COLD CASE

With the New Year bringing icy winds and frosty temperatures, it’s tempting to kick off your runners and binge on boxsets instead. But new research suggests regular exposure to the cold could deliver an avalanche of surprising health benefits, helping you to torch more flab, fire up your metabolism, reduce your risk of diabetes, strengthen your heart and lungs, train harder and even fight off depression.

“Exposing yourself to thermogenic stress encourages growth,” explains Scott Carney, author of What Doesn’t Kill Us, a bestselling exploration of environmental conditioning and the benefits of cold exposure. “That could be psychological growth, which always happens when you're undergoing stress. Or it could be what we call ‘hormesis’, which is when you put yourself in a challenging situation and your body rises to the challenge by adapting. We’re talking about a ‘global’ change in your body here. It’s not only about