Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Darian Lassiter Takes Cold Plunge

Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Darian Lassiter is the latest to take the cold plunge.

A cold plunge involves immersing oneself in cold water (typically between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit or about 10 to 20 degrees Celsius) either quickly in and out or for several minutes at once. There are many benefits to cold plunging, including the improvement in recovery and helping with muscle soreness.

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleader shared photos of her taking the cold plunge as she wore a red bathing suit. The one-piece, which is cut out in the back, shows off Lassiter's skin and body.

Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth, recently spoke out about cold plunging, telling TODAY that the practice has been around for centuries. "Going back to Hippocrates and even Thomas Jefferson, Darwin and Florence Nightingale were all doing cold water immersion," he said.

Fans of the cheerleader took to the comments section to express their thoughts on the post, writing things such as "I just said WOAH out loud" and "Americas next top model👏".

Another user wrote, "Wait these are fire" as one of her followers chimed in by saying, "EXCUSE ME 😍".

Darian Lassiter shared another photo, this one showing just her body as she submerges herself in the cold water. Cold plunging is pretty common with athletes as it is known to help reduce inflammation in the body.

"It slows down and inhibits blood flow to the legs and the arms and pushes (the blood) more towards the central aspect of the body," says Dr. Kristi Colbenson, a sports medicine and emergency physician at the Mayo Clinic. "In doing so, you decrease that natural inflammatory response that occurs after exercise."

However, it is important to note that the reduction of inflammation after cold water immersion is likely temporary. “When you look at the literature, it does help with recovery and inflammation, especially if you’re a competing or training athlete,” Colbenson added.

Before one takes the cold plunge, there are some things to be aware of -- including the cold shock response, which is defined as the initial gasping, hyperventilating and increased heart rate after one suubmerges themselves into frigid water. It can be dangerous, but it also is the cause to the physical benefits of cold plunging, so it is important to go about cold plunging the correct way.

“The belief is that if you consistently expose yourself to stress in a meaningful and structured way, your body will actually respond by improving its ability to respond to everyday stress,” Colbenson said.

For those who want to take the cold plunge for immune system improvements, you. may want to think again. "From an immunologic standpoint, or your ability to fight infection, I give caution to that. ... There hasn’t been a good study that says there is a decreased propensity of getting infection if you use cold water immersion," Colbenson adds.