| I was idling my way toward the new year when the call came. One of my dearest friends was proposing a polar plunge with our sons as a bonding activity. The location? Minnesota, where a local fitness club has been chiseling a swimming lane through the ice on Lake Minnetonka as a New Year's Day fundraiser for more than three decades. Having brought no appropriate clothing or shoes on my trip, and having done no mental preparation for such an event, I agreed. I needed a hard reset after 2024, when I had damaged my Achilles tendons playing soccer. I know athletes of all stripes swear by ice baths. We signed up. While the purported benefits of cold plunges seem to go viral on social media and at holiday cocktail parties every winter, it turns out there isn't a lot of scientific evidence backing them up. A one-time dunking is unlikely to significantly improve your health. And if you don't warm up quickly afterward, it could be dangerous or even deadly, says Amy Beacom, a sports medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After entering frigid water, blood vessels constrict to pull all the warm blood into the core, Beacom says. If you don't warm up quickly, all the cold blood in the extremities can enter the central circulation and cause heart arrhythmia, which can be fatal. So dry blankets and towels are essential. Warming tents and outdoor fires can speed recovery. But Beacom is still a fan of polar plunges for those who are healthy, curious and prepared. Even brief exposure to the cold – in a bath, shower or just a hose – can decrease inflammation and help with delayed onset muscle soreness, the pain that slowly blooms days after intense exercise. There are also potential mental health advantages. One study from the Czech Republic found immersion in cold water boosted noradrenaline and dopamine levels by 530% and 250%, respectively, which elevate mood. But the oft-cited report was published 25 years ago and used water that was 14C degrees (57F ). Not to brag, but Lake Minnetonka was less than 2C (35F). Maybe there's a reason the findings haven't been replicated in a large trial over the past quarter century.  Michelle Fay Cortez, in the far lane, dives with her son into Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota on Jan. 1, 2025. Source: Emma Blomquist I dove into the icy lake water, gaming the system to get out faster. I don't know if that was the right move, as shock immediately set in as I climbed up the ladder. I have absolutely no memory of it, but my friends tell me I just kept repeating a single word — "no" — until my son put a dry towel on my head. The walk to the car in 18F weather was also horrific, as the lingering slick of water on my bare legs froze and the pain started to break through. Maybe there was gain with that pain. The frigid water triggers a mammalian dive reflex when it hits the upper portion of the body, the most thermosensitive part, and takes your breath away. Mastering breathing in that scenario can help you manage stress, Beacom says. But she emphasizes that you don't have to go that hard. It can be as simple as finishing off your shower with a couple of minutes of cold water. As for the polar plunge, the community bonding and social benefits may be the standouts. "It's a fun family tradition for a good cause," Beacom says. "Tell your friends about it." So friends, I've got that now. The memory of the struggle is fading fast and my Achilles pain largely dissipated after months of agony. That's why Beacom's advice about being a cold water warrior was ringing in my ears when the hot water in my shower ran cold this week. But I still reached out and turned the temperature up. — Michelle Fay Cortez | 
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