TAKE THE PLUNGE!

Hollywood health trends don't much get cooler than this

- AMBER BRAMBLE

For many of us, stepping into an icy bath or cold shower is something we actively avoid. But could we be missing out? 

Cold therapy is one of the fastest-growing trends in wellness, and a pillar of the Wim Hof Method – a practice that’s won over Hollywood. In fact, these days it’s hard to find a star who hasn’t taken the icy plunge, with devotees including all three Hemsworth brothers, Lady Gaga, Lizzo and Tom Cruise.

Wim Hof Method instructor and former Farmer Wants A Wife star Leah Scott says that learning to embrace the cold can help us tap into inner powers that most of us aren’t even aware we have. “Exposure to the cold influences our entire physiology, mind, body and spirit,” she explains.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

When we’re exposed to the cold, it activates our nervous system, causing adrenaline to increase our blood flow and release white blood cells in our immune system. “Our respiratory rate quickens and we lengthen our exhalation to calm down,” Scott says. “Our mind then experiences moments of stillness. We feel contentment.”