When did ice baths become a thing? Your correspondent first became aware of the practice as a runner. Coaches would talk up the benefits of a cold plunge to aid muscle recovery after a strenuous session. It wasn’t until celebrities such as Joe Wicks and David Beckham, and advocates such as Wim Hof, aka “The Iceman” came on board a few years back that it became the wellness trend we recognise today. That is not say it’s a 21st century phenomenon. “Historians believe that people were submerging themselves in ice cold water back in ancient Rome and Greece, as well as other civilisations,” Doctor …
