Hardening phases. Body hardening for beginners. The initial stage of water hardening

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 enough 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 (the water temperature does not exceed 16 0 С), cool (16-28 0 С), the 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, right 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, because blood vessels narrow, then turn 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 pallor, 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 warmth on individual parts of the body, combine 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 some 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 where you are doing your water treatments. Otherwise, acting on wet skin, they will cause additional hypothermia, and there they are not far from the disease. For the same reasons, in summer, choose a cozy place for outdoor water procedures.

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 oral mucosa, 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 whole 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 as well, 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 temperatures, for which they alternate 2-3 times a 30-35-degree stream with a 15-20-degree stream, the duration of each of which is 3 minutes.

If you adhere to the recommendations, water procedures will give you vigor, 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 up 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, significantly improve human 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 the body has adapted, 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 take a shower cold water or rubbed 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 internal organs, improves kidney function, enhances the secretion of bile, 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, calm the central nervous system, relieve fatigue, insomnia and irritability. 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 must 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, add 2 more tablets of coniferous extract. 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.

We are increasingly talking about the treatment of diseases, when prevention takes an important place. Increasing the body's resistance to negative environmental factors - this is the goal preventive measures... It is necessary to strengthen the body. One of the prevention methods is hardening. What is the principle of hardening, what rules you need to adhere to, we will consider further.

A little about the history of hardening

Tempering has been known for a long time. There is a mention of him in the treatises of the great scientists of antiquity, such as Hippocrates, Democritus, Asclepiades. Much attention was paid to physical health and endurance in Sparta. From an early age, the boys went barefoot, and in the warm season they were practically naked.

V Ancient rome hardening and strengthening of the body were also treated positively. Baths were the only main place for the procedures. There were pools with hot and cold water, as well as rooms for massage and gymnastic exercises, mud baths were practiced. They were sunbathing on the rooftops.

Ancient Chinese medicine had a positive view of disease prevention and health-promoting procedures. It was said that "the wise heal the disease that is not yet in the body." Much attention was paid to water treatments, gymnastics, massage, diet.

In Russia, hardening was massive. Bathing followed by rubbing with snow was the norm. Swimming in ponds at any time of the year is still popular.

Tempering methods

Depending on the effect on the body, there are several methods of hardening:

1. Air hardening:

• Taking air baths. Air affects the naked body.
• Sunbathing. They are practiced for the purpose of improvement and prevention.
• Walking barefoot regardless of the season.

2. Water hardening:

• Cold and hot shower. Pouring one by one cold, then moderately hot water.
• Visit to the bathhouse followed by diving into cool water.
• Dousing with water.
• Swimming in the ice-hole.

What type of hardening to choose depends on the area of ​​residence, on the state of health and many other factors.

Hardening principles

Regardless of which method is chosen, some hardening principles must be followed. If you do not adhere to them, then the procedures will be random.

Let's list the basic principles of hardening the body:

• Systematic tempering procedures. They must be carried out regularly, regardless of weather conditions and the season. You can fix the execution of procedures in the daily routine.
• A gradual increase in loads. A sudden increase in workload can be detrimental to health. The gradual transition should be carried out taking into account the responses of the organism. This is especially important when hardening children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.
• Compliance with the sequence in the implementation of procedures. Hardening begins with wiping and foot baths. According to medical rules, weak stimuli have a better effect on body functions, while excessive stimuli are detrimental.
• Complex effect on the body. It is necessary to use procedures with the influence of natural forces that daily affect a person - water and air. Dousing can be done outdoors. The body must experience that strong, then weak impact, without getting used to a constant temperature, otherwise hardening in this case will be inappropriate.
• Taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism and the state of health. Have you decided to start hardening? Perfectly! But it is recommended to visit a doctor beforehand. He will tell you which method to choose. Hardening under medical supervision will help to avoid undesirable consequences and make it possible to properly plan further measures to improve health.

Water hardening

This type of hardening has a more powerful effect on the body than air hardening.

Water affects the body as follows:

• At the first stage, there is a spasm of blood vessels and subcutaneous fat.
• On the second, the skin turns red, adaptation occurs, mast cells, leukocytes are activated, substances with interferon-like properties are released. The state of health improves. A surge of strength is felt.
• At the third stage, if the body is overcooled, vasospasm occurs again. Since the body is hypothermic, the body can no longer adapt and chills occur.

If you follow the principles of hardening, the second stage will come faster. The most important thing is not to bring it to the third stage.

