Water hardening. Body hardening is a natural method for healthy and happy longevity! The initial stage of water hardening is called

It is possible in adulthood. To learn how to properly start hardening, read this material carefully, which describes step by step the entire preparatory stage of this important method of maintaining health.

Where and how to start hardening the body for an adult

Hardening affects the activity of the endocrine glands, the work of the nervous system and, as a result, affects the state of the body.

Where to start hardening for general health improvement of the body? First, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the organism of each individual person. In addition, hardening should be accompanied by positive emotions.

It is very useful to carry out complex hardening - with water, sun, air.

The first thing to start hardening the body for an adult is with the assimilation of the simplest rules: you need to carry out hardening procedures 1.5 hours after a meal or 1.5 hours before a meal. They must be combined with moderate physical activity.

The most effective treatments are water treatments. These are rubdowns, douches, baths, showers. They have a greater stressful effect on the body, unlike, for example, air baths.

So, where to start hardening for an adult who is determined to increase his immunity? Before starting water hardening, there are some important points to remember.

There are three phases of the body's response to cold water exposure:

• Phase one - spasm of the blood vessels of the skin.
• Second phase - as soon as the skin has adapted to cold water, vasodilation occurs, that is, the expansion of blood vessels, which is manifested by reddening of the skin, a decrease in blood pressure, activation of mast cells and leukocytes of the skin, as well as subcutaneous tissue. The second phase causes an improvement in well-being and an increase in overall activity.
• Third phase - unfavorable. During it, the adaptive capabilities of the body are depleted, a spasm of the blood vessels sets in, and the skin becomes bluish-pale, in addition, chills appear.

If you carry out systematic cold water hardening procedures, then the first phase will be shortened and the second will come faster.

The main thing in the process of starting hardening for an adult and a child is to prevent the onset of the third phase.

At what water temperature does the child start hardening?

It is recommended to start hardening procedures at an early age, almost from birth. Of course, the method of water hardening also depends on the age of the child. They start with ordinary water procedures - washing, washing, bathing, adding an element of hardening to them.

At what temperature does the hardening of a newborn begin? Water hardening begins at a temperature of 36-37 ° C - this applies to children aged from birth to 2-3 months. They start with shared baths. The baby is bathed daily for 5 minutes, and then doused with water 2 ° C lower.

Washing and washing, lasting 1-2 minutes, is first carried out every other day at a water temperature of 28 ° C, gradually reducing it by 1-2 ° C and bringing it to 20-22 ° C.

What is the right way to start hardening a child, accustoming him to other procedures? The following hardening procedures include local wet wiping with a mitten soaked in water at a temperature of 33-35 ° C. Rubdown lasts 1-2 minutes. The water temperature is gradually reduced to 28 ° C.

It should be remembered that each part of the child's body must then be wiped dry until a slight redness appears on the skin.

How to start hardening a child aged 2-3 to 9-10 months? Such babies are wiped off in the same way as before. But later, you can add a general rubdown. With a general wet rubdown, first wipe your hands, then your legs, then your chest and back. The water temperature remains the same as with local rubdown, that is, the one to which the child is already accustomed. It is permissible to add salt to the water (2 teaspoons per 1 glass of water).

How to properly start hardening a child by pouring water?

Child from 9-10 months to 1 year you can start pouring water over it. How to properly start pouring hardening at this age? Such a child can already take water procedures while sitting or standing. If the child is poured from the shower, then the watering can is placed close to his body (approximately at a distance of 25-30 cm). The water pressure should not be too strong. First, the back is poured, then the chest, abdomen, and finally the arms and legs. Just as before, after finishing the dousing, the baby's body is thoroughly wiped until a slight redness appears on the skin. At the initial stages of hardening, the water temperature should be 35-37 ° C, later it can be lowered by 1 ° C, gradually bringing it to 28 ° C.

Between the ages of 1 and 3 continue pouring and rubbing, but, of course, provided that the child feels good and does not resist tempering. You can apply general rubdowns with a damp glove soaked in water at a temperature not exceeding 24 ° C, and general dousing with water at a temperature of up to 24-28 ° C. It is recommended to use a shower, since it has a stronger effect than dousing (for example, from a bucket), since, in addition to temperature, there is also a mechanical effect of water jets on the skin and muscles. Pouring from the shower is carried out for up to 1.5 minutes, the temperature of the water is gradually reduced.

If parents have decided to temper their child or temper themselves, then you should know that tempering is not a one-time procedure, it is a way of life for many years. And this way of life should be supported by the parents themselves. It is they who must educate the child in independence in everything, especially in matters relating to his health. There is no need to sharply accustom a sick child to cold temperatures. If they constantly wrapped him up, and then suddenly decided to temper him and doused him with cold water or left him naked in cold weather, then nothing but a cold will come of such tempering.

The more the child is in the fresh air, the stronger his health will become.

What is the correct way to start complex cold water hardening?

Hardening for beginners must be complex. It is not enough to wash your child with cool water every day or pour water over him after bathing. Where to start hardening the body in addition to very important and necessary water procedures? You can allow the baby to walk around the house barefoot, of course, if the floor temperature allows it. He can and should be allowed to drink cool milk. Of course, in the absence of signs.

If the child takes off the blanket at night and the air temperature in the room is normal, do not wrap him up by tucking the edges of the blanket. Necessarily before going to bed and in the morning during. Indeed, in order for the body to cope well with its functions, it is necessary to train its defenses.

The simplest hardening water treatments at home are rinsing the throat with cool water and rubbing the neck. You can complement them by walking barefoot on a damp floor or damp rug. In the summer, walking barefoot on the grass, fallen needles, and the ground after rain is also good.

Where else can you start hardening for beginners to increase immunity?

Another effective hardening procedure is pouring water over the feet:

• At first, the water should be at room temperature, then the temperature can be reduced by several degrees, but not lower than 10 ° C. After the procedure, you should not wipe your feet thoroughly, just blot them with a towel.
• Next, foot douches are replaced with cool foot baths. The initial water temperature is 30 ° C. Then it is lowered by 1-2 ° C every day, gradually bringing it to 15 ° C. The duration of such a bath is at first 1 minute, then up to 5 minutes. Keeping your feet in cool water, you need to perform dancing movements with them. You should not keep your legs in one position all the time.
• As the body's adaptation to external factors increases, dousing is included as additional hardening procedures. It is performed as follows: first, the back is poured, then the chest, abdomen, left and right hand followed by the legs in the same order.

Swimming in open water also has an excellent hardening effect. But, of course, you cannot start hardening with them.

If the body is strong enough, then you can spend more time in a river or lake.

"Winter swimming" as a type of hardening

As for "winter swimming", that is, swimming in icy water, this type of hardening must be used with extreme caution, because it is the strongest cold. "Winter swimming" as a type of hardening is suitable only for trained people.

How to start this type of cold water hardening for adults? When there is a strong and sharp cold effect on the body, thermoreceptors react to this irritation, activating first the physical and then the chemical form of thermoregulation. Therefore, only those people who have previously gone through a long school of hardening in simpler ways and their bodies have become quite resistant to cold effects can "wipe themselves" or wipe themselves with snow.

Of course, hardening by "winter swimming" is an excellent factor affecting the human body and health. It increases his efficiency, minimizes the occurrence of colds.

Tempering a child and an adult with a contrast shower

Tempering a child and an adult with a contrast shower is also a wonderful tempering procedure. The principle of a contrast shower is simple: first doused with warm water at a comfortable temperature. Thereafter, the temperature is increased as much as possible. In this case, care must be taken that there is no burn.

