How to start hardening correctly. How to start hardening for an adult at home. Sleeping with the window open

Hardening is considered one of the most effective techniques for combating colds. And you don’t need to think that your body is not like that of walruses and cannot withstand hardening with cold water.

Scientists constantly conduct tests with people, finding out how hardening works and on whom. They were able to establish the main positive effects of this process on the body, these are:

• First of all, oncology, and among walruses, the percentage of people with such diseases is incredibly low. This is explained by the incredible influx of vital energy into every cell of the entire body, which, of course, does not allow malignant tumors to stagnate.
• All diseases associated with colds, because if you properly harden yourself with cold water, then a runny nose and acute respiratory infections will not come to you.
• And as a significant bonus, you get incredible vigor and a surge of strength. It's hard to describe, but after immersing yourself in ice-cold water, an energy arises that will not allow you to sit still.
• Highly recommended for those people who experience lethargy or loss of strength. Dousing yourself with cold water will help you achieve more in life than you can now, so don't put it off.

In order to have the maximum positive effect from hardening and rubbing, you must first of all do it correctly. Otherwise, there is a chance of harming your body and body without even knowing it.

The main rules for hardening with cold water and wiping

The very first and most basic rule that you must follow is smoothness or gradualness. That is, how you should prepare your body, be it hardening or rubbing. In no case should you sharply accustom your body to cold water, even if you are in good health. The stress that the body experiences as a result of such hardening is very harmful.

The systematic nature of classes must not be disrupted. You must strictly follow the hardening schedule, usually in the morning, 2-4 times a week. If for some reason you cannot carry out the procedure, then try to replace it with something. But you shouldn’t give up completely, otherwise your body will lose its rhythm.

How to start hardening with cold water

It all depends on your health, taking into account the climate where you live. It would be better, of course, to consult a doctor about hardening, but if this is not possible, then be as fair to yourself as possible.

And when you can already stay under an ice shower for 120-180 seconds, you can move on to the next stage, winter swimming. This is the most risky type of hardening, since the person has to be immersed in cold water. But the effect of such procedures is much higher than that of a contrast shower.

For beginners, the dive time should not exceed 20 seconds. In addition, there should always be people nearby; you should not do this alone. Further, as an experienced walrus, you will be able to sit in the ice hole for 1-2 minutes without harm to your health.

Any type of hardening with cold water is useful, but only if you do it correctly. Therefore, it is worth approaching hardening with all responsibility and not rushing to achieve results in a short time.

You shouldn’t immediately get into a cold shower, pour a bucket of ice water on yourself right on the snow in the yard, or dive into an ice hole. Such experiments can end badly.

Elena Koroleva

General practitioner

“First, you should definitely visit a doctor and ask if you can douse yourself with cold water. The fact is that even gentle douches at home are contraindicated for people with high eye pressure, chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system and skin diseases. Cold water is an irritant that can cause palpitations in heart patients, exacerbation of the disease in asthmatics and a nervous attack in epilepsy, psychosis and hysteria. Hypotonics, hypertensives and patients with kidney diseases should also receive prior approval from specialists. In general, hardening is contraindicated during exacerbation of any chronic diseases, colds, acute respiratory infections and the presence of inflammatory processes in the body. Don’t experiment with your health!”

The attending physician can give some recommendations, taking into account the characteristics of your health, and tell you how to properly harden yourself at home. Hardening procedures should begin in a calm state, when there is no stress or overwork in life. In other words, the nervous system must be in order. It is also advisable to eliminate all bad habits, because smoking and drinking alcohol are incompatible with hardening.

Some tips for beginners

There are two main rules - gradualism and regularity. There is no need to suddenly change your lifestyle. If you've been wrapping yourself up all the time and sneezing from any draft, you won't be able to wake up like a walrus one morning, and no one is asking you to. Start small - walk around your apartment barefoot for at least 5-10 minutes a day, and not only on carpets, but also on cool floor coverings. Gradually increase this time to 40 minutes, and then start dousing your feet. And there is no need to rush here - first immerse your feet in a basin of cool water, then gradually lower its temperature and increase the time of foot baths. After a while, you will enjoy the ice water and be able to keep your feet in the basin for three minutes or even more. You can place two basins next to each other - with hot and ice water, creating contrast baths. Also try to wash your face first with cool and then with cold water - if you do this in the morning, then good spirits and excellent tone throughout the day are guaranteed! Already at this stage of hardening, the immune system will become stronger, and you will stop reacting with colds to drafts, provided that hardening continues every day, and not from time to time. And most importantly, don’t give up hardening, because then you’ll have to start all over again. Unfortunately, the body very quickly returns to its original state and again begins to succumb to various diseases.