Who is contraindicated for hardening with water

There are many stories of healing due to hardening procedures, but it is worth noting that in some cases such procedures need to be postponed.

1. Cold water causes vasospasm, so if there are diseases of the cardiovascular system (tachycardia, ischemic disease heart, heart failure), such methods are contraindicated.
2. The sudden change in temperature affects the central nervous system. It is necessary to practice hardening with caution in diseases of the central nervous system: epilepsy, psychosis, hysteria.
3. If there are any skin diseases, quenching with water must be abandoned until complete recovery. Especially in the presence of purulent, non-healing or open wounds.
4. Respiratory diseases: tuberculosis, bronchial asthma.
5. Dousing with increased eye pressure is not recommended.
6. In case of colds (ARVI, acute respiratory infections, flu), one should refrain from procedures, even if the exercises were regular before the illness.
7. Do not drench your head. This can adversely affect health.

Water hardening methods

Water hardening can be traditional or non-traditional.

TO traditional methods include:

• Rubdown. Can be used at any age, even from the cradle. To do this, you need a towel that absorbs water well. We will tell you how to carry out the procedure below.
• Dousing. It can be local and general.
• Swimming in natural waters. It can also be recommended from an early age, starting from a temperature of 24-26 degrees. After the procedure, be sure to move.

How to start the water hardening procedure, we will consider further.

We start water hardening

The best time for hardening water treatments is in the morning. It is recommended to do exercises.

Water hardening should be started with wiping. To do this, moisten a sponge or towel with water of a certain temperature and wipe off. You need to start from the upper parts of the body - from the neck, then shoulders, arms, chest, back follow. The next step is to towel dry and rub the skin red-hot. It is necessary to move from the periphery to the heart.

Then you can move on to the lower body. They are also wiped with a damp sponge or towel and then rubbed dry with a dry towel. The whole process should last no more than 5 minutes.

Then you can go directly to douches.

They begin to use water a degree below body temperature. The permissible range is +34 ... +36 о С. Every 3 days, the temperature is lowered by one degree. After douches, it is also recommended to rub the body with a dry towel until it is red-hot. The procedure should last no more than 1 minute.

Unconventional hardening

Non-traditional methods of hardening include procedures such as:

• Snow rubdown.
• Walking barefoot in the snow.
• Exposure to low temperature air.
• Sauna.
• Russian bath.

The point of hardening is that such procedures train the thermoregulatory apparatus of the immune system. At the same time, the body's sensitivity to the harmful effects of the sun, cold, water and other factors decreases.

The use of non-traditional hardening methods in children at an early age often leads to a reverse reaction. Doctors believe that it is inappropriate to carry out such procedures in childhood. Since the body has not yet been formed and cannot adequately respond to a sharp change in temperature.

Hardening children

For children, it is advisable to use the following hardening methods:

• Water quenching.
• Air.
• Solar.

As we indicated earlier, non-traditional methods of hardening are not recommended for the child's body, especially for preschoolers, due to the immaturity of the neuronal and endocrine systems. What to do? Choose something else.

The best option for children and parents is hardening in the summer. The main rule at this time:

• Avoid hypothermia or excessive overheating.
• Together with water procedures, you can do massage, gymnastic exercises.

When hardening children preschool age it is necessary to adhere to several norms:

• The child's body should be warm before starting the procedures.
• It is necessary to control the redness of the body. If such a reaction does not occur, the body should be rubbed with a dry towel.
• The lower the water temperature, the shorter the contact with it.

In winter, the hardening of the baby must be approached carefully. If the child is sick, the procedures should be stopped for the duration of the illness.

General rules for hardening children

• You can temper a child from an early age.
• The kid must be absolutely healthy.
• Adhere to the basic principle of hardening - the systematic implementation of procedures.
• Set an example for your child. Participate, for example, in water treatments.
• Gradually increase the duration and load. This is another important principle of hardening.
• Do not start procedures if the child is not in the mood. You need to set a good mood.
• Avoid overheating or hypothermia of the baby.
• Add exercises and massage to the procedures.
• Your child's hands and feet should be warm before the procedure.
• If you didn't like the procedure and caused unexpected negative reactions in the child, then you will have to give up for a while from hardening and show the baby to the doctor.

Air hardening rules

This type of hardening has been practiced since infancy. Some rules are very natural for each of us. They are the basis for home hardening.

