Rules for hardening with cold water. Hardening of the body is a natural technique for healthy and happy longevity! Walking on water is a great way to harden the body

I remember how in kindergarten, babysitter before daytime sleep she poured cool water over our little kids' feet. For us, this procedure was then not entirely clear. But already as adults and having our own children, we began to understand how important it is to harden our body and the body of a child in order to avoid diarrheal diseases. We all know that hardening with water is an effective healing tool, but many of us do not take care of ourselves, complaining about the lack of time. We buy expensive medicines and dietary supplements to maintain our health, and forget about a simple, affordable and free procedure like dousing with water. The principle of dousing with water is simple - under the influence of cool water, cells are strongly heated, diseased cells are removed from the body, and healthy ones are strengthened. As a result, immunity increases, the function of thermoregulation in the body is restored, and blood circulation improves. Pouring is indicated for diseases of the nervous system, with stress, with.

So, if it was decided to harden by pouring cold water, where to start. It is important to remember that it is necessary to start this type of hardening healthy, without signs of a cold. And you should also know the principles of hardening:

1) systematic (regularity) - there should be a systematic, and not periodic (one-time), effect of cold water on the body. Only constant and daily hardening with water is the prevention of most diseases.
2) gradualness and consistency - the decrease in water temperature should occur gradually, the volume of water should also increase sequentially during hardening, from a small volume to a larger one.

Stages of hardening with cold water.

First stage. Preparing the body for hardening with cold water - sponging. To do this, with a towel or sponge dipped in water at room temperature, wipe your hands from the fingers to the shoulders, then go to the neck, chest, stomach, back, and legs. At the end, rub the body with a dry towel until redness.

Second phase. Pouring. The temperature of the water for dousing should be approximately thirty degrees Celsius, and subsequently it is necessary to consistently reduce it to fifteen degrees.

Third stage. It includes a fairly long exposure to water, i.e. pouring water from the shower or bucket in the bathroom. Subsequently, as soon as the body has got used to the temperature, one should move a degree lower, bringing the water temperature to 10-12 degrees Celsius. After cold water, you need to go to a contrast shower, i.e. alternate cold and hot water for 30 seconds.

Fourth stage. We start swimming in the river, in open water. No one will argue that the best time to start swimming is summer, you need to swim in the summer at least 3-4 times a week, and if possible every day. The water temperature in the reservoir should be eighteen to twenty degrees. It is necessary to move in such water very vigorously, the duration of bathing should be no more than 5 minutes. Best time for swimming until 12 noon and 15-18 hours.

After bathing, you need to rub yourself with a towel and quickly get dressed. After proper bathing, a pleasant feeling of warmth should appear in the body. If chills appear, blue lips, then this is hypothermia of the body. In this case, you need to quickly rub the body with a towel red-hot, make a few exercise and drink hot tea.

In conclusion, it is worth adding that there are practically no contraindications to water. Therefore, it is so important now, with the onset of summer, with greatest effect use cold water for healing.

The best way to protect yourself from colds and make your body stronger is water hardening. Such procedures are allowed at any age, but for each person they have their own characteristics depending on the state of health, the presence of chronic diseases, excess weight desired effect and many other factors. Let's figure out when and how best to start tempering, what you should pay special attention to.

The effect of hardening

The benefits of hardening with cold water have been known since ancient times. Today, experts note that with the correct and regular implementation of such procedures, the following effect can be achieved:

• strengthening immunity;
• getting a charge of vivacity and positive for the whole day;
• normalization of the sleep-wake mode;
• improvement of the cardiovascular and nervous system;
• normalization of hormone levels in the body;
• improved muscle mass growth;
• acceleration metabolic processes and removal of toxins;
• launching tissue regeneration processes, which contributes to rejuvenation and improvement appearance person.

Important! Hardening with cold water is not always possible. Contraindications to such procedures are diseases in the acute stage and exacerbations of chronic diseases, with violations of eye pressure, jumps in blood pressure, and with various pathologies of the heart. Therefore, before starting hardening procedures, be sure to consult with a specialist.

