Not every viral wellness fad deserves a spot in your routine.<\/p>\n
Just ask Zendaya<\/a>.<\/p>\n The \u201cOdyssey\u201d and \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Day\u201d actress may be one of Hollywood\u2019s biggest trendsetter, but there\u2019s one wildly popular wellness trend she has zero interest in embracing \u2014 and according to one expert, women may actually be better off following her lead.<\/p>\n Zendaya isn\u2019t sold on the cold plunge wellness trend. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m definitely not a cold water girl,\u201d the actress told Vogue. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n Asked about cold plunges in a recent interview, Zendaya didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m definitely not a cold water girl,\u201d she told<\/a> Vogue. \u201cI like to take very long, hot showers. Everybody knows that\u2019s my thing. When I\u2019m overwhelmed, I just need to go sit in the shower. Sometimes I\u2019ll even bring in an iced tea or whatever, and just sip my little drink.\u201d<\/p>\n As it turns out, Zendaya might be on to something. <\/p>\n What\u2019s the point of cold plunging?<\/p>\n Cold plunges involve climbing into icy water \u2014 usually between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit \u2014 and staying there from one to five minutes, though some die-hard devotees stick it out much longer, despite experts warning against it. <\/p>\n Taking a dip in frigid water may help ease muscle soreness, especially after a difficult workout, because the cold constructs blood vessels, temporarily reducing swelling and inflammation to aid recovery. (However, cold therapy may also blunt muscle gains if it\u2019s done within four hours of a muscle-building workout.)<\/p>\n Some studies<\/a> also suggest cold plunges may offer mental health benefits, including reduced stress and improved alertness and focus. There is also preliminary evidence<\/a> that cold therapy may support immune system function.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that some people get great relief from using ice baths,\u201d says Dominic King, a sports medicine physician, told<\/a> Cleveland Clinic. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen people get physical, mental and functional benefits from this kind of cold therapy.\u201d <\/p>\n The case against ice baths for women<\/p>\n Exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims challenged<\/a> the benefits of cold plunging for women during an interview on \u201cThe Mel Robbins Podcast.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked whether women should be cold plunging, Sims said, \u201cWomen don\u2019t need [to be] as cold.\u201d<\/p>\n @melrobbins<\/a> <\/p>\n What every woman should know about cold plunging Hear more from @Dr Stacy Sims Robbins Podcast. Episode out now! \ud83c\udfa7 \u201cThe Body Reset: How Women Should Eat & Exercise for Health, Fat Loss, & Energy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u266c original sound \u2013 Mel Robbins<\/a> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n She argued that when women immerse themselves in ice-cold water, it triggers a much stronger stress response than it does in men. <\/p>\n Rather than producing the same metabolic benefits seen in males, she said, the intense shock pushes a woman\u2019s body into more of a shutdown phase by activating the sympathetic nervous system.<\/p>\n Sims attributed the difference to women generally having more body fat and relying more heavily on vasodilation and vasoconstriction to regulate body temperature.<\/p>\n Dr. Stacy Sims claims women may not experience the same benefits from cold plunges as men. Diana Light \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n However, the research on whether cold plunges benefit women remains mixed.<\/p>\n A 2020 study<\/a> on the gender differences in short-term cold exposure found no significant differences in thermogenic responses between young women and men. However, researchers did find that some metabolic and hormonal changes were more pronounced in women, suggesting a sex-specific response to cold. <\/p>\n Similarly, a 2025 analysis published<\/a> in PLOS One found that men \u2014 but not women \u2014 reported sleeping better after taking ice baths. <\/p>\n Saunas may be the better bet<\/p>\n Sims also backed up Zendaya\u2019s preference for hot showers, saying women tend to tolerate heat better than men, particularly in saunas.<\/p>\n Women may be better suited to heat than cold, with regular sauna sessions supporting heart and metabolic health. Tasneem H\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cA woman can sit in there, sit up high 20 minutes or so, not sweating yet, absorbing the heat, vasodilating, it\u2019s great,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n The reason, Sims explained, is that women\u2019s bodies respond to sauna heat by producing heat shock proteins, which help protect cells from stress and support cellular repair.<\/p>\n Those proteins trigger cellular changes that improve how muscles use both glucose and fat for energy.<\/p>\n Heat exposure also boosts blood flow to the brain and improves the ability of blood flow vessels to constrict and dilate efficiently \u2014 an important function as women are, enter perimenopause and become more susceptible to high blood pressure.<\/p>\n Women\u2019s bodies also regulate heat differently than men\u2019s, she said. <\/p>\n Rather than immediately breaking into a sweat, women typically begin by widening their blood vessels to release heat before sweating starts. That gives the body more time to adapt to higher temperatures and may reduce the physiological stress of heat exposure.<\/p>\n According to Sims, those differences may explain why women can tolerate heat better than men and why regular sauna use may improve cardiovascular health, blood flow, blood pressure, blood glucose control and fat metabolism. <\/p>\n \u201cIf we are doing 10 to 15 minutes twice a week, bare minimum, you get health benefits,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Research suggests regular sauna use may also offer broader health benefits.<\/p>\n Studies have found that pairing sauna sessions with regular exercise with sauna use may improve overall\u00a0cardiorespiratory fitness.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting that studies are showing improvements to various markers of health when combining regular exercise with sauna use,\u201d\u00a0Earric Lee, PhD<\/a>, a Montreal Heart Institute<\/a> researcher, told<\/a> Stanford Lifestyle Medicine.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t