Pouring rules

When your feet have become accustomed to the cold and temperature contrasts, you can start dousing, but again not immediately. Many hardening experts recommend rubbing the body with a towel soaked in cool and then cold water for two weeks. At the same time, you should not have any dermatological problems - rashes, eczema, wounds and pustules. The duration of the procedure should be increased gradually, as should the temperature of the water, and the total preparation for dousing should not be less than two weeks.

How to start pouring yourself? In the evening, fill the bucket with cold water so that by morning it warms up to room temperature. Get into the bath or shower, pour water over your hands and feet, then rub yourself well with a towel. After two weeks, you can already douse yourself completely, starting with your feet and gradually lowering the temperature of the water - this, as you already understand, is a general rule for all procedures. Soon you will not need to cool the water in the bucket overnight, but use a home thermometer to regulate the temperature of the water, adding hot water to the bucket if necessary. Some lower the temperature by a degree per week, others by 2 degrees, but in this matter you need to listen to yourself and monitor your well-being, remembering the Russian proverb - the quieter you go, the further you will go. By the way, it is better for women to use a bucket with a volume of no more than 8-10 liters; men can also take larger buckets. After dousing, it is recommended to dry a little in the fresh air; besides, air baths are very useful.

How to take a contrast shower correctly

Contrast showers are more suitable for constantly busy modern people. Agree, it’s easier to stand in the shower than to collect water in a bucket and rub yourself with a towel. The contrast shower scheme is simple - 10-30 seconds of hot water and 10-30 seconds of cold water. The duration of each phase increases gradually, for example, two weeks for 10 seconds, two weeks for 15 seconds. The temperature of cool water also gradually decreases - it’s better to start with 30 degrees, and then bring it to 15, and hot water can be left at 40-45 degrees.

The benefit of a contrast shower is that it improves blood circulation and ensures rapid blood flow to organs, strengthens the heart and blood vessels, increases the body's defenses and speeds up metabolism. Hot water expands blood vessels, and cold water contracts them, and such hardening is very useful for strengthening blood vessels under short-term exposure. The body also learns to resist low temperatures, so it is no longer problematic to get sick, as it was before. However, you should not take a cold shower for too long, since prolonged cooling does not activate protective functions, but, on the contrary, depresses it, as a result you can become hypothermic and catch a cold.

Winter extreme: unusual methods of hardening

Swimming in an ice hole and walking barefoot in the snow seem unusual only to modern people. Immersion in ice water in Rus' was part of pagan military rites, and the Slavs adopted this custom from the ancient Scythians, who immersed newborns in ice water in order to accustom them from birth to harsh climatic conditions. The tradition of jumping into a snowdrift after a hot bath is still alive, and even in city baths there is a pool with cool water for this purpose. Many people are keen on winter swimming, claiming that swimming in an ice hole in winter lifts their spirits, relieves apathy, blues and many diseases.

Nina Ermilova

Chairman of the hardening club

“Swimming in the ice hole gives me health and excellent well-being. At a young age, I suffered two heart attacks, so 30 years ago I took up hardening and now I can calmly swim across the Kola Bay in Murmansk. There are already 150 “walruses” in our club, and everyone is very happy with life!”

Of course, it is strictly forbidden to immediately dive into an ice hole - you need to go through the entire hardening cycle and only then try to shower yourself outside in winter after the doctor’s permission. If you have been practicing air baths at home for a long time and don’t know how to start hardening yourself in the fresh air in winter, try air baths on the balcony. Start with one minute, gradually increase the time, and very soon you will want to go outside with a bucket. All procedures should bring pleasure and comfort, so if you feel cold and unpleasant, it means you have run ahead a little and violated the rule of gradualness. Go back a little, because there is nowhere to rush...

