BOISE, Idaho — If you're walking by the banks of the Boise River, you might see someone sitting in the river or a bath full of ice.
That might be Cameron LaBar. The Boise resident has been doing cold plunges for three years.
LaBar has struggled with his mental health at times throughout his life. He says starting cold exposure helped him through it.
“Cold water is something I experimented with and it just stuck," LaBar told me. “Every time the mood started to crash or come back down, I just kept going back to it and it didn’t matter what month of the year it was, I would just keep going.”
LaBar says sitting in the tub helps him clear his mind. All he can focus on is his breathing, so he stays present in the moment. He says being able to sit through the cold gives him a challenge to overcome.
"There’s an increase in your adrenaline response because it’s a shock to your body," LaBar said. "Your breath rate spikes. Your heart rate spikes. And it becomes this process of trying to learn how to get it all back under control.”
LaBar says cold exposure might not work for everyone, and people should consult their health care provider before jumping in. Also never cold plunge alone.
Almost two years ago, LaBar started posting about his journey on Instagram. Now, he has over 200,000 followers.
He talks about life, and even invites people to participate in the cold plunge with him.
“I think very early on, I just became very comfortable with sharing the challenges I’ve dealt with," LaBar said. "So when it came to the cold plunging and building the page, there wasn’t much resistance internally, for me to just share it all.”
For more information about LaBar, visit his Instagram page.
