“Five minutes are up!” the timekeeper said.
The participants sprung up out of the icy cold water, gasping in shock as they adjusted to the warmer air. Shaking off the droplets, they rushed to grab towels with smiles on their faces.
“That was actually awesome,” a student said, still shivering from the cold.
To kick off “Celebrate EveryBODY Week,” nearly a dozen attendees participated in an icy cold plunge at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in the Student Recreational Sports Center. The cold plunge was hosted by IU Outdoor Adventures and IU Athletic Training Faculty and was the start of the week-long celebration organized by IU Recreational Sports dedicated to promoting healthy body image.
Before the plunge, Bradley Sage from the Athletic Trainers Master's Program at IU discussed the benefits of cold-water therapy and said cold plunges can boost serotonin and promote muscle recovery. However, he also noted the potential risks involved and said cold plunges may exacerbate conditions such as heart problems and can lead to hypothermia.
The cold plunge took place by the diving pool in a blue bucket filled with ice water and set at 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Participants took turns in groups of three, sinking into the water and staying submerged from the neck down for five minutes.
Students Brock Berry and Caleb Diegnan were among those who participated in the cold plunge.
“I would describe it as freezing in the first minute, as brutal, but then after that, it’s actually a lot of fun,” Berry said. “You just feel the adrenaline afterwards definitely, like, I can’t stop smiling a little bit, and then having people next to you was a lot of fun.”
While Diegan was new to cold plunging, IU senior Laura Schuman used to participate in them after swim practice in high school. She called cold plunges “euphoric.”
“Your mind just kind of shuts off when you’re in it, because your body’s just focusing on trying to keep it warm,” she said. “Once your body becomes numb, your mind is super calm, and you can just feel the stress leaving.”
Aside from the cold plunge, other events throughout the week include a “Glow Flow Yoga” class Monday at the Bill Garrett Fieldhouse, a “Rock What You Got” dance party Tuesday at the SRSC, a Backpacking for Beginners class Wednesday at Eigenmann Hall and other activities.
Assistant Director for Group Exercise, Katie Landrum, coordinated the annual week-long event, which falls during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
“We wanted to recognize and raise awareness about the fact that our physical activity habits are healthy habits of supporting us, fueling us, nourishing us, don’t have to necessarily have to change how we feel about ourselves or how we look,” she said. “They can be truly to help support us mentally and our well-being.”
Landrum said it was important for college students to practice healthy habits because they are going through a transition period, being on their own for the first time, which can be very formative.
For many students, college provides their first opportunity to experience freedom and make their own decisions.
“This is really the time when we can start building a strong foundation of habits that support us and help build us up,” Landrum said. “What you build now can help build the foundation for your future life. If you build those habits now and instill that positive aspect, it can really truly help support you for your future.”
The full event schedule for “Celebrate EveryBODY Week” can be found at the IU Recreational Sports website.