Bath - hot hardening method

“The bathhouse brings enormous benefits,” says traditional medicine specialist Maxim Kodintsev. — High temperature and humidity in the steam room improves the functioning of the respiratory system, and due to the fact that the breathing rate increases, the bronchi expand and ventilation of the lungs improves. In addition, the heart works more actively, the pulse quickens, blood circulation increases and the body's thermoregulation system normalizes. The high temperature in the steam room, according to ancient doctors, is the cleansing force that expels all diseases. The bath is good for the skin, heart, musculoskeletal system, digestive organs and nervous system, but for some diseases it is not indicated, so prior consultation with a doctor is necessary. Heart patients and hypertensive patients should beware of prolonged exposure to high temperatures and avoid too sharp contrasts, so jumping into an ice hole after a steam room is not an activity for everyone.”

How to properly temper and in general how to start tempering with water

Greetings friends! Animals and frogs, kids and old people, we’ll toughen ourselves up a little, it won’t hurt us.

Hardening is one of the simple ways to increase the body's resistance to colds such as Acute respiratory infections, flu, tonsillitis and the most common runny nose.

I used to, especially in my youth, get sick quite often, and this despite the fact that I was a very athletic guy. I studied at the same time in a football school and in the athletics section, plus my parents sent me to a music school (probably it was prestigious), although to be honest, it’s not my thing, but I can play the guitar. He often skipped school and went to various competitions. And there were even prizes in athletics in the heptathlon.

So, I ran and jumped quickly and far, but I caught all sorts of viruses like acute respiratory infections and the runny nose with enviable regularity. This of course interfered with both my career in sports and in general. And unfortunately, no one really told me anything about what was needed and how correctharden. If I heard it from my parents or somewhere else, it was casually and without paying due attention, but in vain.

Summer ends, rains, dampness begin, then slush and cold. Of course, neither we nor our body like this. We begin to "resent" and consume more garlic, onions, honey and other goodies and health benefits in order to strengthen and protect our body from these bad phenomena.

I did this for quite a long time, but still, catching an acute respiratory infection, flu, or something else two or even three times during the cold season was the norm. As for the runny nose, he was my “best friend” throughout the long winter, he never left me or cheated on me.

One day I read an article in a newspaper about health, about a method of fighting colds called hardening and decided to try it. I’ll say right away that it helped a lot. Sometimes, of course, it happens to get sick, but now this is the exception rather than the norm. Runny nose, “my faithful and devoted friend,” began to “cheat” on me, but that’s his business.

But before you start to harden, you need to know something about what is best or what not to do. Otherwise, instead of benefit, you can easily get what we want to protect ourselves from.

A few simple tips and methods of hardening in a “big secret” will help you resist much more effectively than garlic and delicious honey.

I’ll also add that hardening normalizes the state of the human nervous system. In simple words, it strengthens our emotional background, it helps us to be more balanced and restrained. It has also been scientifically proven to increase performance and even lift our mood. And this is absolutely true.

Several methods of hardening - how to harden with water:

And so: we harden our legs ,- We try to do it every day. Before going to bed (an hour or two before), put your feet in cool water, not ice water for 5 min. After a month, you can use colder water and then, after a period of time, completely ice water. This is what you need to do so that your body can adapt.

But I prefer a method like a contrast shower . This method of hardening not only strengthens the body, but thanks to the temperature difference it improves blood circulation, restores energy after a hard day, relaxes, but what I also noticed is that it improves hairstyle, or rather hair (although I don’t have a lot of it, only Don’t think that the contrast shower is to blame for this, well, that’s my nature).

I think this is due to the narrowing and dilation of blood vessels and the plus of a good state after such a shower. How to do it and where to start:

Always remember - the body needs adaptation, so we start with a temperature that is comfortable for you:

We climb into the bath, turn on the warm shower and enjoy it for 5-10 minutes - you should warm up if you are cold and relax.

Then we run hot water (but comfortable enough for you), stand for 5-60 seconds.

And we repeat. It will look like this: cold-hot-cold-hot, etc. .

During the first weeks you should not change the contrast more than twice, as you may get sick. The water should also not be too cold or too hot. Take your time. You can gradually increase the time spent in cold and hot water from 5 seconds to 1 minute. It’s no longer worth it - this will be enough. And also, over time, you can increase the contrast by using ice and hotter water, but this will not happen sooner than in 1.5-2 months. This is a very effective way of hardening.