After about 1 minute, when quenching with a contrast shower, hot water is closed and only cold water is allowed in. After 20-30 seconds, the hottest water is again fed into the shower and, having poured it all over the body, the cold water is turned on again. In the next step, you can stand under cold jets a little longer than the first time.

And again you need to take a not too long hot shower and a final cold one.

Summing up all of the above, we can add that hardening is a powerful factor in the healing of the human body, which does not require much time or financial investment.

In addition to healing, hardening also has an educational effect: it strengthens willpower, develops perseverance in achieving goals, and teaches self-organization.

Hello everyone! The article "Cold water hardening for beginners" is about the most important thing for the health of each of us - about the development of immunity.

1.Harding the body is to strengthen the immune system

Today we will talk about how to start cold water hardening. As soon as autumn comes and we start sneezing and coughing, many immediately rush to the pharmacy for antiviral drugs and vitamins. After all, everyone knows that the immune system of our body is responsible for resistance to colds and it must be strengthened.

It's no secret that the human immune system can be trained in the same way as muscles. You just need to choose a working technique, which includes cold water hardening. Many have heard about douches and rubdowns, about the fact that "walruses", swimming in the ice-hole in winter, hardly get sick.

And a couple of years ago on TV there was a story about a Belarusian kindergarten, where preschoolers were doing barefoot exercises in the snow. It seems that such stories were supposed to reassure those who are afraid of catching a cold from such procedures, but those who want to harden themselves are not increasing.

In this article I want to talk about my own experience, which helped to improve health, as well as some of the basic techniques.

Hardening is the effect on our body alternately of cold and heat. The correct start of hardening is the same alternation, but with a slight difference in temperatures.

2. The benefits and harms of hardening

I remember how a friend recommended to my relative to prevent colds, to run every day in the snow or dew around the house. I was so afraid of catching a cold, but the authority of the person was so strong that I tried it - and practically forgot about the pain in my throat.

Another friend told how, on the advice of a doctor, she began to harden the throat, eating a portion of ice cream every day - and cured chronic tonsillitis. Such examples suggested that it is worth collecting together information about how tempering is useful and how it can harm a person. But first, I want to remind you what are the indications and contraindications for this.

Rule number 1 The main one:

Consult your doctor to determine if you can temper with water.

• - purulent chronic otitis media, acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;
• - severe diseases of the cardiovascular system with symptoms of decompensation;
• - inflammation of the central and peripheral nervous system;
• - severe diseases of the endocrine system ( diabetes, thyrotoxicosis);
• - active tuberculosis, pneumonia bronchial asthma;
• - venereal diseases;
• - severe post-burn scars on the skin;
• - exacerbation of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (cholecystitis, peptic ulcer).

But even a completely healthy person should not start water procedures if he has a coronary vascular spasm, there are violations of thermoregulation with vegetative manifestations, cramps in the muscles of the leg, cold allergy.

There are no direct indications for hardening the body, it is carried out only at the request of the person. But in the event that you want to start pouring water on the child, you need to monitor the following indicators:

• - mood (from cheerful to depressed);
• - state of health (from vigorous to general weakness);
• - fatigue (from normal to permanent fatigue);
• - appetite (good to none);

- sleep (from calm to constant excitement and sleep disturbances). If the baby does not respond well to procedures for these indicators, you need to reduce their duration or stop completely. Hardening of children can be started almost from birth and the first bathing, but this must be done systematically, very slowly increase the duration of exposure to cold and it is better to turn the procedure into a game.

3.A bit of history

For a long time, people thought about how to make their bodies stronger and more resistant to the harsh conditions of the surrounding world. Even in Ancient Rome and Greece there was a cult of a beautiful body - all Lifestyle in these cultures was aimed at nurturing strong and healthy members of society.

In Sparta, newborns with defects were thrown off a cliff, and boys were forced to always walk barefoot and almost without clothes in order to make them more resilient.

In ancient India, tempering brahmins was part of their religious upbringing, along with the ability to completely control their bodies, and water was considered a medicine for almost all diseases.

Tempering was no less popular among the Jews, Chinese and Egyptians - in every culture you can find descriptions of water procedures to improve health.

And in Russia for a long time they practiced rubbing with snow or swimming in the river in summer or winter. But another no less well-known method has survived to this day - a bath, where hot steam is combined with bathing in cool water. The bath helps to cleanse the body, helping to remove toxins from it through sweat, stimulates work internal organs.

At the end of the 20th century, rehabilitation according to the Ivanov system became popular, which suggested swimming in the nearest river twice a day or walking barefoot in the snow. He also talked about how it is useful for men and women not only to swim in the cold, but also to quit bad habits and fast one day a week. His technique found many followers at that time, but over time, he was gradually forgotten.

Although it is believed that dousing according to the Ivanov system is suitable for everyone from any age, no one can swim in cold water twice a day, including in an ice hole in winter, without preparation.

4. Tempering the body with cold water for beginners

4.1 Basic rules for beginners

Beginners need to understand , how to start the procedures correctly, because you can't just decide that tomorrow you start swimming in the ice hole every day - and the body will easily accept it. The best time years for beginners, when you can try to get used to the cold - summer, and start douche better with a simple wash in the morning with cold water. Before you start cold dousing, you need to remember a few simple rules:

- in order for the procedures to be beneficial, they can only be done to healthy people, after a flu or cold, it is better to wait 2-3 months;

• - you need to repeat them every day, because the whole positive effect can disappear from the breaks;
• - to accustom the body to the cold gradually;
• - a person must be in good health, if weakness or malaise appears, it is necessary to stop everything;
• - consult with your doctor in advance about your health and find out if the cold will harm him;
• - it is better to do some kind of sport to enhance the strengthening effect.

It is better to start with a contrast shower or dousing specific parts of the body, such as legs. And some experts believe that the correct beginning of water hardening is rubbing with a wet towel, followed by rubbing the skin dry. I will dwell on the basic techniques in more detail.

4.2 Dousing with cool water

4.2.1 Basic rules for pouring

The most popular method is dousing with cool water.

But dousing with cold water is not very suitable for beginners; it is better to start with rubbing off.

It can be both general and local. For the first, not only the temperature of the water is important, but also of the air in the room: it should be at least 23-25 ​​° С. the water on the first day is heated to 36 ° C, and reduced slowly - by 1 ° C per week, bringing it to cool (18 ° C). Dousing can be replaced with the same cool shower, which can be taken for 2-3 minutes a day.

Before starting dousing, it is worth remembering a number of important rules:

• - do not pour water on your head because of the risk of a sharp narrowing of blood vessels;
• - no need to start with a sharp dousing with cold water, you need to get used to the coolness gradually;
• - kids and old people should not lift weights with water over themselves, so they must resort to the help of strangers;
• - any drafts in the douche room should be avoided;
• - at any water temperature, a person should not experience discomfort.

If there are contraindications for general drenching, local hardening of the legs can be done.

It has a reflex effect on the whole body. Contrast douches with a change from warm water (36 C) to cool (20-25 ° C) are especially useful. You need to finish this effect by rubbing your feet with a dry towel or a good massage.

4.2.2 Dousing on children

This method is good for hardening children, once a month increasing the temperature gap by one degree until it is 15-20 ° C. The main thing is to do the procedure regularly and do not forget - if the pause in hardening is very long, you will have to start over.

In children, it is better to turn this tempering into an interesting game in order to evoke a positive attitude and an overall good reaction. For the first time, this can be done in the bathroom with warm water from a ladle for half a minute.

Its temperature for the first time should be at least 36-37 ° С, and it should be reduced very slowly - by 1 degree every 1-2 weeks, gradually bringing it to 28 ° С.