• The process begins with walks in the fresh air (at first, 10 minutes a day is enough). It is necessary to walk every day, increasing the time.
• Ventilate the room daily.
• Be sure to ventilate the room before and after bedtime.
• Dress your child for the weather.
• In fine weather, the child can sleep outdoors. Older children should stay outside in good weather as long as possible.

Water hardening of the child

Hardening of preschool children begins with contrasting doused legs. You can also use the following procedures:

• Local contrasting baths for hands and feet.
• Wipe off with a damp cloth or washcloth. The best option to start hardening.
• Contrast doused legs. The main rule: you should not pour cold water on your feet without first warming them.
• Contrast shower with small water temperature difference.
• Swimming in the pool.
• Swimming in the sea / river.

It is worth remembering that bathing and hardening is not recommended for children with pneumonia, pleurisy, heart disease, kidney disease. A doctor's consultation is required.

General rules for hardening

Let's highlight several general rules hardening:

• If you decide to start hardening, you should first visit a therapist and choose an alternative method together.
• It is necessary to start the procedures while being healthy.
• Should not be at the time of occupation diseases in the acute or chronic stage.
• Observe one of the principles of hardening - regularity. There should not be long pauses.
• Gradually increase the intensity and load.
• It is necessary to monitor your well-being. Regularly measure temperature, blood pressure, pulse.
• Hardening will be more effective when combined with exercise.
• Recommend to stick to healthy eating, it will also increase the efficiency of the procedures.
• If you get sick or feel unwell, the hardening procedure must be temporarily stopped.
• If in the process of hardening you do not feel a surge of strength, energy, but, on the contrary, there is a breakdown, depression, you must not delay the visit to the doctor and stop the procedure.

Tempering and health can be put in one row. By stimulating protective forces organism, you can forget about colds in the off-season.

The most popular and simplest method to start hardening is with a contrast shower and cold water wipes. Rubbing with snow and hardening with water allows the body to adapt to the cold, this improves the functioning of the immune system, and prevents the development of diseases respiratory tract.

Cool showers give a feeling of cheerfulness, stimulate performance. The vessels dilate and narrow - this has a good effect on the cardiovascular system. Tempering procedures stimulate the activity of the heart and brain, and have a good effect on the immune system.

Cool water causes a runny nose due to the circulation of blood to the organs, after which the vessels become wider, and you feel the body temperature rise. The duration of this sensation may depend on the temperature of the water and the readiness for the procedure.

The most common way to harden your body is to rub yourself with cold water. Most often, hardening begins with these methods. Strengthening the immune system must begin in the hot season and continue in the winter.

When dousing with cool water, it is important to do everything quickly. You need to rub for a few minutes. First you need to adapt to cool water.

Water hardening: rules for wiping

It is better to start pouring with simple and safe procedures. After the liquid is gradually cooled, step by step the water temperature can be reached up to 12 degrees Celsius. The hardening time is increased to two minutes

After being in the shower, pour out 5-7 liters of room temperature water on yourself. You can carry out such a manipulation a couple of times a week. The temperature of the liquid should be reduced by one degree every week. It is necessary to carry out the procedure regularly. Or you won't be able to get a positive effect.

At the end of all procedures, you must wipe off with a dry towel.

The best time for hardening - the first hours after sleep. You need to make the temperature high enough in the room where you will be tempered. However, a lot depends on your preparation. You can carry out the procedure at lower temperatures. You can do gymnastics along with the procedure.

Watch the video film "Basic rules of hardening":

Can I be tempered by pouring my feet?

When washing your feet, it is important to immerse them in cool liquid and then dry them with a dry towel. You need to feel the warmth after rubbing your feet. The time for this procedure should be one minute. After a couple of months, the water temperature can be 5-7 degrees.

Principles of walking on snow for hardening

This method of strengthening the immune system has a positive effect on the urinary system and on the respiratory system, and also improves bowel function.

It is possible to carry out this manipulation at home. You need to go into a basin for caviar. After that, it is recommended to add water and immerse yourself to the knee. It takes 60 seconds to stand in the water. You can stay in cold water for longer.

First, you need to pour liquid into the bowl. Use room temperature water. At the end of all procedures, you need to quickly do a variety of leg movements. Your feet should be warm.

Contrast shower and its benefits

The shower has a good effect on well-being. You don't need to take a hardening shower after finishing your workout. You need to take a shower no more than a couple of minutes. To begin with, choose a not very low water temperature. The temperature is lowered slowly. This procedure is suitable for those who are not very active.

A contrast shower is an effective type of hardening; it is the best prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

It is not necessary to pour over the entire surface of the body, but only the limbs. It is necessary to increase the hardening surface step by step. After the procedure, you need to wipe off with a towel.

