Cold water immersion used to be the exclusive domain of polar bears, professional athletes, and Scandinavian wellness devotees willing to endure extreme discomfort for dubious gains. Now it’s crossed firmly into celebrity mainstream—and the list of A-listers who’ve bought into the trend is almost comical in its breadth.
Harry Styles takes daily dips at Dublin’s Vico Baths and uses ice baths for post-show recovery. LeBron James, at 39 years old, starts game days submerged in freezing water before he even touches the court. Lady Gaga times her post-show routine to the minute, spending 5-10 minutes in an ice bath followed by 20 minutes in a hot bath and another 20 in a compression suit packed with ice packs to manage chronic pain from fibromyalgia. Hugh Jackman posts polar plunges regularly. David Beckham shared his ice bath routine on Instagram in 2024. Gwyneth Paltrow keeps a cold plunge in her home spa alongside a hot tub and sauna. The list goes on: Kelly Clarkson, Chris Hemsworth, and others have all jumped on the trend, often crediting it with better sleep, faster recovery, reduced stress, and stronger immunity.
The appeal is understandable. A practice that once required access to an Arctic fjord or an elite sports facility now appears at gyms, resorts, and hotels across the United States. Many enthusiasts reference Wim Hof, known as “The Iceman,” whose method combines breath work with cold exposure. And proponents like Dr. Marcus Coplin, a naturopathic medical doctor and medical director for The Springs Resort, frame it as a comprehensive physiological overhaul: “Cold water plunging is like an exercise system for the circulatory, hormonal, nervous, and immune system all at once.” The anecdotal evidence from celebrities who swear by it is persuasive—these aren’t people struggling with recovery; they’re peak performers who’ve discovered an edge.
But here’s where things get interesting: the medical establishment is far less convinced. Dr. Prashant Rao, a sports cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is openly cautious about recommending cold-water therapy, particularly because “the reasons for doing it can be much better served with other interventions, such as exercise.” More significantly, he warns that cold plunging is not advisable for people with cardiovascular disease, especially those with heart rhythm abnormalities, because sudden cold exposure can place serious stress on the body. And while some athletes use cold water to reduce soreness, the evidence for performance benefits remains shaky. In fact, according to Rao, “the little evidence we have suggests that post-exercise cold therapy may have detrimental effects on gains in muscle power and strength.”
The disconnect is striking: celebrities are embracing cold plunging as a wellness staple, while cardiologists are essentially saying the hype outpaces the science and may even be counterproductive for some goals. If you’re tempted to join the trend, experts suggest starting with shorter durations, maintaining steady breathing, and treating it as a complement to other recovery methods rather than a replacement for them. The trend isn’t going anywhere—not when Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, and LeBron James are all advocates. But maybe don’t assume it’s the key to athletic domination just yet.
