The science of the cold plunge with Chris Ballard

Many people regularly plunge into ice-cold water to soothe soreness or boost energy—but for some, the plunge itself is a sport. As a sports journalist, Chris Ballard was reporting on cold water immersion when he got into ice swimming himself and ended up competing on the US team at world championships. In this episode, Adam dives into Chris’s book The Plunge, and the two discuss the psychology behind risk taking, endurance, and resilience in the face of discomfort. They explore why people seek out extreme challenges that push their minds and bodies to the limit, and separate myth from science about the health benefits of cold water immersion.

Featured guest

• Follow Chris Ballard on Instagram, LinkedIn, and chrisballardwritings.com/
• Buy The Plunge: Maverick Swimmers, an Unlikely Quest, and the Transformative Power of Cold Water

Connect with the team

• Follow Adam on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at adamgrant.net/
• Subscribe to Adam’s Substack Granted
• Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDPods
• Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.