You cannot start with liquid even at room temperature, it is easier to make a contrast shower, in which the difference between warm and cool water will be no more than 4 degrees. For example, if your comfort zone for a shower is 36-38 degrees, and the contrasting one is 34-32 ° C.

Cold and hot shower

4.3 Drying with a damp towel

4.3.1 How to clean

Another method is to wipe off with a damp towel. First, you need to wet a large terry towel in water at a temperature of 35-36 ° C, and then wipe it all over the body. After that, the skin is rubbed with a dry towel until the capillaries expand and light redness. The temperature is lowered by one degree per day and brought to 10 ° C.

For wiping, in addition to a towel, a damp sponge or a soft fleece glove, which is soaked in rather warm water (on the first day - 32 ° C), is suitable. It is better to start with rubbing off your hands, then move to your back and stomach and finish with your legs. The body is rubbed for 2 minutes, and then wiped dry until the skin is slightly reddened and a feeling of warmth rush to it. Subsequently, the temperature is reduced every day by 1 ° C, bringing it to 18 ° C.

4.3.2 Snow rub

If you decide to wipe off with snow, then you need to bring it into the room in a bucket or basin, and then wipe the body with it for 15 seconds. In this case, the first handful of rubbing the face, the second - chest and the belly, the third - the shoulders, the fourth - the arms. Gradually, the time can be increased to 30 seconds. And after a couple of weeks, it will be possible to rub even on the street, if the body's reaction to the procedure is good.

4.3.3 Rubbing Children

It is recommended to rub small children with a dry towel first, so that the baby does not have any further fear of the procedure. It is better to start with the legs and arms, and then rub the torso. After a couple of days, you can take a damp towel, the water temperature for which should be 36 ° C for the first time.

Then it is gradually reduced (by 1 ° С in 5 days), bringing to 28 ° С. The duration of the procedure cannot exceed 2 minutes; it is recommended to do it for babies starting from 2-4 months. If the child has rashes, chills, diarrhea, exacerbation of colds, it is better to stop rubbing.

4.3.4 Local rubdown

4.3.4.1 Rubbing the feet

Local rubdown is usually a hardening of the legs, it is recommended for frequent throat ailments for reflex action. To do this, rub the legs up to the knees with a cool damp towel for 3 minutes, and then wipe them dry.

They start with a temperature of 37 ° C, then decrease by a degree per week, bring to 28 ° C. This technique is used to prepare for foot baths, at which the first temperature is also 37 ° C, it is done for 6-8 minutes, and then, lowering it by a degree per week, is brought to 14 ° C.

Rubdown

4.3.4.2 Rubbing the feet

You can start by hardening your feet, which is useful for those who often have a sore throat. I would like to clarify what this method gives: cooling the legs causes a reflex narrowing of the vessels of the pharyngeal tonsils, causing a violation of local immunity, and can contribute to its inflammation.

And warming the feet gives blood flow not only to them, but also to the throat, improving the functioning of the lymphatic system in it. By making our feet more resistant to stress such as cold with contrasting douches, we automatically protect ourselves from colds.

You can start pouring over your feet with warm water (25-28 ° C), reducing the temperature by 1 ° C per month, bringing it to 13-15 ° C. After each douche, rub the skin on your feet with a towel until redness and warmth.

Hardening of feet - business with pleasure

4.4 What a cool bath does

This is a longer and much more powerful technique, which means that it can only be started by those who have no contraindications. If you are hesitant to start with a general bath, you can do a local one, for example for the feet. , which is useful and no less effective.

To do this, take a bucket or a basin so that you can submerge not only your feet, but also your shins to your knees in the water. They start with water at 28-30 ° С, reducing it by a degree per week, for babies under 3 years old it should not be lowered below 20 ° С, for children under 5 years old - 18 ° С. The procedure for children is 15-30 seconds, adults can stay in cool water for 2-4 minutes.

Shared baths at 38 ° C are recommended even for newborns, if warm water is added, it can be taken up to 12 minutes. With this procedure, not only the temperature is lowered by a degree in 5 days, bringing it to 30 ° C, but also the duration of stay in it is reduced to 6 minutes.

Bathing in a river or lake in the warm season can be equated with the bathroom. Babies under 3 years old should not do this, but after reaching this age they are often taken to the beach.

It is worth remembering that letting the child go into the water is allowed only when the air temperature is above 25 ° C, and the water temperature is 23 ° C. But even then, children should not be allowed to sit in the water for more than 15-20 minutes, as then they risk catching a cold.

4.5 Gargling

A not quite traditional topical douche is gargling, which helps to make the body more resistant to many infections. First, rinse with warm water - 40 ° C, gradually reducing it by 1 degree every 3 days. For children, it is brought to 15 ° C, and for adults it can be lowered to 10 ° C.

Rinsing like this can significantly reduce the number of exacerbations of chronic tonsillitis and pharyngitis. To enhance its effect, medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory effect (chamomile, nettle, calendula or St. John's wort) are added to the water, as well as sea ​​salt or a few drops of iodine.

Over time, rinsing can be replaced by absorbing ice cubes in your mouth so that one cube is enough for about half a minute. Use frozen juice instead of ice for flavor and benefit. I have already written about the recommendations of some doctors about ice cream, but not every mother runs the risk of paying for it regularly.

But you can try with one teaspoon a day, gradually increasing its amount by half a teaspoon per day, until you get one serving. Even adults are ready to eat ice cream and frozen fruit juice all year round, but compotes and yoghurts from the refrigerator are also an option. However, it is necessary to get used to such cold gradually and not to consume cold foods and drinks after severe overheating.

The body is strengthened not by constant cold, but by contrasts, and therefore the throat must be accustomed to changing temperature regimes so as not to earn a sore throat by drinking ice cold water in the heat. Contrast rinses are well suited for this, in which they use both warm and cold water... First, the throat is rinsed warm, then cold and always ends with warm, and the contrast difference is also increased gradually.

Contraindications to gargling are primarily under 3 years of age, when the child does not know how to properly exhale air through the water and may choke.

If he does not want to gargle, it is better not to force him, because hardening should not cause him discomfort. You can not start procedures when a person is sick with colds or has

5. Extreme techniques

5.1 Hardening according to Grebenkin

In addition to Ivanov, many authors have proposed their own methods of hardening, which can not be recommended to everyone. For example, Grebenkin advised everyone over 3 years old to immerse them in cold water for 10-15 seconds, and then leave them naked in the open air for another 5 minutes without rubbing or warming up, so that the body can cope with the cold itself. Indeed, at the same time adrenaline is released and after a couple of minutes a person feels a surge of heat and vigor.

And recently, in the speeches of the famous doctor Komarovsky, words have been heard that hardening will not bring an effect if the whole way of life, from eating to walking in the fresh air, does not correspond to generally accepted recommendations.

5.2 Hardening after sauna and bath

To the not entirely traditional, but rather effective remains the use of a sauna or a Russian bath with a firming purpose. The sauna uses a contrasting effect of hot steam (70-90 ° C) and cold water in the pool (3-20 ° C), or even rubbing with snow in winter.

A child can start going to the sauna with his parents from the age of 3. For the first time, you can enter the sauna with a temperature not higher than 80 ° C only for 5 minutes, and then you should cool down, in the future there can be up to 3 such visits, and you can visit the sauna once a week.

In the bath, everything is also based on contrasts: first, the body heats up, then it cools for approximately equal periods of time, and then rest follows, which should last the same as the first two stages.

For the first time, you should not bask in the bath for more than 3-5 minutes, and it is advisable to cool it in the form of a cold douche, and only with time move on to a cold shower or swimming in an ice hole. After regular visits, the number of visits to the steam room is brought to 5, and the time spent in it is up to 5-10 minutes.

