Ice baths are booming in popularity – but they come with health risks

Ice baths can be dangerous – or even deadly. Here’s why

More and more people are taking the plunge, but ice baths can cause long-term damage

Ice baths are booming in popularity – but they come with health risks

Michele Ursi/Getty ImagesWalk through any trendy suburb and you might find a new “wellness” studio offering ice baths or “contrast therapy” (a sauna and ice bath combo). Scroll social media, and you’re likely to come across influencers preaching the cold plunge gospel with cult-like zeal. Ice baths have gone mainstream. Initially practised mainly among high-performance athletes, cold water immersion is now a booming business model: sold as recov…