dr jennifer ashton disney upfront 2022© Getty Images

GMA's Dr. Jennifer Ashton takes icy plunge in red bikini during time off the show

The GMA3 anchor helms her show alongside DeMarco Morgan and Eva Pilgrim

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
March 25, 2024

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."

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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."

© Getty Images

Fans were left stunned by a glimpse of the GMA anchor's icy plunge

"Big time!" she enthusiastically remarked. "I was able to go to Patagonia and Chile, hiking, white water rafting, all outdoors. It was amazing!"

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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.

© Shutterstock

Dr. Ashton branded her trip a "bucket list" vacation, which she enjoyed with husband Tom

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.

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