Ice baths are Courtney Cox's favorite

People are seldom neutral about cold treatment; they either love it or detest it. And a rising number of A-list celebrities are revealing themselves to be ardent fans. Take Courtney Cox, who recently documented her preparations for an ice bath on Instagram, asking if it’s cheating to keep waterproof boots on because it’s “so fucking cold”. Well, quite.

Far from a rookie, she has already expressed her love of Ice bath plunges, telling Glamour US last year, “I thought I’d hate it, but I love it so much. I feel terrific for hours afterward, and the dopamine impact is long-lasting. Do it. Really, it’s worthwhile.”

According to Lindsay Aubrey, a cold water teacher and breathwork coach, “cold water immersion can lead to a 250 percent increase in dopamine – known as the feel-good hormone, enhancing mood, while the invigoration felt by it results in heightened alertness”.

Cox’s excitement for the therapy is mirrored by the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who announced her fondness for cold water swimming in 2023. On Mike Tindall’s podcast The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby, she stated, “Cold swimming – the colder, the better. I really love it. William is saying, ‘You’re insane,’ and it’s dark and rainy. “I’ll go find some cold water.”

Dr Sophie Shotter tells us that, in addition to the well-known mood boost, there are several possible advantages of cold treatment, which she studied for a biohacking episode of her podcast, Age Well with Dr Sophie Shotter. “Perhaps the most well-known include assisting muscle recovery and joint discomfort, as well as promoting healing after injury. It’s an excellent alternative for speeding up recovery after training, which is why so many professional athletes enjoy taking ice baths.

She adds that there is also increasing evidence that cold treatment “could help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression and boost immunity, as well as improve circulation, deepen sleep, reduce inflammation in the body, improve energy levels, and boost metabolic rate – thus aiding weight loss.”

Those in the know frequently combine cold and heat treatment, using saunas. Elle Macpherson, for example, recently told us that every evening, “I sit in my Therasage portable infrared sauna for an hour… and then after that I’ll do a cold plunge,” adding, “that’s great for the immune system.” Cox agrees, according to her Friends co-star, Jennifer Aniston.

Aniston previously told Shape that she fell in love with her infrared sauna. My buddy Courteney Cox, who you may remember, had a portable infrared sauna that you could enter. “It looks like a small igloo.” Dr. Yannis Alexandrides MD FACS, inventor of 111 Skin, claims that the therapeutic benefits can be used to “increase collagen tissues, decrease joint stiffness, reduce pain, relieve muscle spasms, reduce inflammation, and aid healing”.