Outdoor ice baths are good for us, you say? Let me just check the science on that | Joel Snape

Many of my friends are leaping into wheelie bins full of ice cubes. I will be sticking to indulgence and easy living - and the research is on my side

Somehow, I've become the sort of person whose WhatsApp friends are planning a January ice bath challenge. The warning signs were all there: they have been going on about chlorine floaters and wireless thermometers for months, swapping pictures of their outdoor tubs and tipping each other off when B&Q has a flash sale on water butts. Now it has escalated: five minutes a day in the 12C glug is the prescription, with a 100 press-ups bonus round and no-booze rider for the genuine maniacs. In, I repeat, January.

Obviously, I won't be participating. First, I'm not convinced the science suggests I need 31 ice baths: yes, there's some evidence that they reduce inflammation, but that might be counterproductive if you are aiming to build muscle, as I frequently am. Research also suggests that targeted cold exposure might improve attention, mood and cognitive focus, and that if it's applied to your glabrous skin surfaces - a fancy word, as I've recently learned, for all the hairless areas - it might even improve your 5k time or bench press.

Joel Snape is a writer and self-improvement enthusiast.