GMA’s Dr. Jennifer Ashton takes icy plunge in red bikini during time off the show
Dr. Jennifer Ashton just made the best of some time off for spring break, heading off to Patagonia, Chile for a vacation that was far from relaxing.
Instead, the GMA3 anchor and ABC chief medical correspondent, 54, took on the icy glaciers and cold waters to give herself an adrenaline boost before heading back to work.
Dr. Ashton took to her Instagram on Monday morning to mark her return to work while revealing just how she closed out her trip to Chile, and it was definitely stark!
“Jumping back into work after our Chile/ Patagonia adventure like…,” she captioned a clip of herself dressed in a bright red bikini while walking on a pier.
She then hopped right into the chilling water, which she even wrote on screen measured in at 38 degrees Fahrenheit/3 degrees Celsius, and immediately swam back to shore and ran to find a towel and some warmth.
It was all for the best, though, as Dr. Ashton wrote of her cold plunge: “It did feel really good AFTER,” and her followers were left absolutely stunned.
“Oh I’m sorry. I thought that was a teenager jumping in! Wow!” one gushed, with another quipping: “Morning Dr. Jen. No need for a ‘coffee’ after that!”
A third questioned whether it was actually good for her body, to which she responded: “On the contrary! Intentional cold exposure (aka cold plunging) is associated with well- documented positive physiologic effects (on inflammatory mediators, vascular effects, skin benefits etc). But obviously only for short periods of time, not prolonged. Great data out of Denmark on this.”
MORE: GMA hosts and their adorable kids: George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, Ginger Zee, more
On the show, Dr. Ashton rejoined her GMA3 co-host Eva Pilgrim and Will Reeve, who was stepping in for DeMarco Morgan, and they welcomed her back with open arms after she’d fulfilled items from her “bucket list.”
“Big time!” she enthusiastically remarked. “I was able to go to Patagonia and Chile, hiking, white water rafting, all outdoors. It was amazing!”
MORE: 5 GMA stars’ jaw-dropping engagement rings: Robin Roberts, Jennifer Ashton, Lara Spencer, more
The ABC News correspondent shared more photos from her unbelievable trip, which she took with her husband Tom Werner, which included horseback riding, beautiful and adventurous hikes, and some sunset walks with her hubby.
Alongside some of the snaps she posted, she wrote: “Bucket list adventures in Patagonia / Chile… complete with an 11 mile hike to the Grey Glacier,” with fans leaving comments like: “Wow wow wow! What great pictures! beautiful landscape my god,” and: “What a great adventure! Beautiful pics and a beautiful couple. Enjoy!”
MORE: GMA’s Dr. Jennifer Ashton flaunts fit physique during insane workout
While DeMarco took the morning off, a majority of the Good Morning America anchors returned to their daily spots on the panel this Monday morning, with the exception of George Stephanopoulos.
The GMA host, however, was reporting from London, speaking with royal experts about Princess Kate’s recently announced cancer diagnosis, and did make an appearance during the morning broadcast. He was even joined by his daughter Elliott with wife Ali Wentworth, who quickly popped up on screen beside her dad.
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features, and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.