Throughout the northern United States, members of “polar bear clubs” delight in swimming in frozen oceans, lakes, and streams each winter. There is no better way to start a new year. Most Americans, on the other hand, view voluntary cold-water immersion as strange, if not crazy. Well, score one for the polar bears. Cold baths can be quite therapeutic.

1. Muscle pain and joint injuries

Baseball pitchers do it. Basketball and soccer players do it. After leaving the game, they often put an ice pack on their arms, legs, or major joints. Athletic trainers believe that icing helps prevent muscle soreness and joint injuries by controlling swelling caused by minor damage to muscle cells and ligament and tendon fibers. If ice is not available or doesn’t seem to work, trainers recommend a heat treatment.

2. low sperm count

Because heat kills sperm, the researchers wondered if cooling the scrotum could increase sperm quality. In one study, 64 infertile men were fitted with special underwear that kept the scrotum unusually cool. After 16 weeks, more than two thirds showed better semen quality. If your sperm count is low, or you’re dealing with infertility, cool baths can help.

3. Fever

Cold baths were once routinely recommended to treat fever in the days before aspirin and other fever-reducing drugs. They remain a standard medical recommendation for childhood fevers.

Four. Asthma

For centuries, cold baths have been a mainstay of traditional Japanese asthma treatment. In one study, 25 children with asthma stopped taking their asthma medications for 12 hours. After which, about half a gallon of almost freezing water was poured over their bodies. Within five minutes, sophisticated instruments showed that they were breathing much easier. Subsequently, a similar treatment with warm water did not relieve the children’s breathing. It is not clear why cold water opens the bronchi, which constrict during an asthma attack. It is believed to produce subtle changes in the levels of circulating hormones that play a role in the constriction.

5. low sexual libido

For more than a century, cold showers have been touted to put out the fires of men’s sexual desire. The research, however, suggests that they could do the exact opposite. Cold baths have been recommended for centuries to invigorate men and improve their sexual abilities. A group of volunteers were subjected to cold baths and their reactions were measured. The icy immersion increased the flow of oxygen within their bodies, increasing their energy. It also lifted her mood and improved her immune function. Ultimately, it increased the testosterone levels in his blood. Getting more of the male hormone does not increase the sexual ability of men who already have normal hormone levels, but the increased energy level and elevated mood certainly do not suppress male libido. Anyone with heart disease, high blood pressure, or another chronic condition should consult a doctor before submerging in cold water.