencers have promoted it as a wellness tool to reduce inflammation, improve immunity and relieve muscle pain.

François Haman, a professor at the University of Ottawa who has studied the effects of extreme environments on humans for more than two decades, said he saw an uptick in interest in cold therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everyone went even more insane about plunging,” Haman said. “People seemed to be looking at a single way of fixing everything, and ice dipping became that thing.”

On TikTok, videos listed with the hashtag #coldplunge have garnered millions of views in recent years. And companies that sell ice spas have begun to rake in cash.

Still, many of the alleged wellness benefits related to the immune system aren’t backed by scientific evidence and the risks can be severe, Haman said.

The only proven positive effect of ice bathing that he and his colleagues have been able to pinpoint is a rise in dopamine and endorphin levels. In other words – plunging into ice water causes the brain to release chemicals that make people feel good.

Haman, who practices cold dipping several times a month, has felt those effects firsthand while training soldiers. He argues that plunging is about “tapping into your inner power to be able to regain control under adversity.”

That’s also why Andrew Conner began experimenting with cold water about a decade ago, first with showers and then submersion. The 36-year-old calls the experience “invigorating” and even built his own plunge tub at his home in Durango, Colorado, in 2023.

In the spring and summer months, Conner cold dips daily. He said he does it for the same reasons other people might do high-intensity interval training: “It’s a stoic exercise around will and around pain tolerance,” in an otherwise “comfortable life.”

Both he and Haman also suggested that they find benefit from plunging socially, too.

“It’s not about the biological benefits,” Haman said of his experience. “I love doing it, but the biggest thing for me is ... a sense of belonging. I’m doing it with other people.”

Building community

Lustgarten, who serves as president of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, didn’t begin cold-water swimming until a few years ago when he pledged to become a member of the private group.

He views the weekly Sunday morning swims as almost akin to a religious service. Lustgarten said that the goose-bump-inducing pain of his body initially hitting the cold water is often the toughest thing he needs to endure each week. Overcoming that pain with other people by his side is a central draw of the club.

“If I spend 20 minutes in the water with my people, magically the rest of the world gets their act in order for the rest of the week,” Lustgarten said. “It puts things in perspective.”

However, Lustgarten added that becoming a “polar bear,” requires much more than pain tolerance. The group’s annual New Year’s Day plunge is designed to raise money for nonprofit organizations in Coney Island. Lustgarten views the club’s mission as helping bolster the New York City neighborhood and maintain its reputation as a “misfit toy box.”

“When you want to enjoy yourself, you get on the train, you go to the end of the line, you go to Coney Island,” Lustgarten said. “It's like a whole experience that we are part of creating for other people.”

Most other polar plunges across the country are designed as fundraisers.

The largest one happens every year at Maryland’s Sandy Point State Park on the Chesapeake Bay. It was started in 1995 by a group of state police officers who were trying to find ways to raise money for the Special Olympics.

The event has grown so popular that it’s now spread out over a whole week. It includes a special police plunge, a corporate plunge and a 24-hour super plunge bonanza.

Kira Nothrop, the senior director of marketing and communications at Special Olympics Maryland, describes it as the “most inclusive party” in the state. People who participate once often come back year after year.

“Everyone who's there is really supportive of not only our cause but just that every person has a place in this world and should be respected and also supported, celebrated,” Northrop said.

The reasons people decide to plunge into the icy cold water may differ, but at the end of the day, Northrop said they’re all “freezing for a reason."

Tips for plunging

Cold-water plunging does come with some risks. Here are a few tips for trying it safely this winter season.

◾ A two- or three-minute plunge does the trick. The longer you stay in the water after this time frame, the more dangerous it becomes, Haman said.

◾ Protect your hands and feet with neoprene boots and gloves to avoid cold injuries.

◾ Cold-plunging isn’t one-size-fits-all all, Haman said. The cold will affect everyone differently, so listen to your body and know your limits.

◾ A less risky method: taking a cold shower. Haman said cold showers are safe and may provide some of the same energizing feelings as a plunge.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Polar plunges and the allure of that cold winter rush