Join the cold plunge social group every Saturday at 8 a.m. at Lake Ore-Be-Gone in Gilbert to get cold! Fitness instructor Mark Haverland cuts a hole in the ice, and the public is invited to join—or watch. Submitted photos.

You probably have seen people jumping into tubs full of ice water or cutting out sections of ice on a lake and taking a little dip in the cold water and wondering, What the heck are they doing? Well, they are cold-plunging. Does it look like they are crazy? Of course. It takes a special kind of crazy to want to purposely jump into 40–50-degree ice water and sit there for two to 10 minutes. But putting the crazy to the side, cold plunging has an array of benefits.

Why do I plunge? For one of my fitness certifications, I had to fly out to California for a three-day event where we had to get pushed beyond our limits, both physically and mentally. Part of that certification was taking a 20-minute cold plunge in 39-degree F water, and then getting out, we had to wait seven minutes (that’s about when you start to shiver the most) to build a Jenga tower and pull five pieces without tipping it over. This was a test of our mental resilience as well as our fine motor movements in a stressful state.

Fitness instructor Mark Haverland touts the benefits of cold water plunging.

Now, do I recommend this to everyone? Absolutely not. Ever since my certification, I have continued to do cold plunges daily; if I can’t make it to an ice bath, I’m taking a cold shower. Cold plunging has helped me in many ways. As an endurance athlete, fitness coach, and construction worker, my body gets pushed constantly. Doing a daily plunge helps me heal and keeps my soreness to a very minimum, as well as helps relieve stress from a busy life.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. While cold water therapy has many benefits, individual responses can vary. And the therapy may not be suitable for everyone.

I have found that the benefits of cold plunging include:

• reducing inflammation and soothing sore muscles. When you submerge in the cold water, your blood vessels will constrict, which diminishes blood flow and reduces inflammation in your muscles. It’s like one big ice pack for your whole body.

• building a stronger immune system. Studies show that exposure to cold water will trigger your lymphatic system, forcing it to pump, boosting your white blood cell count, and improving your immune response.

• Building resilience. Forcing yourself into freezing water is hard, not just physically but mentally as well. Being able to sit in freezing water acts as a physiological stressor and puts your body into survival mode. The more you put your body into that survival mode, the more you could improve your stress response due to what is called cross-adaptation.

• boosting energy levels. Humans have a hormone called norepinephrine, which helps regulate focus, attention, and mood. We see a significant release of norepinephrine into our bodies from cold water exposure.

• supporting weight loss. Your body warms itself by burning “brown fat.” As you shiver and your body tries to warm itself, you are using up your “brown fat,” and you burn calories faster.

• Improving your mood and mental health. Thanks to this wonderful thing called endorphins, there are studies that show your mood and mental health are greatly improved by cold plunges.

• supporting better-quality sleep. Not only do you sleep better because of your improved mood, but if you make it a routine to do a cold plunge in the morning right after waking up, then you are telling your body it’s a new day. That will set a schedule for your body and enhance your sleep quality.

Just like most things, you must consistently do something to see benefits. You don’t need to submerge yourself in the cold every day, but aim for 12–15 minutes per week. Starting off at the end of your shower, turn it cold and sit there for 30 seconds. Go longer and longer every time, and slowly progress.

Every Saturday at 8 a.m. I have a cold plunge community social at Lake Ore-Be-Gone in Gilbert. I will have a hole cut into the ice, and we have a group that gets together and sits in the water for anywhere from three to 10 minutes. If you want the support of an amazing group of people, come and join us, and if you’re curious about what it looks like, come and watch us. Let’s get cold!

Mark Haverland lives in Gilbert and owns Haverland Functional Fitness. Learn more at www.haverlandfit.com.

Life as a fitness coach

By Mark Haverland

I absolutely love being a fitness coach. I went through my own transformation and want everybody to feel as good as I do after I make that transformation. I specialize in raw functional training, which is training for everyday life. It’s awesome if you can lift 300 pounds, but if you bend over to pick up a set of keys and pull your back, what good is it? Currently, I work out of the Iron Trail Motor Event Center in Virginia and Fitness 365 in Eveleth.

I also specialize in youth fitness. Not every child wants to play a sport, but even those that play sports could benefit from general fitness. Through the Rock Ridge School Community Education program and with families that homeschool their children, I recently started the “Warrior Kid Club,” where we meet up once a week at the school or at Gilbert City Hall and do a workout.

Throughout the week, the kids have tasks they have to complete, such as exercises and reading. Every week we have a different task and a different discussion topic we discuss while we complete a workout together. Building the discipline to work out and take care of your body at a young age is going to greatly benefit these kids in the future.