Cold water baths have gone from something a few eccentric athletes did in backyards to a full-blown wellness obsession. Scroll social media for five minutes in winter and you’ll see people lowering themselves into tubs of ice, teeth chattering, faces calm like monks.

They’ll tell you it builds mental strength, boosts immunity, burns fat, cures bad moods, and maybe even fixes your life. And if you don’t do it, well, are you even trying? But here’s the thing: most of the loudest voices talking about cold plunges aren’t the ones dealing with the real risks, or the messy science, or the fact that cold isn’t magic just because it’s uncomfortable.

So what’s actually going on here?

Cold exposure isn’t new. Humans have been stepping into cold rivers and winter seas long before hashtags existed. The difference now is how confidently claims are made, and how rarely anyone pauses to ask, “Does this really work for everyone?” Or, “At what point does this stop being helpful and start being stupid?” Because there is a line. Some benefits are real. Cold water can sharpen your senses, spike adrenaline, and leave you feeling oddly clear-headed afterward. What doesn’t get talked about enough is what happens when people chase that feeling too hard, too often, or without understanding their own limits. Or how cold exposure affects hormones, recovery, heart rate, and the nervous system in ways that aren’t always positive.

And then there’s the hype. Claims get exaggerated, studies get oversimplified, and suddenly a short-term stress response is being sold as a cure-all.

This piece isn’t here to scare you away from cold plunges or cheerlead them blindly. It’s here to slow things down. To separate what’s backed by real expertise from what’s just internet bravado. “Cold water baths have been trending every winter; they seem to enhance one's strength, discipline, etc., and benefit overall health, as well. Taking cold baths during the winter has become a form of demonstrating one's capability of mental and physical conditioning and toughening.

However, from a physician's perspective, a balanced approach towards evaluating the health benefits of cold water baths should be taken.

Thus, an understanding of the mythological claims of cold water baths and their actual facts, as well as possible side effects and dangers associated with them, should be addressed,” says Dr Ajay Kumar Gupta, Senior Director & Head – Internal Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali and debunks common myths around this popular practice.