To cold plunge or not to cold plunge? That is the question. The idea of dipping into a bath of glacial temperature water does not appeal to most. However, cold baths have become all the rage and the reasoning behind it is becoming more and more apparent. Whether it is a cold shower, taking a dip into the ocean, jumping into a glacier lake, or sitting in an ice bath in your backyard, read on to find learn all about the benefits, risks, and methods of diving into the world of polar plunges. Cold plunges have origin stories from all over the world, including Japan, Native American cultures and Nordic countries. Although the methods vary slightly, all origin stories have one benefit in common: healing of the mind and body. The basics of the practice involve submerging yourself into a body of water that is at or below 50ºF for an extended period of time (usually ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes). Although the idea of putting yourself through tempuratures one usually tries to avoid for half the year sounds li
This article first appeared on Outdoors on SI and was syndicated with permission.