To get hot steam, in a Russian bath, water is poured onto hot stones, but for a healing effect, decoctions of medicinal herbs (linden, chamomile, oak, mint, birch, sage or eucalyptus) are often used instead.

Small children under 3-5 years old are rarely taken to public baths because of the risk of contracting infectious or fungal diseases, but if it is a private steam room, then they can be taken there after the first year of life.

5.3 Snow hardening

Perhaps the most unconventional method is snow hardening. This includes not only rubbing off with snow, but also walking on it with bare feet.

The main thing is that it is clean and does not cover the asphalt, but the ground. If an ice crust appears on the snow, or it gets colder outside of 10 degrees below zero, you should not start walking.

But from my own experience I know that you can try without any preparation. True, for the first time I recommend running in the snow for no more than a minute, moreover, quite quickly, and after that you need to return to a warm room, put on woolen socks and actively walk around the room in them until a feeling of heat appears in your legs.

5.4 Winter swimming

This type of winter swimming has always stood apart and remained a method for the elite. A lot has been written on it - both about the benefits and about the dangers, the controversy continues to this day. But those who have weighed everything and decided to try walrus should learn something about him.

When swimming in cold water, the body loses a lot of energy, but it releases adrenaline, which helps to increase blood circulation, and also improves thermoregulation and immunity. However, one should not think that "walruses" never get sick - they just catch colds less often.

It is not at all necessary to dive headlong, although experienced "walruses" do it with ease. This technique improves the general condition of the body, but does not strengthen the muscles, unlike normal swimming, so those who want to build muscles, it is advisable to do some other sport.

There is a myth that “walruses” necessarily consume alcoholic beverages for warming, but they can cause hypothermia of the respiratory tract and colds.

Before plunging into ice water, it is recommended to do intense gymnastics to warm up, but other preparation, especially a cold shower, is not needed. In severe frosts, it is necessary that there is a warm room near the bathing place where you can warm up.

You can swim in cold water from late autumn to early spring, because even in winter in the ice hole is not lower than + 4 ° С, but you should not plunge into the sea - there is -2 ° С below zero. There are many contraindications to winter swimming, which should not be neglected at all - this can only worsen the state of health.

Contraindications to winter swimming: severe diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and genitourinary system with the phenomena of decompensation.

You can get into cold water only after a cold douche, which will accustom the body to it. It is allowed to dive into the ice hole no more than 3 times a week, and if symptoms of any disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

I hope my advice will be useful to those who often get colds and want to improve their health, and in the following blog articles I will talk about other methods of hardening.

And now "Educational film about Winter swimming and hardening":

Today we talked on the topic: "Tempering the body with cold water for beginners." How did you like the article? If so, be sure to share it on social networks, subscribe to the blog update and wait for the continuation.

Water hardening is one of the most effective methods of health promotion and longevity. Water as the source of everything in the universe has a significant healing effect on the human body only if it adheres to all the principles of hardening. In this article on the House of Knowledge, I will tell you how to properly temper with water and what to do in order not to get sick after ...

Water hardening - one of the most effective methods of health promotion and longevity. Water as the source of everything in the universe has a significant healing effect on the human body only if it adheres to all the principles of hardening.

In this article on the House of Knowledge, I will tell you how to properly temper with water and what to do in order not to get sick after the procedures.

Preparation for hardening and selection of water hardening method.

Most worried are those who are going to surprise their friends without special training and training by swimming in an ice hole or pouring ice water. I want to say categorically that in adolescence and adolescence, "winter swimming" is generally not recommended. During this period of life, other types of hardening are much more effective for a person: solar and air. In addition, even in adulthood, they do not become "walruses" right away, but after long sessions and always under the supervision of experienced trainers and doctors. And even with such conditions, not everyone is lucky to swim in the ice-hole.

Therefore, I advise you to resort to not so exotic, but reliable and effective hardening procedures: shower, pouring, rubbing, wrapping, bathing, etc.

What is the right way to start hardening with water?

One of the important conditions for hardening the body with water is right choice her temperature. There are cold baths (water temperature does not exceed 16 0 С), cool (16-28 0 С), so-called indifferent (29-36 0 С), warm (36-39 0 С) and hot (above 40 0 ​​С).

Water quenching is much stronger than air quenching. Therefore, do not linger in a pool, river or sea for a long time. Best of all, short but energetic procedures invigorate and temper the body.

Water hardening should be started in spring or summer, but then do not interrupt it throughout the year. The optimum air temperature of such a "start" is within 17-20 0 С and it can be reduced after a certain adaptation of the organism.

It is better to take hardening water procedures in the morning, immediately after sleep or morning hygienic exercises. When finished, rub the skin vigorously with a soft towel until it turns pink.

The last factor of hardening is very indicative and should be learned to control. The first 1-2 minutes of contact with water, the skin turns pale, as the blood vessels narrow, then turns pink, due to their expansion. This reaction is especially important, as it increases the body's endurance, its resistance to colds and other diseases. But you must not allow further hypothermia, which is expressed by paleness, or even blue skin.

Unfortunately, quite often you have to see children and adolescents in the water, who are already trembling, turning purple from the cold, and do not want to go ashore. In addition to harm to health, such "hardening" does nothing.

The water temperature for the initial hardening procedures should be indifferent, "indifferent", preferably 34-35 0 C. You can also "start" in pleasantly cool water at a temperature of 29-33 0 C. Such water does not excite or irritate. Over the next 1-2 weeks, the cold threshold is lowered to 12-14 0 C, or even lower. The rate of decrease in the hardening temperature and its lower limit depend on the adaptability of your body to the cold. Reduce the temperature of the water gradually by one degree every day. The control is carried out by the reaction of the skin. Only the first and second phases (skin blanching for 1-2 minutes, and then acquiring pink color) give a healing effect.

If, when quenching with water, there is a repeated chill, trembling, blue skin, then the hardening mode is selected incorrectly. The water temperature must be immediately raised or the procedure must be shortened. You can also act with cold or heat on individual parts of the body, and combine different types of procedures.

The pressure of the jets on the skin should also be taken into account. The stronger the jet of water, the colder the procedure will be.

Blue skin when hardened with water at a young age is most often observed when swimming in open natural reservoirs. In this case, you should immediately go ashore and warm up.

Methods for hardening the body with water.

If you do not tolerate shower(skin receptors are severely irritated) or douche, rubdowns, baths try to resort to short local treatments - wipe yourself to the waist, do foot baths etc.

All hygienic procedures using water - washing, bathing, showering, gargling and others - can be successfully used for hardening. But this must be done skillfully. Once I came across such a case when a guy was regularly tempered with cold rubbing above the waist, and his feet were washed with warm water. As a result, all his efforts came to naught.

First of all, make sure that there are no drafts in the room in which you are doing water procedures. Otherwise, acting on wet skin, they will cause additional hypothermia, and there they are not far from the disease. For the same reasons, in the summer for water procedures in the air, choose a cozy place.

Walking on water is a great way to harden your body.

It is not necessary to swim in the sea or a special pool for water hardening. You can become healthy and hardy in an ordinary apartment, in your yard or on the street.

It is good, for example, to temper to walk barefoot with dew or grass wet from the rain in spring and summer, and in winter - around the room. The first such procedures last 3-5 minutes, and then their duration is increased to 15-20 minutes. After each such hardening, do not forget to wash your feet with water, the temperature of which is 18-22 0 С. After that, dry them thoroughly with a dry towel and put on socks.

