‘It’s a long-held belief that taking to the waters is good for your health,” says Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth. From Roman frigidariums to ...

For years, cold showers were the domain of athletes and wellness zealots. But new research in genetics and metabolism suggests that a quick blast of cold water has benefits way beyond mental toughness ...

Mike Kane / Mike Kane for NPR Your body’s first reaction to a plunge in chilly water is the “cold shock” response. Your heart rate jumps. Stress hormones spike. You gasp suddenly, and may ...

As recovery methods go, the ice bath is perhaps one of the few things on earth even less inviting than the foam roller. Yet there may be some brr-illiant benefits to submerging oneself in sub-zero ...

Dr. Mark Harper recalls his first cold-water swim in the south of England 20 years ago. It was August, but the initial jolt from the plunge took his breath away. The shock to his system lasted a ...

Stepping into cold water activates ancient survival mechanisms that transform your body into a calorie-burning furnace for hours after you’ve toweled off. The metabolic boost from brief cold exposure ...