Types of hardening water procedures

Water hardening at home can be done in different ways:

• cold and hot shower;
• visiting baths, saunas, steam rooms;
• dousing and wiping with cold water;
• swimming in the open air, including the sea, lake, river;
• walking on water;
• washing and rinsing the mouth;
• visiting the pool.

Important! In addition to water hardening procedures, experts recommend regularly, whenever possible, air and sun baths. Such types of hardening act sparingly and are suitable for almost everyone who wants to strengthen the immune system, become more beautiful and cheerful.

Water hardening rules at home

Cold water should be carried out gradually. It is important to start such procedures correctly so that the result from them is only positive. Experts recommend following the rules:

1. You should not start hardening procedures during an exacerbation of chronic diseases, menstruation, poor health, as well as personal problems at work and in the family. Additional stress at this time will not lead to anything good.
2. To start hardening, you need to start small: do not immediately douse yourself with a bucket of cold water or throw your whole body into the snow. Start gargling, washing your face and hands. Then the neck, décolleté, legs are added.
3. Washing and other water hardening procedures are started at water temperature< не менее 20°С. Каждые 1-3 дня этот показатель нужно понижать на 1°С.
4. After getting used to cool water and eliminating the fear of cold, they begin to pour themselves from a bucket or with the help of a shower. Moreover, at first it is enough to douse the zone below the shoulders, and then you can wet your head.
5. For those who suffer from frequent colds, it is better to start with a more gentle way of hardening with water - cold rubdown.
6. Any procedure should bring pleasure and joy. Of course, at first it will be difficult to get used to, but after a few weeks this problem will be solved by itself.
7. Hardening procedures begin in the warm season. You can start them in the winter, but experts do not recommend because of the risk of additional stress on the body.
8. It is better to carry out any tempering procedure after preliminary warming up of the body - a small set of physical exercises.

IN childhood tempering is also very helpful. But it is better to start it only after consulting a specialist, if the baby has no contraindications and serious health problems. You can only carry out air and sun baths on your own. But even here it is worth knowing the measure and not overdoing it. It is not recommended to lower the temperature even with regularly and correctly carried out hardening procedures with water in younger children below 28 ° C. And for adults who are not striving for some kind of records, the lower limit is - 12-14 ° C.

Important! After consulting with a doctor, after you have become accustomed to dousing and rubbing, you can proceed to other cardinal and willpower-requiring methods of water hardening - winter swimming or wiping with snow. Not everyone can plunge into ice water and only after a long preparation.

If you follow all these rules, then there is no risk of getting sick from such procedures. In the event that during hardening you get sick or feel unwell, become pregnant, or experience other stresses on the immune system, then it is worth interrupting such sessions. You can start them again after restoring health and again with cool, but not cold water, gradually coming to the same results.

Hardening is a great way to strengthen immunity, but for beginners there are many nuances in this matter: where to start the procedures, how to perform them correctly and often - the article will answer all questions.

Hardening is one of the best and most proven ways to improve your own body, strengthen immunity and teach the body to quickly adapt to temperature changes. This procedure gives good results in a few weeks, but only if it is done correctly, so newcomers to this business need to understand a lot. Hardening for beginners must necessarily occur systematically. There are three stages that gradually prepare and adapt the body. Where to start hardening, how often and at what temperature should it be carried out, which method to choose?

Hardening - thermal water procedures aimed at accelerating the body's adaptation to hypothermia and overheating. Due to extreme cold or heat, the body often “turns off” the immune system in order to direct more energy to regulate body temperature. And at this time, viruses or bacteria break through the weakened protective bastions, a person becomes ill.

But after regular hardening, the body does not react so sharply to environmental indicators, so the immune function works normally. It is possible to carry out such procedures not only for adults, but also for children; before that, it is imperative to consult with a pediatrician.