After 15-20 days of such hardening, you can already start "fermentation on water". Don't worry if there is no river or sea nearby. It is enough to stand in a bowl of water (18-22 0 С) and walk in place. In the first days, the duration of such procedures is 30 seconds, then their duration is gradually increased to 3 minutes. At the same time, every 3 days, the water temperature is reduced by 1 0 C, bringing it to 12-14 0 C. The effect of this procedure can be enhanced by raising the water level in the bath to the knees. After "hardening walks" the legs, especially the feet, it is also good to douse with water (18-22 0 С) until the feeling of warmth.

Washing and rinsing the mouth are also types of water hardening.

In addition to the previously listed types of water hardening, many people use washing or washing their hands and feet. To prevent diseases of the teeth and mucous membranes of the mouth, rinse them with water at room temperature. And if you do it regularly (day and evening) with your throat, you will soon forget about tonsillitis, tonsillitis and other diseases of the nasopharynx.

For each such rinse, half a glass of boiled water is enough. Moreover, the gurgling of liquid in the throat itself should continue as long as possible, for which you need to take as deep a breath as possible. This type of hardening is also useful for breathing exercises, and therefore develops the lungs.

Correctness of the wip-off hardening process.

The hardening procedure by rubbing, as a rule, begins with the hands, from the wrist to the shoulder (with a sponge, napkin or towel dipped in 18-22 ° C water) with uniform, rather quick movements. After that, wet areas should be rubbed with a dry towel until the skin turns pink. After 3-5 days, they wipe off the entire upper part body: arms, chest, back. It is very convenient to do this with a mitten specially sewn from cotton fabric. After 2 weeks, you can wipe off the entire body: chest, back, stomach, arms and legs. The whole procedure takes 2-3 minutes.

A week after complete wiping, the water temperature is reduced by 1 0 C every 3-5 days, bringing it to 12-14 0 C.

Hardening by rubbing is best done after morning exercises. It invigorates, activates strength. You can do this before bed, but then use moderate temperature water and do not rub with a dry towel.

Dousing with water is the best hardening method.

After two months of rubbing with 12-14-degree water, you can move on to douches.

They begin to harden by pouring from a temperature of 20 0 C. The first 7 days are poured over the shoulders, hands and forearms, and from the 2nd week - and legs. After each procedure, it is useful to do self-massage and be sure to rub yourself with a dry towel.

After half a month of such exercises, they are completely doused: first, hands with legs, then the pressure of water is directed to the body (lower part) in front and behind, after which the back and head are doused. Another week of full dousing, and after every 3 procedures, the water temperature begins to decrease by 1 0 С, bringing to 12-14 0 С.

Cool and cold showers are a great tempering method.

Strongest form of hardening- cool and cold showers, as they also mechanically irritate skin receptors. First, the water temperature should be 30-35 0 С, and the duration of the procedure should be 1 minute. Then, according to the method described above, the stream of water is made colder and colder, and the duration of its action on the body is increased to 2 minutes. In the future, it is useful to take showers with variable water temperature, for which they alternate a 30-35-degree stream with a 15-20-degree stream 2-3 times, the duration of each of which is 3 minutes.

If you adhere to the recommendations, water procedures will give you vigor and increase your efficiency. But if you feel that any of them over-excites you, slightly annoys you, or you begin to fall asleep badly, then you should immediately abandon it.

Combination of water hardening procedures.

Hardening with water procedures, which were discussed, can be combined. Let's say, “walk on water” in the morning, and pour water in the evening. All these procedures must be performed daily.

Swimming in ponds is a great way to temper your body.

Swimming in rivers, lakes and ponds.
TO effective means hardening also applies to swimming in reservoirs. At the same time, the body is influenced not only by meteorological, temperature, mechanical factors, but also by a variety of movements that a person makes during swimming, exercises and games.

It is best to start swimming when the water, say, in a pond, heats up to 18-20 0 С and the air temperature will be the same. And the swimming season ends at a water temperature of 10-12 0 C and 14-16 0 C of the air.

If the body is not sufficiently hardened, then the "starting" swim should take place in water, the temperature of which is not colder than 20 0 C, and an air temperature of 24-25 0 C. First, they swim for 3-5 minutes, bringing the stay in water to fifteen minutes, and subsequently - up to half an hour. In the first 4-5 days, they enter the water once a day, then twice, with an interval of at least 3-4 hours.

Swimming is best tempered in the morning or in the evening. But do not forget that you cannot enter the water in a hot, sweaty and tired state. After eating, you can swim only after 1.5-2 hours, and on an empty stomach is not recommended at all.

Sea bathing.
When hardening, sea bathing is also very useful. The body is additionally affected by chemical and mechanical stimuli.

The shock waves increase the heat transfer of the body, activate the muscles, tone up the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.

Microscopic crystals of sodium chloride, which are rich in sea ​​water, noticeably improve a person's well-being.

Snow rubbing is a common winter hardening method.

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Among the powerful hardening agents, rubbing with snow occupies a special place. But you can go to this procedure only when the doctor permits.

They begin rubbing with snow indoors, and after adaptation of the body, this can be done on the street. First, the upper body is rubbed for 2 minutes, then the legs.

Sauna and steam room are excellent hardening.

Strengthens human health and steam bath. Whipping yourself with a broom, you stimulate the production of sweat, blood flow to the skin, muscles and internal organs. It is useful, as was done in antiquity, after a bath to pour cold water or rub with snow.

Thermal hardening procedures.

Thermal procedures for hardening the body also give a significant boost of health and vitality. Unlike the action of cold, which initially constricts blood vessels, in warmth they expand. General warming of the body relaxes the muscles of the internal organs, improves kidney function, enhances the secretion of bile, and increases the secretion of the stomach and pancreas. The combination of warming and cooling treatments soothes the body and relieves pain.

As thermal hardening procedures increase the body temperature, the body's resistance to disease is also enhanced. Doctors widely use therapeutic and prophylactic hydro-procedures: compresses, wraps, baths.

General thermal baths, for example, soothe the central nervous system, relieve fatigue, insomnia and irritability well. They should be taken before bedtime, not earlier than an hour after dinner. In this case, the water temperature should be about 37-38 0 C. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. The temperature of the water should be constant at all times, since a deviation in either direction will not give the desired results.

At the end of the procedure, they are poured over with warm water (26-27 0 C), dried (but not rubbed) the body with a towel and immediately go to bed.

Hardening with salt and pine-salt baths.

To relieve fatigue and stress, you can take salt baths at home. To do this, 0.5-1 kg of salt is dissolved in a bath filled to the brim with water, and for coniferous-salt procedures, 2 more tablets of coniferous extract are added. The water temperature should not exceed 35 0 C. You should take a bath every other day, 2 hours before bedtime, no more than 10-15 minutes. After that, you need to lie down quietly for half an hour.

General hygiene baths should be taken at home 1-2 times a week, or even more often. If your skin dries up from water, then use baby or lanolin soap.