Note : for people with very weakened immune and nervous systems It is not recommended to use ice water during the hardening process , cold will be enough.

And now I want to offer you a couple of simple and effective ways to harden with water, if you are not at all used to it:

This method was suggested to me by my friend, who is not only an expert in psychology, but also an athlete, and knows first-hand about hardening. And so that your body goes through the first and The most important part of adaptation, without any unpleasant consequences for ourselves, is to do this simple procedure.

Every day, for a couple of weeks, we put two or three fingers under a stream of ice water. A couple of minutes is enough. Your entire body will adjust itself and adapt to the changes (to the cold). Why all? On the fingers, as well as on the toes, there are a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels connected to all organs of our body. Do this and then you can move on to more thorough methods.

Another very quick and simple (morning) method of hardening before work, which I read on the Internet and decided to add to my article

Both people and doctors recommend tempering yourself. This will help you avoid colds, oncology, vegetative-vascular dystonia and significantly increase your energy. It must be remembered that it is possible to achieve a positive result only when exercises to harden the body are carried out correctly. If you don’t know some things, you can seriously harm your body.

The following hardening procedures exist:

• Sunbathing
• Hardening in the fresh air
• Water procedures (shower, rubbing, dousing, swimming in sea water, swimming pools, natural reservoirs)
• Walking barefoot
• Snow rubdown
• with swimming in cool water
• Winter swimming

It is better to start the hardening process in the summer, since in this case the body will be maximally protected from diseases. In winter, it is more difficult to psychologically tune in to hardening, and besides, cold procedures during this period can lead to colds. First, start with basic walks in the fresh air. The duration of walks depends on the age and health status of the individual. It is advisable to combine being in the fresh air with vigorous activity: in winter - skating, skiing, in summer - running, playing ball and other outdoor games.

After your walk, you can take a contrast shower. This hardening is suitable for absolutely everyone. In the morning, hardening will lead to vigor, in the evening it will help relieve fatigue.

When you go outside, stretch, warm up, and do exercises. When warmth spreads throughout your body, start running or walking quickly. The walk should last until you feel cold. There is no need to take such walks earlier than 2 hours before bedtime, so that such an invigorating procedure will not cause you to fall asleep later than usual. Do not go for walks on an empty stomach, but also not on a full one.

The basis of a contrast shower is the alternation of warm and summer water. It should last no more than 3-4 minutes. Each phase is 30 seconds. To achieve more serious results, a second stage of hardening is carried out. It includes a hard contrast shower, wiping and dousing
.
The second stage can only be started by those who have already spent 3-4 weeks mastering walks and contrast showers. If your health is good, then you can proceed directly to the second stage.

Let's consider some hardening procedures:

Rubdown
The temperature for wiping should not be lower than 18 °C. It’s easy to do, you just need to wet a towel in cool water and quickly start wiping your body, starting from the upper torso. Afterwards, immediately dry off with a dry towel.

Pouring
The effect of cold during dousing should be almost instantaneous for 2-3 seconds. And completely over the whole body. The onset of warmth, following a cold shock, indicates that the procedure was carried out correctly. This effect is achieved very simply, you just need to dive headfirst into the water and immediately jump out or pour a bucket of cold water on yourself. This procedure can also be carried out using a shower, but then the effect will not be so strong, because the water rolls down the body from top to bottom, heats up and does not cool evenly.

It is important to remember the rule: you need to douse on a body that is slightly warmed up, but not to the point of sweating; in this case, physical exercises to warm up are appropriate. After dousing, you should not dry yourself; it is better to go into a warm room without drafts and move around a little until you warm up and dry completely. Following this rule will teach the body not to be afraid of the dousing procedure, and will prevent various negative manifestations in the form of pain in the joints, lower back, dry skin, etc.

Hardening the legs
This method is very good for people who often suffer from colds. An hour before going to bed, immerse your feet in cool water, up to the middle of your shins, for about 3 minutes. You should start with a temperature of 37–38 °C, gradually lowering it every 2 days by 1 degree. After 2-3 months, the water can be quite cold, almost icy. If during the hardening process you get sick - have a cold, then refrain from water procedures for three days, and then resume the procedure from the temperature at which you stopped.