The result will not appear immediately. It is important to do this constantly.

Hardening by bathing in cool water

experienced walruses claim that swimming in ice water makes it possible to activate all processes in the body.

You need to be in the hole with like-minded people. It will not hurt to temper under the supervision of specialists.

It is important to know that people with illnesses should not strengthen their immunity in this way. Stop manipulating water is also not worth it. This will affect your health, cold resistance.

People who have had a heart attack should not be in cool water.

In this case, it is necessary to adhere to some recommendations. First of all, you need to get used to doing everything progressively. Quenching in cool water is dangerous for an unprepared person.

Quenching in ice water can be started in winter as well. But before doing this, you need to adapt your body. This is where a cold shower can help you. And only in this case, you can proceed to hardening in an open reservoir.

It is desirable that there is a sauna near the ice-hole. You can also do exercises before hardening. Experienced walruses say that cold water cannot be hardened very often. You need to make intervals between baths.

We wipe ourselves with snow

This hardening method is quite popular in Europe. And it can be relevant in winter. However, before that you need to prepare your body. A cool shower will help you here. Only under this condition can you start rubbing with snow. Otherwise, all procedures turn into harm to the body.

You can start preparing with frequent airing of the room. You need to ventilate at least a couple of times throughout the day.

Snow hardening has a positive effect on body temperature regulation by the body.

You need to start by walking in the snow. First, you need to walk on the surface of the snow for no more than three minutes. In the future, it will be possible to extend the time spent on the snow. And only after that, you can start to wipe the snow on individual parts of the body. Better to start by rubbing your limbs.

If you are hardened with experience, then you can rub the snow completely. It is necessary to rub with circular massage movements. Rub until the skin turns red. This will mean that the capillaries have expanded. You can feel warmth while doing this.

It is most useful to rub with snow after leaving the bath. You need to carefully monitor the time spent on the street.

Experts say that hardening in icy water is not as safe as rubbing off with snow.

Rubbing with snow makes it possible to activate all processes in the body.

After finishing rubbing with snow, it is not advisable to wipe it off with a towel. It is advisable to return to the sauna immediately after rubbing with snow.

In this case, you must adhere to certain rules. First you need to learn how to do everything gradually. Snow rubbing is unsafe for an inexperienced person.

In order to improve your health, you need to be consistent. Otherwise, you risk harming yourself. Remember, it all depends on your persistence. Take your time and you will succeed.

hardening organism mode

Stage one: "warm" procedures.

The basic principle of hardening: from simple to complex. Therefore, you can start with the easiest and most enjoyable way: hot rubdowns. Dampen a sponge, soft towel or mitten with hot water, quickly wipe the entire body. The hot water will immediately evaporate, carrying warmth with it and cooling the skin. Repeat this several times. The higher the air and water temperature, the drier the room, the more intense the evaporation and cooling. Vessels, thus, do "charging": they narrow and expand, heat exchange is regulated, and as a result - in case of unexpected hypothermia, a protective reflex will work, preventing the occurrence of colds. However, it is precisely because of the simplicity and pleasantness of this procedure that there is a certain risk of getting carried away with it and imperceptibly overcooling. Therefore, for the first few days, wipe only your hands, and then you can move on to the whole body. The main thing is not to allow the feeling of chills. As soon as the feeling of comfort disappears, it is necessary to stop the procedure and rub the body with a dry towel.

Note! Hot shower and hot wipes are completely different things. Standing in a hot shower, on the other hand, reduces muscle tone. That is why it is not recommended to wash your face with hot water every day - the skin of the face quickly loses its elasticity.

What's next. The next pleasant step for lovers of "warm" hardening can be a bath. The main thing here is not to forget about the time spent in the steam room. For a sauna this is no more than 10 minutes, for steam baths - no more than five. For beginners, it is enough to make one trip to the steam room for 4 minutes, and then take a warm shower.

Stage two: freshness, air and water.

In autumn, when the heating season has already begun, your apartment will become an ideal place for hardening. Just open the window wide open, let in the autumn freshness (which will become wintery over time) and wait until the thermometer drops to 20 degrees. Then close the window (so that there are no drafts) and quickly undress - for a start it is better to the waist. You can lie, sit or do something, the main thing is, again, to feel a sense of comfort. If the skin turns pink, it becomes warmer, it means that resistance to colds is being developed. However, to sit in this form at first is worth no more than 15 minutes. And only gradually increase the duration of the air baths up to two hours, and reduce the air temperature in the room (up to 15 degrees). The appearance of "goose bumps" is a signal to dress.