The familiar word "hardening" carries a deep meaning. In the medical sense, hardening measures implies a set of certain procedures that actively stimulate natural immunity, increase resistance to all unfavorable environmental factors, improve thermoregulation and form vitality. In simple words, hardening means the natural training of the body's protective barrier using natural factors. Hardening gives a person full physical and spiritual balance, increases all the potentials of the body.
Without implying it, we train our body by going to the bathhouse, swimming in water bodies or walking in the fresh air. But in order to call these seemingly mundane actions true hardening, certain principles must be strictly observed:

1. Before proceeding with the hardening itself, you need to make sure that the body is absolutely ready for this. This implies that there should be no acute diseases and exacerbated chronic diseases (in some of which hardening is prohibited or limited). It is necessary to sanitize all infectious foci in the body (teeth with caries, inflamed tonsils, etc.).
2. In addition to physical readiness, there must be a clear and motivated psychological attitude, i.e. awareness that everything is done for the benefit of their own health and strong confidence in the success of these events. And only a positive attitude!
3. Hardening is a system that is implemented continuously, i.e. daily. It should be understood that in order to achieve excellent health indicators, one should work long and hard, although it is difficult to call it work - after all, all the methods are so pleasant and do not require much effort on themselves. Health concerns are good reasons for temporarily interrupting hardening procedures.
4. The strength and duration of the hardening procedures increase from day to day, but smoothly, without extreme actions. This is very important rule... Many, having felt a significant surge of strength and vivacity after 3-4 hardening procedures, are ready to dive into the hole the next day. You will have to pay for such "impulses" with your own health. Everything should grow moderately and gradually, and nothing else.
5. When hardening, a reasonable sequence of procedures is also important. A hardening workout of the body should begin with gentle and gentle techniques, and then move on to more serious effects. For example, start hardening with water with foot baths and gradually move on to dousing, first local, then full-fledged general.
6. No matter how well the hardening procedures are perceived, it is still necessary to take into account the individual reactions of a person and the state of health. Hardening in the early stages is a kind of shake-up of the body, and during this period various dormant sores can crawl out. Therefore, having decided to harden, in any case, you should consult your doctor.
7. In addition to hardening, it is necessary to use physical exercises, active games and sports. All this strengthens the achieved results and helps to fully train your body.

Body hardening methods

The natural resistance of the body must be formed to all, without exception, natural factors.
The main systems and methods of hardening (as the effect on the body increases):

1. Air baths. The technique is applied in medicinal purposes and preventive measures. It is based on the effect of the natural air environment on open skin.

The system is step-by-step, starting with hardening indoors at a temperature range of 15 - 16 ° C with a time interval of 3-5 minutes. After 4-5 days, you can start a ten-minute hardening effect on the skin in the open air, but at t not less than 20-22 ° C. In the future, the time spent in the open air gradually increases. This method is optimal for untrained people.

Quenching with cold air masses (from 4 to 13 ° C) is permissible only for trained, well-tempered people. The effect is started with a couple of minutes and gradually this time is brought to 10 minutes, but no more.

Air baths train the heat regulation system, normalize and optimize the functionality of the heart and blood vessels, the respiratory system, digestion and have a beneficial effect on the state of mental balance.

2. Sunbathing. The technique consists in a positive effect on the body of straight lines sun rays... Simultaneous application of sun and air hardening gives more effective results.

The sun's rays are a rather aggressive natural factor that can lead to burns and heat or sunstroke. Therefore, it is very important: the time of the procedure (in the morning in the interval of 9-11 hours or in the evening in the interval of 17-19 hours) and the duration of exposure (start with 3-4 minutes and bring up to 1 hour, gradually adding a few minutes). Protect your head and cornea from direct sunlight. The last meal before tanning should be at least an hour and a half before sun exposure. When sunburned, the sun should "look" at the legs, do not stand or sit, it is better to lie down.

Solar infrared light has an active thermal effect. The sweating and evaporation of the released moisture from the skin increases, the subcutaneous vessels expand, and the general blood flow increases. Vitamin D is actively produced in the body, which normalizes and activates metabolic processes and participates in the formation of highly active products of protein metabolism. As a result, the blood composition improves, the general resistance to diseases of any etiology increases.

3. Water hardening. The most common method among the common people and beloved by many. It is best to start water quenching in morning time after charging. The water temperature starts from the natural for the skin 37 ° C, then gradually decreases by 1-2 degrees every day. Each water method has its own temperature limit, which we will discuss below.

Under the influence of water, the vessels initially narrow, the skin turns pale, and blood flows to the internal organs. Then the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems is activated, the general metabolism is accelerated, which leads to the reverse transition of blood from the internal organs to the skin. Those. water comprehensively trains the entire body, tones up and strengthens blood vessels.

There are several directions of the water hardening system that can be combined.

a) Local water treatments - the hardening effect of water on the feet and throat.

Feet washing can be done daily. The procedure is performed before bedtime. To begin with, the water used should have a temperature of 26 - 28 ° С, then it drops to 12 - 15 ° С, within a few weeks. After the procedure, the feet are thoroughly rubbed until visible redness.

Gargling is a procedure that should start in the morning and end in the evening. Initially, cool water should be 23 - 25 ° С, weekly (not daily!), The temperature is reduced by a degree and brought to 5 - 10 ° С.

b) Rubdown is a very soft water procedure that has no contraindications. A sponge or towel is dipped into cool water and wiped off the skin. The body is wiped from top to bottom, after the procedure, the skin is rubbed with a towel until red. The duration of exposure is about 5 minutes.

c) Pouring is the next stage of the water hardening system. They start with water at about + 30 ° C, gradually reduce t to + 15 ° C and below. After the procedure, the skin surface is also rubbed with a towel until hyperemia.

d) Shower is a very effective water treatment. They start at t +30 - 32 ° C and last for about a minute. Gradually reduce temperature to + 15 ° C and increase the procedure time to 2-3 minutes. If the body takes a shower hardening, they switch to a contrast of temperatures, alternating water 35 - 40 ° C with water 13 - 20 ° C 2-3 times for three minutes.

e) Swimming in the warm season in a natural open water body, starting at 18 - 20 ° C water temperature and 14 - 15 ° C air temperature.

f) Swimming in an ice-hole is the most powerful method available only for the most seasoned people. This powerful health-improving technique is referred to as the ancient methods of prevention and treatment of many diseases. Indeed, people used to be healthier both in body and soul, and swimming in an ice-hole itself was not such a curiosity as it is now. On the contrary, this healing ritual was performed by many, young and old.
The medical history of this method, like hardening, is relatively young and dates back to the late 1800s. Today, traditionally, everyone strives to experience these unique sensations. orthodox person on the great day of the Baptism of the Lord.

From a medical point of view, swimming in an ice hole is an acute stress with short-term effects. The so-called "dance of blood vessels" and redistribution of blood take place. First, the vessels lying on the surface narrow and donate their blood "to save" the internal organs. Then the internal organs give back this very blood, and the vessels again rapidly expand. A huge amount of hormones are released into the bloodstream: adrenaline and endorphins. There is a general stimulation of the body, all systems and organs begin to work more intensively and correctly. The protective function is activated, a persistent insensitivity to the effects of pathogenic agents is developed. Emotionally, a person feels indescribably easy and joyful. Many people say that having experienced swimming in an ice hole, they started a friend's life! Swimming in an ice hole relieves pain in the shoulders, back, joints, relieves insomnia, improves central and peripheral circulation and increases cold resistance.

The path to hardening in an ice hole is long. A person must overcome all of the above methods of hardening, then switch to dousing with ice water, and only then gets acquainted with the ice-hole. You should not deal with this type of water impact on your own and alone, control by professional "walruses" is mandatory.

Naturally, this procedure requires a state of complete health and psychological readiness. The rules for diving into an ice-hole are a gradual immersion with a minimum of time in the water (it starts with a few seconds and is carefully brought to a few minutes). It is very important to wipe dry after dipping, dress warmly (but not hot) and actively move. And a cup of herbal tea will further emphasize the beauty of this procedure!

In addition to the listed common methods, hardening includes walking barefoot, bathing, wiping with snow, sleeping in the open air, and others.

Walking barefoot is a hardening method available to everyone. They start walking in the warm season and, with good tolerance, continue all year round. The sensations of walking in the snow are so contrasting that it is difficult to describe them, in one word - they cause children's delight in adults! It is important to maintain a balance of walking time: as the outdoor temperature decreases, the duration of exposure decreases. And only after getting used to the cold (1.5-2 weeks), this time is slowly increased. It is better to walk in some specific place, for example, on the ground with grass.