Cold and hot shower
You need to get used to the procedure of taking a contrast shower gradually. For the first two weeks, take a regular shower at a temperature that is comfortable for you, then do one small contrast, stand under cold water for 5-10 seconds. After 2 weeks, move on to two and then three contrasts.

Ideally, a contrast shower is carried out like this:

But before this, you should take into account medical contraindications, if any. Stress from such temperature changes can trigger the appearance of certain diseases. Hypertensive patients, heart patients and diabetics should not proceed to the second stage. They can start to harden only with the doctor's permission. Hardening is contraindicated for people with acute and chronic diseases, pregnant women, and children under 6 years of age.

When dousing, you need to learn how to correctly operate with the duration of dousing and the difference in water temperatures. With a light contrast shower, the temperature difference is 10 degrees. The upper temperature limit is 40 degrees. In parallel with the decrease in temperature, it is necessary to increase the procedure time. To do this, you must have a clock and a thermometer in the bathroom.
The water temperature must be lowered until the cold water tap is fully unscrewed in the cold phase. If you can withstand 3 minutes in a cold shower without any problems, then your body is already prepared for the most extreme type of hardening - winter swimming. It usually takes 3-4 months to achieve this result.

Snow rubdown must be carried out under certain conditions. Rubbing is best done close to home. This will allow you to quickly return indoors and warm up. The snow should be loose, but in no case hard. Otherwise, you may scratch the skin. Before wiping, you need to warm up properly. You must wear gloves on your hands and a hat on your head. Having undressed to the waist, begin to throw snow on your body. For a positive effect, 2-3 times are enough. The procedure of wiping with snow must be performed 3-4 times a week. If you have skin diseases, then you should avoid wiping with snow.
To walk in the snow, choose areas with clean snow. Take off your shoes and just walk in the snow. When you feel that your feet are starting to freeze, you need to stop the procedure.

The most extreme type of hardening is winter swimming. Only trained people can begin this type of hardening. The number of classes must be selected individually for each person.
For beginners, the air temperature during winter swimming should be slightly below 0 degrees. In severe frost, it is better to refuse the procedure. Once immersed in the water, there is no need to rush to dive. If you feel that you are frozen, it is better not to do this. Before you begin the process, you need to warm up properly to warm up your body. For beginners, the time spent in the water should be no more than 10 seconds. Experienced “walruses” can stay in the water for 2-3 minutes. After leaving the water, you need to dry yourself and get dressed.

What should you consider when hardening?
in the snow and swimming in an ice hole is a difficult test for a weak and unprepared body. Temper yourself with cold water without haste, gradually lower the temperature and increase the duration of the process, listen to your body, your feelings. Temper yourself systematically, and not from time to time, it should become a habit like washing your face, brushing your teeth, etc. It is better to carry out procedures every day for a few minutes than once a week for an hour.

Among the northern peoples, habituation to the cold began from birth. The Yakuts, for example, wiped babies with snow and doused them with cold water several times a day.

Health status
When practicing one or another hardening method, take into account your health, your lifestyle, age and climatic conditions. Because different regions have their own temperature conditions, under the influence of which a certain level of stability and sensitivity to cooling is formed. For beginners, a contrast shower is an ideal option. Hot (comfortable) water for two minutes, followed by 5-10 seconds. cold. Repeat the cycle up to 10 times, ending with cold water. If such a douche is difficult, then it can be replaced by wiping with a towel soaked in cold water.

Lifestyle
An important component of proper hardening is the lifestyle we lead. Give up bad habits and follow a rational daily routine. Failure to comply with the daily routine, poor sleep, irregular meals, overeating and refusal of physical activity will not allow you to achieve the hardening effect. Drinking alcohol and smoking interfere with hardening, causing opposite reactions in the body. Alcohol, for example, leads to the expansion of peripheral vessels, which increases heat transfer, while hardening, on the contrary, tries to narrow them in response to cold. Smoking significantly impairs blood circulation and thereby aggravates cooling.

Take a step towards a healthy lifestyle, start toughening up now, and you will undoubtedly feel cheerful and energized, and also protect yourself from winter illnesses.

