This newsletter comes out every other Thursday and hopefully provides you with thought-provoking content about the mundane, wacky, and weird. I will be writing until the 75th edition. 😲 If you know someone who may enjoy the last newsletter and access to previous ones, share it with them here.

My mind was screaming no, but I did it anyways. I shut off the hot water and cranked up the cold knob in my shower. Reflexively, I gasp and shudder. Then my self-talk kicks in. “Take a deep breath, this is good for you, enjoy it.” A minute later the showers over, but the effects of the cold water stay with me. My endorphins are hitting and I feel both calm and energized. I’ve been doing partial cold-showers for 5+ years and jump at the opportunity to plunge into any frosty body of water. I’m not a nut who loves the cold weather, I merely love the feeling after I get out of the cold water.

Cold plunges, also known as cold water immersion or ice baths, have seen a rise in popularity in recent years as a way to improve physical and mental well-being. The practice involves immersing the body in cold water, usually below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, for a short period of time. Cold plunges have been used for centuries as a means of healing and rejuvenation, and are now being embraced by people around the world as a way to improve health and performance.

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There are many benefits to cold plunges, including improved circulation, immune function, and mental clarity. Cold water immersion has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve recovery after physical activity, and may also help to boost the immune system. There are even some studies showing the benefits of taking a short 30-60 second cold plunge before working out.

Getting your body into cold water may be trendy now, but it has been around for thousands of years. Check out this architectural breakdown of an ancient Greek bath house. Can you find the cold plunge?

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The Greeks used ice baths to treat, fevers, skin diseases and muscle and joint pain. It’s not just the Greeks, Nordics, Scottish, Chinese and many other cultures have been taking the cold plunge for centuries.

Today, getting cold exposure has gotten fancy and expensive. Many modern cold plunges cost between $2k-10k. They cost more than a bathtub because they allow you to dial in the temperature to a specific degree and keep it there. Plus, they have to get the water colder than the cold nozzle on your shower.

Baths filled with ice will give you the initial benefits of cold exposure, but your body temperature will quickly cause the bath temperature to rise, making the experience shorter and less effective. To get the health benefits you want a cold plunge, not a cool plunge.