With growing evidence and potential risks, we speak to experts about taking the plunge There are gentler ways to start the day than with an ice-cold shower, yet the potential health benefits – warding off illness, improving mood and helping with weight loss – could just be enough to make you consider braving the chill. Prof Mike Tipton, a physiologist at the University of Portsmouth, has spent four decades studying how temperature affects our health. It’s a promising area of new research and, coupled with anecdotal accounts, might persuade you to turn the dial down to cold.
“For the people who say, I feel alive, awake, it sets me up for the day, I’m not going to knock it in any way. But there’s work to be done to figure out the mechanism,” he says. Read on to find out why.
1. Boosts your immune system.
