David Beckham just took his winter workout to the next level.
The 47-year-old former professional soccer player shared a clip of him taking a dip in a cold plunge tub on Instagram. Surrounded by trees and grass outside, he sits in an outdoor pool wearing just a pair of briefs and a beanie. With the sound on, you can hear him take a few deep breaths, clearly putting in an effort to stay in the seemingly chilly water.
“WOW 🥶 Still thawing out 2 days later 🥶,” writes Beckham in the caption of his post.
Beckham is only the latest celebrity to get in on the cold plunge (and ice bath) trend. Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Kate Hudson, and Alyssa Milano are just a few stars who have recently shared their experiences with the freezing practice in the name of wellness. However, doing cold plunges and taking ice baths is far from a new concept.
Cold plunging is an ancient practice that’s recently been popularized by Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete Wim Hof, Shape previously reported. It’s thought to have physical and mental perks for those willing to try it. “There are so many benefits to cold plunges for your entire system,” Joseph Ciotola, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center who has trained with Hof, previously told Shape. “I do it every day.”
For instance, it may improve circulation, have anti-inflammatory effects, and help ease chronic pain. The practice could also decrease levels of stress, boost mood, provide energy, and even help with memory. “Anecdotally, it’s rejuvenating,” Thea Gallagher, Psy.D., a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health and co-host of the Mind in View podcast, previously told Shape. However, more research needs to be done to concretely tie cold plunging to these benefits.
Still, if it’s good enough for Beckham, that might just be reason enough to give it a try for yourself. And if you don’t have access to a cold plunge tub, you can also take a cold shower to get in on some of the potential benefits.
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