The power of COLD WATER

Could an ice bath or a bracing ocean swim be the answer to good health and happiness?

Bathing in cold water can improve mental and physical health, boost resilience and change your life. That, in a nutshell, is what “Iceman” Wim Hof has been extolling for decades.

Ever since he plunged into a freezing Amsterdam canal, the eccentric Dutch stuntman has been cold bathing daily for more than 45 years, fervently espousing the longevity benefits of submerging your body in sub-zero temperatures. So far, he has set dozens of Guinness World Records, including immersing himself in ice for almost two hours.

While his gruelling stunts have focused attention on the power of cold water, the idea it can improve your health isn’t new. Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates claimed it relieved fatigue, and Thomas Jefferson reportedly had an icy foot bath every morning for 60 years as a health-maintaining strategy. More recently, scientists have found there’s clinical evidence that cold-water swimming can improve everything from endocrine function to mood disorders, general wellbeing and immunity – benefits that are strengthened if you do it regularly.

But that’s just the trouble – doing something so intensely uncomfortable not just once, but consistently, seems like a tall order.

“Quite a lot of people have apprehension as it’s a weird thing to do at the end of the day,” says nutritionist and ice-bathing expert Jono James. “Getting into zero- degree water could scare you for life, so I recommend starting at 10-12 degrees, which sounds cold and is really cold, but is something most people can manage. It’s such an invigorating experience. When you get out, you’re ready to take on the world.”

Boosts immunity