It used to be that taking a cold plunge was something to complain about when the boiler packed in. But, in 2018, icy showers have become the morning ritual de rigueur among wellness aficionados unafraid to start their day with a cold spell.

The movement – and be assured, it is a movement – began with Dutch “Ice Man” Wim Hof, known for scaling snowy mountain peaks in nothing but his swim shorts, and bathing in bathtubs brimming with blocks of ice. Far from being a fringe movement, Hof’s method is gaining ground among the biohacker community, and you can now pay to be immersed in the ‘Wim Hof Method’ by the man himself.

Hof believes that the average human is simply not exposed to the extreme environments which would allow us to adapt to certain levels of stress. Through a combination of breathing, meditation and cold exposure, he claims we can safeguard our bodies against sickness, environmental stress, and daily anxieties. For Hof, the process is nothing less than a spiritual journey. In his book Becoming The Ice Man, he writes:

“Fear does not go away by itself. You have to confront your fear, mould it, then learn to control it in its own irrational reality. Every human being has the power to do just that. To go deep within and confront your inner being is a powerful act. Going deep and developing the will power is the only way.”

But Hof isn’t the only biohacker to advocate a cold shower. In his own book, The 4-Hour Body, influencer Tim Ferriss also expounds the advantages of starting your day in this way, and takes three 10-minute ice baths per week. According to Ferriss, a cold shower first thing in the morning will supercharge your metabolism and boost your mood. The idea, of course, is that if you start the day with something unpleasant, whatever horrors the office holds for you, it’ll be a doddle in comparison.