Note! If it is damp outside, drizzling rain and the air in the room is very humid, reduce the procedure time by a third. A "rainy" air bath cools the skin much more intensely, and this can knock you off the hardening schedule and lead to the common cold. What's next. After getting used to enjoying regular air baths, it is logical to switch to water baths - for example, rubdowns with cool water. First, wipe your upper body with a wet sponge and rub it with a dry towel. Then do the same with the bottom. Hands - starting with the palms, then the neck, chest and back, and then from the toes up to the waist. Use cool water (20-24 degrees), lowering its temperature by 1 degree every day. The duration of the entire procedure is 4 minutes.

Stage three: the time of contrasts.

You need to start taking a contrast shower with warm water, the temperature of which corresponds to body temperature, then slightly reduce the hot water so that the stream becomes cooler. After standing this way for 10 seconds, switch the tap back to warm water. There is no time limit for pouring hot water. You need to finish the contrast shower with cool water, after which you need to rub the body dry with a towel. Every two days, lower the temperature of cold water by 1-2 degrees, bringing it to the minimum, which will not cause unpleasant sensations to the body. Gradually increase the cold shower time from 10 seconds to 2 minutes, and the total duration of the procedure from 5 minutes to half an hour.

Sometimes newcomers, inspired by the example of their acquaintances, immediately start pouring themselves over with hot or icy water, waiting for an “explosion of immunity”. The probability of getting sick is 90 percent.

What's next. Once your body gets used to a regular contrast shower, you can easily switch to a cold one. The technique is the same: a gradual decrease in water temperature and an increase in the residence time under the stream. For example, the duration of a cold shower can be gradually increased from 20 seconds to 5 minutes.

Stage four: cold climax.

If you are already mentally ready to fall in love with really cold water, but have not passed the stage of a contrast shower, do not rush to dive into the ice hole. Inconsistency can lead to colds. First, try washing your face with cold water while hardening your throat - gargle it in the morning with water to lower the temperature. If there is no discomfort, work on your legs: every day before going to bed, immerse your feet in a basin of water for a minute. Start at 25 degrees, then gradually increase the time and lower the temperature. When your feet can stay in cold tap water for 10 minutes, and you don't get a shiver down your spine, you are ready to douche. The first time the water should be neither cold, let alone ice. As always, start with a warm one (30 degrees is fine) - pour it into a basin and quickly tip it over your head. Lower the temperature by one degree every day.

And now it remains to take only the last step to perfection - to learn how to take cold baths. This is not a problem if you have done all the previous steps correctly. Follow the same principle as always: lower the water temperature by 1 degree every day. You should stop at the "mark" behind which the discomfort zone begins.

A cold bath cannot completely replace a hot bath. It strengthens immune system organism, but it is not able to cleanse the body of dirt and bacteria.

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'll 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 temper them 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 over 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 have been thinking 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, hardening of brahmans 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, and stimulates the work of 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 beneficial for men and women not only to swim in the cold, but also to quit bad habits and fast one day a week. His method 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 of the year for beginners when you can try to get used to the cold is 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 the 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 the temperature 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 important rules:

• - do not pour water on your head because of the risk of a sharp vasoconstriction;
• - no need to start with a sharp drenching 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.

For the first time, its temperature should be at least 36-37 ° С, and it should be reduced very slowly - by 1 degree in 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 the 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 reduced 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 feet. 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 belly, third - shoulders, fourth - 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 you add warm water, 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 can be equated with bathing in a river or lake during the warm season. 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. Instead of ice, use frozen juice 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 both warm and cold water are used. First, the throat is rinsed warm, then cold and always ends 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 in recent times In the speeches of the famous doctor Komarovsky, the words were said that hardening of the effect will not bring 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 not quite traditional, but rather effective remains the use with a strengthening purpose of a sauna or a Russian bath. 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 a 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 down 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 go 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 decoctions are often used instead of for a healing effect. medicinal herbs(linden, chamomile, oak, mint, birch, sage or eucalyptus).

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, rather 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 about him - both about the benefits and about the harm, the controversy continues to this day. But those who 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 use alcoholic beverages for warming, but they can cause hypothermia of the respiratory tract and a cold.

Before plunging into ice water, it is recommended to do intense exercises 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 have colds and want to improve their health, and in the next blog articles I will talk about other methods of hardening.

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

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