When the weather outside is frightful, a cold bath can be so delightful.
Social media makes it seem like everyone and their grandma is cold plunging these days. Drake, Kim Kardashian, Kristen Bell and Harry Styles tout the chill. Even Costco got in on the action with a portable $199 cold tub that tempts shoppers to take the plunge.
Cold water immersion is more than Instagram chatter. Hippocrates, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin and Florence Nightingale were fans. From a Roman frigidarium to Scandinavian winter swimming, the allure of the cold has stood the test of time.
Why limit yourself to the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge? Meetup groups take cold dips year-round.
Heads up: Swimwear is a must. Nobody wants to see your birthday suit in freezing water.
Cold feet
Puget Sound Plungers host regular meetups at beaches, including some in Snohomish County. Founder Renate Rain started the Facebook group in 2021 and has a cold water therapy studio in her Lakewood home.
Her motto: “Embrace the ice.”
Rain, 56, turned to cold plunging as a last resort to treat back pain and mood issues.
“I tried everything,” she said. “Nobody ever told me to try cold.”
Now, she’s on a mission to share the bitter-cold truth.
“A lot of people panic and get out,” she said. “You have to push past that initial discomfort. We offer support. Just having someone hold your hand can make all the difference. Plus, we have fun.”
Fun?
Plunging produces “happiness hormones,” she contends.
Just remember to bring a big, fluffy towel.
Cold facts
The science behind the benefits is murky, but advocates swear it’s a cure-all: Reduces pain and muscle soreness. Revs up your sex life and mental focus.
During my daredevil dunk in the cold pool at Banya Spa in downtown Everett, I felt every neuron firing in my body. I hesitated at first, torn between pride and panic. Once I submerged, being a human popsicle turned out to be oddly refreshing. After I got out, that is.
Banya Spa’s $40 three-hour day pass includes access to a sauna, hot tub, Turkish steam bath, zen lounge and a bistro.
Talk about a perfect storm of happiness hormones.
Cold cruel habit
Jared Mead starts his day with what he calls a useful habit, though others might shudder at the thought.
Mead, 33, rolls out of his warm bed, fills up an inflatable tub on his deck with hose water and ice cubes, then jumps in for a brisk five-minute soak in his skivvies.
“It’s part of my life, like brushing my teeth,” Mead said.
He braves the cold for mental clarity and resilience.
“I don’t like it. It hurts. You are barely breathing,” he said. But he pushes through: “You tell your brain that you are not negotiating.”
As the Snohomish County Council chairperson and a dad of four, Mead finds fortitude in that icy plunge.
“Comfort weakens our resolve. There’s a benefit in training your brain to handle discomfort,” he said.
Good things happen to those willing to freeze their buns off.
“Successful people add useful habits to their day,” he said. “Small wins add up to big wins.”
Tons of tubs
If you’re looking to dive in, DIY options abound.
Jaymie Rousey and her husband, Jeff, bought a galvanized horse trough from Tractor Supply Company to use for plunges at their Startup home.
“I saw people on social media doing it for various health benefits,” she said. “It was easier than I thought it would be. You’d never catch me taking a cold shower.”
The couple, who own Rousey Coffee Roasters, take nightly dips.
“You feel the blood go from your hands and feet to your inner body. It’s kind of a crazy feeling,” she said. “I feel like it is more of a mental health thing. My brain feels clarity. I feel positive.”
Mead scored his portable Pokytcox ice pod for $50 on Amazon. Costco’s $199 SaluSpa Arctic bath seats four in 111 gallons of frosty bliss.
A luxury Kohler and Remedy Place collaboration ice tub set to drop in spring 2025 has a cushioned headrest and a smartphone slot for tracking your chilly sessions.
TikTok influencer Kya “Ice Queen” Jeub uses a chest freezer in her Colorado backyard, chatting about parenthood with a smile – not a shiver – for her nearly 2 million followers. Sometimes her kids join her in a nearby plastic tote. Now that’s family bonding.
Safety first
The cold rush comes with risks. It can raise blood pressure and stress the heart, possibly leading to arrhythmia. Hypothermia can occur if your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Check with your healthcare provider before taking the plunge.
Bonus use
And if cold plunging isn’t your thing? No problem. That insulated tub doubles as an epic party cooler for drinks.
This story originally appeared in Sound & Summit magazine, a special publication of The Everett Herald.
Contact writer Andrea Brown at reporterbrown@gmail.com
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