Before giving advice on hardening, you need to understand its types and choose the right one. Exist various ways boost immunity:

• rubbing with a damp towel;
• pouring;
• cold and hot shower;
• walking on wet grass;
• bathing;
• winter swimming.

Where to start for beginners in the matter of hardening? If you have never encountered various water procedures before, with cool water, then it is better to start with warm rubdowns on fresh air.

Remember the main rule for beginners to strengthen their immunity with such procedures: the temperature can only be lowered gradually! It is necessary to start with warm water (28-30 degrees), every two or three days reducing the temperature by 1-2 degrees. Also, always at the end of the procedures, wipe yourself dry, dress, do not forget about socks.

Contraindications

1. It is enough for him to take a small towel and a basin of water.
2. Stand up, dip a towel in the water, wring it out and start wiping your legs, gradually rising to your hips.
3. After that, moisten the towel again in the basin, wring it out and start wiping the neck, going down to the hips.
4. Do 3 reps in each direction.
5. After that, you can do several simple exercises: 20 squats, 50 jumps, 30 tilts. This will help start the heat generation process.

A contrast shower is a quick and easy way to teach your body to better regulate its own temperature. Perform this procedure after your usual morning or evening bath. First, turn on warm water, pour over the whole body, and then adjust the warmth of the water so that it is 10-15 degrees lower, pour over again. Do this 3-4 times, always finish the contrast shower with cool water.

This step must be completed within 2 weeks, the procedures should be daily. Rubbing can be done twice a day, and a contrast shower - once. Be sure to wipe dry after contact with water. After 30-40 minutes, you can drink warm tea with honey or warmed milk, and it is advisable to wait an hour before eating.

Second phase

At the second stage, walking on wet grass and swimming can be connected to dousing and a contrast shower. You can walk barefoot on wet grass in the morning when dew lies on it. First there will be discomfort and the desire to stand on tiptoe, but it must be overcome.

The duration of such a walk at first should be no more than a minute. Every day increase the time by 10-15 seconds. Interesting fact that such a procedure not only tempers, but also improves mood, since the tactile sensations from the grass stimulate the nervous system to produce endorphins - the hormone of happiness.

Swimming is a great way not only to harden, but also to improve, because it improves the state of the cardiovascular system, tones muscles and strengthens the spine. If weather conditions permit, you can swim in a river or lake, but no one forbids visiting the pool when hardening is started in the cold season.

It is enough to swim for an hour, after that you need to dry yourself thoroughly, get dressed and be sure to dry your hair or wrap it in a towel.

Since there are already 4 procedures at the second stage, it is necessary to combine them correctly. Walking on wet grass is necessary every day in the morning, rubdown can be done in the afternoon, a contrast shower in the evening, and swimming 2-3 times a week is enough.

Third stage

The third stage is not much different from the second, because it includes all the same procedures, except for wiping, which must be replaced with a cold douche.

Cold dousing is also carried out outdoors.

1. For it, you need to take 2-3 buckets of water with a temperature of 20 degrees.
2. First you need to scoop up some liquid, wipe her body.
3. After that, you can take a bucket and pour half of its volume in the neck area.
4. The rest of the water is poured over the legs.
5. After the first bucket, squat or jump for a minute. So the body will receive an additional incentive to produce heat.
6. After that, using the same method, pour out the second and third (if any) bucket.
7. Be sure to dry yourself and get dressed.

The frequency of procedures at this stage remains the same, only instead of rubbing, there will now be dousing.

Why didn't they remember winter swimming? Winter swimming - swimming in ice water in winter. This method of hardening causes a lot of controversy, because many doctors consider it harmful and dangerous, so it is up to everyone to do it or not to do it.

Hardening for beginners must be carried out systematically in three stages, adhering to the methods and basic recommendations. Then the procedures will only bring benefits, help teach the body to quickly adapt to temperature changes and increase immunity.

We are increasingly talking about the treatment of diseases, when prevention is of no small importance. Increasing the body's resistance to negative environmental factors - this is the goal of preventive measures. It is necessary to strengthen the body. One of the methods of prevention is hardening. What is the principle of hardening, what rules must be followed, we will consider further.