A kind of walking barefoot, or rather, a more serious version of such hardening is barfuting. This technique means walking barefoot all the time, even in everyday life. Barefuting is common in Western countries, where walking barefoot is officially allowed by the authorities. We use a softer version of barefuting - walking without shoes in nature.
The largest number of biologically active points is located on the feet. They are actively stimulated when walking barefoot and help to normalize the activity of many organs and body systems. The body becomes resistant to colds, immunity is strengthened.

Bath. The bath helps to achieve the correct reaction of the vascular bed to the effects of the external environment. The body adapts more quickly to frequently changing environmental conditions, especially to high and low temperatures. The likelihood of colds decreases, the heart and blood vessels are toned, and a stable psyche is formed.
But it should be understood that the bath gives a load and is of a training nature. The approach to bath hardening is the same as to other methods: a gradual increase in the time of exposure to heat on the body.
The first acquaintance with the steam room should be in a healthy state, out of physical activity and an hour or two after eating. It is recommended to take a bath in the evening, so that after pleasant procedures you can go to sleep. You should start with 1-2 minutes in the steam room, after which you need to take a warm shower and relax. Gradually, the time is increased to a three-four-minute visit to the steam room, and the temperature of the shower water is reduced to 20-25 ° C. The most optimal is a three-time visit to the steam room, but with the obligatory rest between visits. Trained people can take a contrast shower or swim in a cool or even cold pool. But even here there is a rule - the colder the water, the less time you can stay in it.

Snow rubdown. This invigorating and beneficial procedure is only allowed for completely healthy people after a long preliminary hardening with cold water. Ideal weather: no wind and temperature around 0 ° C. Rubdown is carried out from the periphery (hands and feet) to the center. You should not wipe your head and ears, but the face is required. It is enough to walk on the body 1-2 times, the duration of the procedure is 1-2 minutes.
Therapeutic effect of rubbing with snow: the body's defenses are stimulated, especially in the fight against colds.

Sleeping outdoors is a passive hardening technique. The main rule is the absence of drafts. Day and night sleep can be organized in the bedroom with open windows, on the balcony or loggia, on the veranda. Many are interested in whether it is possible to sleep on the street? If it is summer time, there is an equipped place protected from wind and precipitation - then you can. But in the off-season and especially in winter, it is better not to do such extreme actions, because in a dream, a person's thermoregulation is imperfect, the body cools down very quickly. And sleeping in a quilted jacket and felt boots is very uncomfortable, and there will be absolutely no benefit from such a dream.

Fresh, constantly circulating air is an excellent therapeutic and preventive factor in itself. All microbes and viruses floating in the air are rendered harmless, and the blood is saturated with oxygen. The result is a fresh and rested look after sleep, strong immunity and excellent health.

The positive effect of all the listed hardening procedures on the body has been proven for centuries. An invaluable mechanism of adaptation of the body to all environmental factors is launched, due to which resistance to various diseases is developed, a person becomes healthier, more durable and happier!

Body hardening is a complex system of preventive measures that increase the body's resistance to the effects of the external environment. Tempering the body with cold water helps to improve blood circulation, normalize metabolic processes, and increase the tone of the central nervous and immune systems. How to temper properly to get the most out of this process?

Hardening can be carried out different ways, each of which has its own benefits, advantages and disadvantages. There are the following methods of hardening the body:

1. Aerotherapy - air baths, long walks, stay in the fresh air. They are held at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions and temperature regimes. Aerotherapy is one of the simple ways strengthening the body by normalizing thermoregulation processes. Air hardening strengthens the immune system, normalizes the functioning of internal organs, and stabilizes the psycho-emotional state. It is with aerotherapy that experts recommend starting hardening of the human body.
2. Heliotherapy - sunbathing, strengthening the body through sun exposure. This technique normalizes metabolic processes, increases the general resistance of the body, has a beneficial effect on the state of the muscular and nervous systems, and has a general tonic effect. It is important to follow certain guidelines to avoid adverse effects such as sunstroke.
3. Cold water procedures are considered to be one of the most effective and efficient methods. The impact of various temperature regimes activates microcirculation, blood circulation, strengthens and tones the body.

The main types of hardening by body water:

1. Rubdown is the first step in hardening the body, it has an extremely soft and delicate effect. Rubdown is done with soft sponges dipped in cold water, rubbing the skin of the body with vigorous massaging movements.
2. Dousing with cold water is a very effective tonic procedure, it can be both local (dousing the feet) and general. After the procedure, thoroughly rub the skin with a dry towel.
3. Contrast shower - alternation of temperature regimes, is distinguished by a pronounced strengthening effect on blood vessels.
4. Winter swimming or winter swimming is one of the effective ways hardening and strengthening the body, beneficially affecting the state of almost all organs and systems, normalizing thermoregulation processes, the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

It is important to understand that it is recommended to start the process of hardening with cold water with the most gentle procedures - rubbing and dousing, gradually preparing the body for winter swimming. It is for this reason that bathing for baptism in an ice hole without preliminary preparation, and non-observance of certain rules can become very dangerous for an unhardened person and plunge the body into a state of severe stress.

Benefit and harm

What is the use of dousing with cold water or is it harmful to humans? This procedure has many advantages and has a positive effect on the body. Improvement of the thermoregulation system, resulting from a change in temperature regimes during douches, accelerates metabolism, metabolism, activates an intense blood flow to the area of ​​internal organs.

For weight loss, dousing with water is very effective, especially cold.

The skin restores its tone, cellulite and subcutaneous fat deposits are eliminated as a result of improved metabolism. The procedure strengthens the immune system and the central nervous system, improves sleep, eliminates anxiety and irritability,

Experts say that dousing with cold water regularly in the morning helps to achieve the following positive results:

• improving the condition of hair and skin;
• prevention of varicose veins;
• normalization of hormonal levels;
• improved mood.

Dousing with water, especially cold, is not recommended for osteochondrosis. Patients suffering from this disease, it is better to give preference to the softer method of contrast rubbing. This procedure removes painful sensations and reduces the indicators of joint sensitivity to temperature changes.

An even more pronounced effect can be obtained by using infusions of medicinal herbs for rubdowns, which have a positive effect on the condition of the articular-ligamentous apparatus. ethnoscience for these purposes, it recommends using decoctions of tansy, yarrow, thyme.

In case of severe hypertension, dousing with cold water is contraindicated.

A negative reaction to cold can be if a person has the following contraindications to this method of hardening:

• traumatic damage to the skin;
• increased or excessively lowered blood pressure indicators;
• flu, viral, respiratory diseases;
• a period of exacerbation of ailments occurring in a chronic form;
• increased indicators of intraocular pressure;
• heart failure;
• ischemic disease, arrhythmias, tachycardia.

If you have serious health problems, you should consult your doctor before starting a hardening procedure. The doctor will help identify possible contraindications and choose the most optimal, safe methods of hardening the body.

How to temper correctly?

Hardening gives a positive, prolonged result and improves health only if the procedures are carried out in accordance with all the basic rules. Otherwise, you can not only not wait for the expected effect, but also seriously harm the body.

The basic principles of hardening the body:

1. It is necessary to increase the intensity of the hardening effect moderately and smoothly. For example, the temperature indicators of water for dousing should be reduced gradually, by 1–2 degrees. It is categorically contraindicated for beginners to swim in the ice-hole in winter, such overloads are fraught with serious consequences.
2. Hardening procedures are required regularly and systematically. Even short breaks (3-4 weeks) will lead to the loss of the obtained results, and everything will have to start over.
3. You should take into account your own individual characteristics - age category, body weight, general health.
4. It is recommended to lead an active, active lifestyle. Physical activity, physical exercise and hardening of the body - should take place in a complex.
5. In the process of carrying out the procedures, it is necessary to closely monitor the reactions of your body, to control the indicators of the pulse, blood pressure.

