Wellness + Wisdom | Episode 706

How does cold exposure boost mental health and emotional resilience?

Ryan Duey, Co-Founder and CEO of Plunge, joins Josh Trent on the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast, episode 706, to share how cold plunging became a global wellness trend, its benefits for mental health and emotional resilience, and the role of community, purpose, and values in building a life and business that inspire transformation.

"The cold plunge is an emotional intelligence and emotional regulation tool. There's just a neuro-cocktail that you get every single time when you get into a cold plunge." - Ryan Duey

Get $150 Off PLUNGE!

Plunge's revolutionary Cold Plunge uses powerful cooling, filtration, and sanitation to give you cold, clean water whenever you want it, making it far superior to an ice bath or chest freezer.

“There is nothing I love more to do than to start my day with a cold plunge! Increased energy, metabolism and hormesis FTW. PLUNGE is the best when it comes to the highest quality and the most incredible experience, hands down my favorite.” - Josh Trent, Host Wellness + Wisdom Podcast

$150 off with code "WELLNESSFORCE"

In This Episode, Ryan Duey Uncovers: [01:30] The Era of Cold Plunging

Ryan Duey
423 Ryan Duey | Ice Baths: Cold Therapy For Weight Loss, Immunity, Metabolism & Mental/Emotional Health
What inspired them to develop the Plunge.
Why people started cold plunging during the pandemic.

[07:15] Improve Your Mental Health with Cold Therapy

How cold plunging supports mental health.
Why people usually purchase the Plunge for their physical health but discover it actually helps their mental health.
How pushing ourselves to do something we don't want to can change our entire day.
642 Dr. Craig Koniver | Peptide Masterclass: The Practical, Physical + Spiritual Guide For All You Need To Know About Peptides To THRIVE
How Josh starts his morning to boost his wellness and inspire his children.
The benefits of cold plunging.

[15:10] How You Do Business Is How You Do Everything

Why Ryan doesn't always realize how much his work impacts people's lives.
How running a business accelerates personal growth.
Why we need to get back into our body and meet ourselves.

[21:50] The Importance of Having Purpose in Life

How having purpose helps Ryan feel good mentally.
Why he believed football brings people together when he was younger.
How he never questioned the love he received from his parents.

[25:40] PLUNGE on Shark Tank

Why there are three types of parents.
What allows people to stick to their purpose.
Why Ryan feels like he won the lottery in life?
How he felt about going on Shark Tank with Plunge.
Shark Tank US | Will Robert Dive Into A Deal With Plunge?

[32:25] Healing Happens In Community

Why depression and anxiety can't be healed in solitude.
How being in a community reflects who's doing the work.
Why entering a new community can be uncomfortable.
686 Mark Groves | Your Triggers Are Your Teachers: How To Answer The Call of Self-Mastery In Relationships + Life
The difference between doing a cold plunge for the ego or for our growth.
How cold plunging can hurt us if we don't learn how to regulate our heart rate.

[37:45] What Are You Neglecting?

Why people who have a consistent cold plunging practice don't care about the duration or temperature.
How the five sides of the wellness pentagon feed each other.
Why spirituality is the most neglected part of Ryan's wellness.
How checking in with ourselves can help us identify what we need to improve in our lives.

[44:50] Small Wins Compound

Atomic Habits by James Clear
Why building momentum to make things happen is hard.
How younger people are starting to shift their awareness.
Why getting in the environment where we want to be is what makes us grow.
What leads us to prioritize and commit to healthy habits.

[52:35] Connecting Back to Feelings

How we can choose to take empowering steps instead of following our family's path.
Why asking others how they're feeling can allow them to be honest.
How people in their 20s feel lost.
Why we're being disconnected from our feelings.
What drives more and more parents to homeschool their children.

[01:00:20] Improving The Educational System

Why the public school system is not suitable for many children.
How alternative education systems work.
Why the educational system is going through a process of change.
How we may not need the Department of Education.

[01:07:05] Cold Is a Tool

How the way that we do one thing is how we do everything.
Why Florida has a law for cold plunging.
Jason Wilson
How Jason Wilson uses cold plunge to teach youth emotional intelligence.
Why Ryan would like to get the cold plunge to schools and homes.
How parents who model healthy habits make it normal for their children to live a healthy lifestyle.

[01:13:50] Conscious Capitalism

How school lunches contain toxic chemicals.
Why the educational system should support children in public schools.
How meritocracy provides opportunity.
Why the free market is brutal just like nature.

[01:22:05] Core Values

How Ryan stays accountable for his choices for the company.
Why he makes decisions based on his values.
How the company is an entity with its own core values.
Why PLUNGE built a system to donate money to multiple organizations.

[01:26:45] Create a Check-In Process

548 Dr. Stan Tatkin | Healing Toxic Relationships: What’s The Bite That Fits Each Other’s Wounds?
Why the first Plunge values weren't deep enough.
How everyone in the company participates in monthly anonymous scoring.
Why Ryan hasn't established core values together with his partner yet.

[01:34:10] The Origins of Cold Plunging

How Plunge went from small goals to wanting to become the biggest cold plunge company in the world.
Why Ryan aimed to create a specific culture and environment in the company.
What the company does to bring value to people.
Why Ryan's beginning of his plunging journey was rooted in insecurities.

[01:40:20] From Zero to Entrepreneurship

What challenges Ryan had to face before he became an entrepreneur.
Why he had to ask people for money to build the business.
How Ryan is still fascinated with the positive impacts of cold plunging.
Why cold plunging in a community creates magic.

Leave Wellness + Wisdom a Review on Apple Podcasts

Power Quotes From The Show Cold Exposure Makes You Surrender

"The cold is one of the greatest surrendering tools that are out there. It will get you to surrender or you'll just stop doing it. There's no other option because if you don't surrenter, it'll ruin your immune and nervous system." - Ryan Duey

Show Your Children How to Do Hard Things

"Cold plunging is one of the greatest things you can build with parents and children. A 2-year-old kid that grows up with a dad doing something very hard every single day, first thing in the morning, is eventually going to start joining him at some point. That's how you can get in front of habit stacking, where you don't have to go break the chains because it's put in from day one." - Ryan Duey

Homeostasis

"The body has an innate ability to heal. It wants to be in homeostasis. That's how the universe wants to be." - Ryan Duey

Links From Today's Show

Josh's Trusted Products | Up To 40% Off

Shop All Products

Biohacking⁠

Wellness Test Kits

Nutrition + Gut Health

Supplements

Natural Energy

Fitness + Physical Health

Healthy Home

Mental Health + Stress Release

Personal Care⁠

Mindfulness + Meditation

Clothing

Free Resources

About Ryan Duey

Ryan Duey is the co-founder and co-CEO of Plunge, the global leader in cold plunges. With a background in wellness and entrepreneurship, Duey launched Plunge in 2020 with his co-founder Michael Garrett.

His passion for holistic health was influenced by personal experiences, including recovery from a near-death motorcycle accident and extensive travel to better understand the human experience.

Duey’s vision is to make cold therapy accessible to a wider audience, promoting resilience, stress reduction, and recovery. Plunge has gained rapid popularity among athletes, health enthusiasts, and wellness advocates

Kevin Durant's Ultimatum