A bit about the history of hardening

Hardening has been known for a very long time. There are mentions of him in the treatises of the great scientists of antiquity, such as Hippocrates, Democritus, Asklepiad. great attention physical health and endurance were given in Sparta. From a very young age, the boys went barefoot, and in the warm season they were practically naked.

IN Ancient Rome hardening, strengthening the body was also treated positively. Only the main place for the procedures were the baths. There were pools with hot and cold water, as well as rooms for massage and gymnastic exercises, mud baths were practiced. Sunbathing on rooftops.

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

In Rus', hardening was of a massive nature. A bath followed by rubbing with snow was the norm. Swimming in reservoirs at any time of the year is popular at the present time.

hardening 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. Practiced for the purpose of recovery and prevention.
• Walking barefoot regardless of the season.

2. Hardening with water:

• Cold and hot shower. Pouring alternately with cold, then moderately hot water.
• A visit to the bathhouse followed by a dive into the cool water.
• Dousing with water.
• Swimming in the hole.

Which 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, certain hardening principles must be observed. If they are not adhered to, then the procedures will be random.

We list the basic principles of hardening the body:

• Systematic hardening procedures. They must be carried out regularly, regardless of weather conditions and seasons. You can fix the execution of procedures in the mode of the day.
• Gradual increase in load. A sharp increase in load can be detrimental to health. The gradual transition should be carried out taking into account the responses of the body. 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 rubbing and foot baths. According to medical regulations, weak stimuli have a better effect on body functions, and excessive ones 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. Pouring can be carried out on the street. The body must experience either a strong or a weak effect, not getting used to a constant temperature, otherwise hardening in this case will be impractical.
• Accounting individual features body and health. Decided to start hardening? Wonderful! But it is recommended to visit a doctor first. He will tell you which method to choose. Hardening under medical supervision will help to avoid undesirable consequences and makes it possible to correctly plan further health promotion activities.

water hardening

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

Water affects the body in the following ways:

• At the first stage, there is a spasm of blood vessels and subcutaneous fat.
• On the second, the skin becomes red, adaptation occurs, mast cells, leukocytes are activated, substances with interferon-like properties are released. Feeling better. There is a surge of strength.
• At the third stage, if the body is supercooled, vasospasm again occurs. Since the body is supercooled, 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 in water hardening

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

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. A sharp 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, from hardening with water must be abandoned until complete recovery. Especially in the presence of purulent, non-healing or open wounds.
4. With diseases of the respiratory system: tuberculosis, bronchial asthma.
5. Do not recommend dousing with increased eye pressure.
6. For colds (ARVI, acute respiratory infections, influenza), you should refrain from procedures, even if classes were regular before the illness.
7. Don't wrap your head around. This can adversely affect health.

Methods of water hardening

Hardening with water can be traditional and non-traditional.

Traditional methods include:

• Rubbing. Can be used at any age, even from the cradle. To do this, you need a towel that absorbs water well. How to carry out the procedure, we will tell further.
• Pouring. May be local or general.
• Swimming in natural waters. It can also be recommended from an early age, starting with a temperature of 24-26 degrees. After the procedure, be sure to move.

How the water hardening procedure begins, we will consider further.

Starting water hardening

The most optimal time for tempering water procedures is in the morning. It is recommended to recharge.

Hardening with water should begin with rubbing. 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 the shoulders, arms, chest, back follow. The next step is to dry with a towel, rubbing the skin red. 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 take no more than 5 minutes.

Then you can go directly to dousing.

Start using water a degree slightly below body temperature. The permissible range is +34 ... +36 ° C. Every 3 days the temperature is lowered by one degree. After dousing the body, it is also recommended to rub it red with a dry towel. The procedure should last no more than 1 minute.

Non-traditional hardening

Non-traditional hardening methods include procedures such as:

• Wiping with snow.
• Walking barefoot in the snow.
• Exposure to low temperature air.
• Sauna.
• Russian bath.