Every day more and more people are trying to monitor their health, because in the modern world there are a huge number of factors that negatively affect the condition of the body. In addition, it also has a beneficial effect on the body.

What are the benefits of hardening the body?

Since ancient times it has been noted that cold water has an invigorating and strengthening effect on the body, while warm and hot water, on the contrary, relaxes. This suggests the conclusion that low-temperature water has a hardening effect when exposed to the human body. The benefits of hardening are as follows:

• promotion ;
• improving the body's thermoregulation;
• increased resistance to;
• recovery .

Preparatory stage

Any matter related to health requires a responsible approach and preparation. After all, if you take rash actions, perform procedures that you have learned about by hearsay or read in passing, you can only cause harm to your body. How to start properly tempering with cold water at home to get maximum results? First, let's look at the preparatory stage.

Determined attitude

An important component of a positive result from hardening is. You need to clearly define for yourself why you need it, what you want to get in the end, and what methods you will use to achieve results.

It would also be a good idea to draw for yourself hardening plan: how much time to allocate for this, on what days, etc. Before starting hardening, you must be firmly confident in your intentions, there should be no doubts left, otherwise the brain will resist the process in every possible way and even perceive it as a kind of violence against the body.

The next stage of preparation should be air baths. The stress for a body that is not accustomed to water procedures will be much less if in the first stages you are tempered with air.

Air baths, depending on the air temperature, are divided into:

• lukewarm (22°C);
• indifferent (21–22°С);
• cool (17–20°C);
• moderately cold (9–16°C);
• cold (0–8°C);
• very cold (0°C).

Important! If, due to illness, you are forced to skip hardening procedures for more than 7 days, after recovery you will have to start the process from the very beginning.

As a preparation for water hardening, cool air baths lasting 20–30 minutes are used. Next they move on to rubbing.

Rubdown

Used for rubbing fabric made from natural materials. You need to start with water, the temperature of which is approximately 30°C, each time decreasing the temperature by 1°C, and bring it to 20°C. After the procedure, rub the skin with a dry towel until warmed up.

Second phase

After the preparatory procedures have become the norm and become a daily habit, you can move on to the main hardening procedures: hardening the feet. And in this part of the article we will tell you how to properly harden using these procedures.

Hardening the feet

Foot hardening is carried out in two stages:

• dousing;
• foot baths.

After a couple of weeks you can move on to foot baths. Fill a basin with water (about 20°C), stand in it and step from one leg to the other for a couple of minutes. Subsequently, the water temperature is gradually reduced. Foot hardening must be done daily.

You can also use contrasting foot baths. To do this, you will need two basins: one with warm water (about 37°C), the other with cool water (about 20°C). First immerse your feet in warm water for about 30 seconds, then in cold water for 15 seconds. Repeat the procedure 3 times, then rub your feet with a towel. For subsequent procedures, the temperature of hot water should be gradually increased (brought to 40°C), and cold water, on the contrary, lowered (to 15°C).

A contrast shower involves pouring cold and hot water over the body alternately.

1. Douse yourself with warm water.
2. Gradually increase the water temperature to hot and pour over for about a minute.
3. Abruptly switch the water to cold and pour over it for a minute.
4. Change hot water to cold water 3 to 5 times.
5. You need to finish with cold water.
6. After a shower, rub yourself with a dry towel.

Final stage: dousing

The final stage of hardening is directly pouring water from a bucket over the entire body. Thus, release occurs, and all forces are aimed at restoring the temperature regime. This is what happens.

As after all previously described procedures, it is recommended to rub the body with a hard towel and wrap yourself in a robe. Also, a cup of hot food will not be superfluous. It is better to douse on. In the cold season, the duration should not exceed 10 seconds, in the warm season - 1-2 minutes. The water temperature should not be lower than 15°C, but it must be brought to this level gradually, starting from 30°C.

Finally, we have collected some tips for beginners on how to harden themselves so as not to get sick:

1. Procedures must be regular and continuous.
2. Increase cold loads in complexity and time.
3. Take an integrated approach.
4. Before starting hardening, make sure there are no chronic diseases.
5. Do not rush to master the science of hardening, do everything gradually, without skipping a single stage.