the cold rush

ICE bathing remains the hottest topic in WELLNESS, but is it really for everyone? KATHLEEN BAIRD-MURRAY takes the PLUNGE

Every day, sometimes twice a day, Vivien Solari, 45, swims in beautifully clear and crisp water of around eight to 10 degrees Celsius, depending on the time of year. The image on 93 was taken on a visit to Loch Linnhe, where the model and cold water swimming enthusiast rubbed shoulders with seals, but more often you’ll find her carving through the waves of the sea on the south coast near the Solent, the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England, where she has lived for 22 years. Her skin has the kind of glow that looks like she is intravenously fed Hailey Bieber & Erewhon collagen smoothies. She is strong, resilient, confident. She feels revitalised. “To be immersed in something powerful and wild is often a humbling experience, and the water demands your respect but it is nurturing too.

It helps me to reconnect with the nature within myself.” It’s Solari I am thinking about as I stare blankly at the distinctly underwhelming grey plastic blow-up ice plunge tub in front of me, yet to be assembled. It’s true, my curiosity is awakened, but it’s a little more pedestrian than Solari’s. Mine is more about whether I can persuade/manipulate/coerce someone else to pump up the world of pain that sits across from me into a tub-like shape. Then there’s the troublesome question of has the elastic perished in the orange swimsuit tucked at the back of my wardrobe, never mind the fact that it’s tipping it down with rain outside and I have an Australian and a Norwegian coming to stay this weekend, known for being robust, vital, outdoorsy sorts of people. What on Earth will they think of this flimsy looking thing before me?