The meaning of hardening is that the thermoregulatory apparatus is trained by such procedures. immune system. This reduces the body's sensitivity to the harmful effects of the sun, cold, water and other factors.

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

Hardening of children

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

• Water hardening.
• Air.
• Sunny.

As we indicated earlier, unconventional methods hardening is not recommended for the child's body, especially for preschoolers due to the immaturity of the neural 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.
• Along with water procedures, you can do massage, gymnastic exercises.

When hardening children preschool age several rules must be followed:

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

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

General rules for hardening children

• It is possible to temper a child from an early age.
• The baby must be absolutely healthy.
• Adhere to the basic principle of hardening - the systematic implementation of procedures.
• Set an example for a child. Participate, for example, in water procedures.
• 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.
• Before the procedure, the hands and feet of the child should be warm.
• If you didn’t like the procedure and caused unexpected negative reactions in the child, then you will have to give up hardening for a while 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 of hardening at home.

• The process begins with walking in the fresh air (at first, 10 minutes a day is enough). You need to walk every day, increasing the time.
• Ventilate the room daily.
• Be sure to ventilate the room before and after going to bed.
• Dress your child according to the weather.
• In good weather, the child can sleep outdoors. Older children in good weather should be outside as much as possible.

Water hardening of a child

The hardening of preschool children begins with a contrast pouring of the legs. You can also use the following procedures:

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

It is worth remembering that children who have had pneumonia, pleurisy, who have diseases of the heart, kidneys, bathing and hardening are not recommended. A doctor's consultation is required.

General hardening rules

Let's highlight a few general hardening rules:

• If you decide to start hardening, you should first visit a therapist and choose an alternative method together.
• It is necessary to start the procedure being healthy.
• There should not be diseases in the acute or chronic stage at the time of employment.
• Observe one of the principles of hardening - regularity. There shouldn't be long breaks.
• Gradually increase the intensity and load.
• You need to monitor your health. Regularly measure temperature, pressure, pulse.
• Hardening will be more effective if combined with exercise.
• Recommend to adhere healthy eating, it will also increase the efficiency of the procedures.
• If you get sick or feel unwell, the hardening procedures must be temporarily stopped.
• If in the process of hardening there is no influx of strength, energy, but, on the contrary, there is a breakdown, depression, it is necessary not to delay the visit to the doctor and stop the procedure.

Hardening and health can be put on a par. By stimulating the body's defenses, you can forget about colds in the offseason.

In the previous article, we looked at 4 main stages of hardening, which help activate the body's defense mechanisms, reduce the risk of seasonal colds, reduce the severity of the disease, and ensure a speedy recovery in case of infection in the body. In this article we will consider the latest stage of hardening with water - winter swimming.

1. The latest stage of hardening with water is winter swimming. You can start winter swimming only when the body is already fully accustomed to the procedures, does not experience stress when in contact with cold water. Between the start of hardening and the last stage, at least several months should pass. Be in an ice hole or ice water can be 1-2 minutes. This is quite enough. It is better to start swimming in the hole with a 30-second stay in the water. While swimming in an ice-hole, a person's energy consumption and blood pressure increase, a person absorbs 10 times more air, and the amount of blood pushed out by the heart increases.

There are 3 main stages of skin reaction to cooling:

1. It is characterized by blanching of the skin, a drop in body temperature, goose bumps. This is primary cooling.

2. The second stage is different in that the vessels dilate, the skin turns red and becomes warm. The person no longer feels cold.

3. During the third stage, secondary cooling of the skin occurs. She turns pale again, her lips become bluish, chills appear. During the third stage, hypothermia of the body may occur, as a result of which a person will get a cold.

It is noted that those who are especially prone to colds become supercooled, bypassing the second stage of cooling. Thus, getting into cold water, they immediately freeze and are extremely vulnerable to viruses and microbes.

Remember that hardening can be done by people of any age, at any time of the year. The main thing is to do it systematically, day after day, preferably at the same time.