You need to carry out the procedures with pleasure, without violence against yourself. In addition, it is important to remember that hardening is one of the elements of a healthy lifestyle that includes proper balanced diet, giving up bad habits, playing sports.

Dousing with cold water

Pouring cold water efficient procedure... In this case, it is better to refuse a shower, since prolonged exposure to a cold stream can adversely affect health.

You need to fill the bucket with water. Moreover, 1 quenching should be carried out with water at a temperature not lower than 30 degrees. Temperature conditions can be gradually reduced.

The correct douche pattern is presented in the following table:

It is best to start the procedure with rubdowns. The ideal time for water procedures is in the morning.

First you need to rub with a towel dipped in cold water, hands, feet, chest, face and stomach, throat. Partial douches can be an excellent continuation - washing, dousing hands and feet with cold water.

At the next stage, while standing in the bathroom, you can proceed to full douches by pouring a bucket of cold water over yourself. Full head douches are not necessary at all. Such sessions can be recommended for patients suffering from migraine attacks, severe headaches, dizziness.

With such procedures, it is important to adhere to the temperature alternation scheme. Experts advise pouring warm water on the head and face for 7 minutes and cold water for only 1 minute. After the end of the session, the head must be thoroughly dried with a towel in order to prevent hypothermia.

It is important to ensure that there are no drafts in the room. At first, the skin can be rubbed with a dry towel, vigorous massage movements. In the future, as you adapt, it is better to refuse wiping, allowing the water droplets to dry on their own, in a natural way.

Cold shower

A cold shower is the next stage in hardening the body. The best place to start is with a contrast shower. Within a minute, you need to douse yourself with warm water, gradually increase the temperature regime and immerse yourself for 0.5-2 minutes under a stream of hot water, after which you suddenly turn on cold water (for about the same time). The recommended number of temperature alternations is from 3 to 5 times.

After 1.5-2 weeks, you can switch from a contrast shower to a cold one. The procedure is very effective, it increases vitality, activates the body's natural defense mechanisms. The water temperature should be lowered gradually, the minimum values ​​are from 15 to 12 degrees.

To increase efficiency and reduce the risks of possible hypothermia, it is recommended to do morning exercises before the procedure to warm up the body. The duration of the procedure is about 2 minutes, after which the same amount of time must be spent on vigorous rubbing of the body with a terry towel.

Hardening in the hole

Swimming in an ice hole is one of the most effective and efficient hardening methods that are gaining immense popularity. This hardening of the body activates almost all physiological processes, has a rejuvenating effect, gives a charge of vivacity and energy.

But this technique requires caution and adherence to certain rules. Also, swimming in the ice hole has certain contraindications:

• cystitis;
• bronchial asthma;
• epileptic syndrome;
• neuritis;
• traumatic skull injuries;
• enterocolitis;
• pathology of the cardiovascular system;
• inflammatory processes localized in the area of ​​the prostate gland;
• diabetes;
• glaucoma;
• gynecological diseases of an inflammatory nature;
• tuberculosis;
• inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, nasal cavity;
• sclerosis of cerebral vessels;
• pneumonia;
• conjunctivitis;
• sexually transmitted infections;
• severe form of renal pathologies.

It is strictly forbidden to bathe in the ice-hole for babies, children in the age category under 16 years old. Such extreme procedures are not recommended for elderly people over 70. Severe hypothermia when plunging into an ice hole is stress for the body, which can be dangerous for elderly people with serious health problems.

Traditional swimming in the winter for Epiphany in the ice-hole is a good solution only for experienced and prepared people, otherwise extremely undesirable consequences, up to heart attacks and strokes, are possible.

Swimming after visiting the bathhouse in the ice-hole as a result of a sharp change in temperature conditions activates regeneration processes, strengthens blood vessels and the heart, saturates the cells and tissues of the body with oxygen, and improves the general condition. But you need to remember about the above contraindications.

Preparing to dive into the ice-hole should begin in the summer, swimming in lakes and rivers, preparing your body. There are the following rules for hardening the body by dipping an ice-hole:

1. Begin diving in small ice holes made near the shore, under the supervision of specialists.
2. Warm up the body before diving. For these purposes, a standard warm-up is suitable - squats, rubbing, jumping.
3. Dive into the water gradually and refrain from diving with your head, since such actions are fraught with dangerous consequences, up to sharp spasms of cerebral vessels.
4. The optimal dive time is one minute. For beginners, 10–20 seconds will be enough to avoid hypothermia.
5. Coming out of the hole, you must thoroughly rub the body with a towel with vigorous active movements and put on dry warm clothes and underwear.

Swimming in the ice-hole is strictly forbidden to combine with the use of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol helps to dilate blood vessels, and a person loses heat faster. You should also give up smoking, which disrupts blood circulation.

Warm herbal tea will help you to warm up after immersion in ice water.It is recommended to take it with you in a thermos when setting off for water-revitalizing procedures.

How to temper children?

The greatest care must be taken when carrying out hardening procedures for children. First, the child's body is more sensitive to cold, has less resistance. Secondly, the permissible values ​​of the minimum temperature regimes for children and adults differ significantly.

It is also important to consider the age of the child. For example, dousing with cold water is not suitable for babies and toddlers.

You can temper such babies only by contrasting rubdowns. It is necessary to start the process of strengthening the baby's body with sun and air baths. During water procedures, monitor the indoor microclimate, it is best to start such activities in the summer.

Hardening can be carried out after bathing the child, using for these purposes a shower with a temperature regime of water a couple of degrees lower than in the bathroom. If the baby does not have negative reactions to the cold, the temperature can be further lowered, but the change must be carried out smoothly and gradually.

Experts recommend making the water 1 degree colder during hardening procedures for 3-5 days. This rule will allow the child's body to adapt, to avoid hypothermia and the associated adverse effects.

When hardening children over the age of 2 years, you need to follow the standard scheme recommended for adults. You need to start water procedures by pouring the arms and legs of the baby, gradually moving to the whole body. Pediatricians do not recommend pouring water over the head and face of the child, at least for initial stages as this can be very stressful for the baby.

To increase the effectiveness and safety of procedures, parents should pay attention to the following recommendations of specialists:

1. Systematic and regular, healthy image life should become a habit with the baby.
2. Multifactoriality. For a full-fledged hardening of a child's body, it is important to alternate the effects of various external factors, such as air, water, and the sun.
3. Periodic change in temperature regimes and duration of sessions.
4. Physical activity - exercise and active outdoor games - significantly increase the efficiency of the hardening process and reduce the likelihood of hypothermia.

The positive psycho-emotional attitude of the child is very important. We must try to turn hardening into an interesting game, which will gradually become an integral part of the life of a little man.

If the child reacts inadequately to the cold, cries, is capricious, it is necessary to listen to these signals. Perhaps it is worth changing the temperature regimes, the procedure for conducting the procedures, or taking the baby for a consultation with the doctor.

Tempering the body with cold water is a holistic complex aimed at improving and strengthening the body. Dousing, rubbing, diving - increase the overall tone, activate the internal reserves of the body and its natural defense mechanisms, have a rejuvenating effect. But in order to obtain a positive effect, without health risks, it is necessary to exercise consistency and caution, especially when it comes to young children, the elderly, people suffering from serious illnesses.