David Beckham Uses These Recovery Techniques to Stay in Top Shape
Forty-nine-year-old former English footballer David Beckham has a physique to die for. Proof? Just take a look at the recent David Beckham x BOSS ONE Bodywear campaign, where Beckham confidently poses in his underwear, tattoos, and defined six-pack. The launch is a work of art for sure!
It's no secret that achieving a body like Beckham's takes hard work, dedication, and the right wellness practices. Beckham does it all, including being the "first ever global cover star" for Men's Health, March/April 2025. He chatted with the magazine about his go-to wellness practices that keep him feeling better than ever.
David Beckham Does Acupuncture and Cupping
Working out to build and maintain a muscle and healthy body is essential. But it's just as important to put time into recovery.
Two ancient techniques Beckham is obsessed with? Acupuncture and cupping.
"I love acupuncture and I love cupping," he told Men's Health. "The one thing throughout my career, whenever I was injured, even now, whenever I've got an issue, I've got a guy called James who sees a lot of the rugby players. He comes down, kills me with cups and gets the needles out. It's the one thing that gets me out of it."
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The benefits of acupuncture and cupping are aplenty. For instance, according to the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health, acupuncture can be useful in treating neck or back pain, knee pain due to osteoarthritis, and joint pain.
As for cupping, "[It] increases blood flow and circulation bringing all the good cells into the muscle to repair it and get rid of any bad cells that may have been left behind," explains Paul Koepnick- McKay, integrative health professional at MK McKay Integrative Consulting.
"When you are training as often as Beckham, and particularly as you get older, increased circulation helps remove lactic acid from your muscles, in order to reduce sore muscles and speed up recovery time," adds Ronny Garcia, CPT, Blink Fitness.
Along with improved circulation, cupping promotes lymphatic drainage, which removes toxins from the body.
Garcia tells us that athletes will typically do cupping to warm up their muscles and boost blood flow prior to vigorous exercise. "[They may also do it] after intense activity to relieve soreness and aid in recovery [or] as a form of rehab to heal from minor injuries such as strains or tightness," he points out.
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He Practices Cold Therapy With an Ice Bath Set to One Degree
Beckham is also a fan of cold therapy. In fact, his ice bath is set to a chilling one degree!
"I chop and change going from sauna for 15, bath for five on repeat," he explained to Men's Health.
The celeb previously posted an Instagram clip of himself chilling—quite literally—in an ice bath, where he appears completely cool, calm, and collected. He captioned it, "Perfect for a Sunday rest day. @victoriabeckhan CAN I GET A HOT CHOCOLATE." In another post, Beckham wrote, "Weather is starting to turn so why not jump in an ice bath … great idea."
What exactly are the benefits of taking a dip in an ice pod?
"Ice baths have been shown to have a significant effect of your mental health and overall wellbeing," Koepnick-McKay tells us. "The cold water floods your brain with 'Happiness Hormones,' endorphins, and dopamine, which help you focus, boost your mood, clear away brain fog, and helps you sleep better and strengthen your immune system."
He adds, "The secret of David Beckham's recovery and wellness routine is that by combining ice baths and cupping, he is taking the two counteracting techniques and turning them into a complementary and amplified benefit, which essentially creates a 'short cut' to recovery. Ice baths reduce the inflammation and numb pain, and then cupping enhances blood flow to promote tissue repair and healing."
