Cold Water Pouring for Excellent Health (Results). What happens in the body when doused with cold water?

Pouring cold water has an effect on the human body. The skin is a kind of transmitter of information to the brain. When receiving any stimulus, the skin instantly transmits signals to the brain. He reacts to the stimulus, giving orders to the internal organs. When cold water hits the skin within a few seconds, a signal is sent to the brain: “it’s very cold, you urgently need warmth.” Then an important part of the brain - the hypothalamus - gives commands to internal systems: cardiovascular, metabolism and others. This part of the brain is responsible for the most important moments of human life: quality of sleep, period of wakefulness, desire to eat and drink, body temperature, general well-being of a person.

Previously, about 5 years ago, I was sick every year: either a cold or a sore throat. I tried to go outside less in bad weather and not get my feet wet in winter or autumn. And if this happened, then I immediately prepared for the worst. And for good reason. Literally the next day the first signs of illness appeared. In search of ways to strengthen my immunity, I decided to resort to hardening. Although the benefits and harms to the brain from dousing with cold water have not yet been scientifically proven, I have noticed significant improvements in my health.

I gradually started dousing with water at room temperature. Day after day I reduced the degree, making the water colder. After 2-3 months, I completely calmly doused myself with ice water in the morning. I can’t say that I enjoyed this process. But I noticed a surge of strength and energy, and my health seemed to improve. In recent years I have never been sick again. Although those around me say that dousing has nothing to do with this, I know the truth. Cold water quenching improved my health. Now I am more resistant to cold, and my body kills all infections even before the first signs of illness appear.

How does hardening and dousing work on the brain?

The benefit of dousing with cold water is that such stress activates the brain at full capacity and releases reserve energy. However, do not overuse such hardening! Excessive dousing is harmful to the body. Hardening with cold water puts the body into a state of stress. At this moment, a large amount of adrenaline is released, as well as stress and energy hormones. These hormones allow you to release a lot of energy in a short amount of time.

Doing this on a daily basis will cause serious harm to your body. The fact is that at such moments a large load falls on the vessels, which subsequently leads to their damage. In addition, the functionality of the adrenal glands decreases. Do not forget that hardening with cold water is a strong stress for the body. Any stress depletes reserve forces, activating them here and now. When deciding to strengthen the body's stress resistance and immune system, do it in moderation. With the right approach, exposure to cold water on the skin will bring only positive results.

What will you get from regular dousing with cold water?

If you use this hardening method correctly, you will bring many benefits to your body.

Instead of coffee

Most people do not feel very cheerful and joyful in the morning. The modern pace of life does not make it possible to get enough sleep and wake up with a smile on your face. The unfortunate alarm clock on weekdays forces you to get up almost with the first rays of the sun. And then aromatic coffee comes to the rescue.

Caffeine increases blood pressure and circulates blood throughout the body. This makes you feel energized. But the problem is that over time, one cup of coffee becomes not enough. Then the dose of caffeine increases. And this happens until the attending physician prohibits the use of this drink.

To avoid sad consequences, drink coffee in moderation. It is replaced by a cold shower, which is just as invigorating. It is not necessary to climb under the icy stream with half-open eyes. Wash your face with cool water, then turn on the warm pressure. When the body gets used to it, reduce the temperature to cool, and then to cold. Taking a cold shower in the morning will invigorate you and give you strength for the whole day.

Strength of spirit and character

Lounging in bed until lunch or starting the early morning with an invigorating hot drink is certainly a pleasant experience. But not everyone can force themselves to take a cold shower or pour a bucket of ice water on themselves. By pouring cold water on yourself, you strengthen your willpower, making your character firm and unshakable. After all, at first you will have to force yourself to do it. But by overcoming yourself here, it will be easier for you to cope with life’s difficulties and temptations.

"Healthy" fat

Quenching with cold water promotes the active appearance of “healthy” fat. But don't worry about your weight and thin waist. This type of fat is recognized as “brown” fat, which until recently was believed to be found only in newborn children. However, studies have shown that it is also characteristic of adults. “Brown” fat is found in the chest and neck area. When poured cold, it splits, trying to warm its owner. It is believed that the more “healthy” fat a person has, the less normal fat. Thus, hardening with cold water will have a positive effect on your figure.

Immunity

The most common reason for dousing with cold water is to strengthen the immune system. But scientists have not yet proven the fact of such an effect of dousing on the body. Presumably, strengthening the immune system during hardening is due to the fact that a person gets used to hypothermia and becomes more resistant to it. But if you get your feet wet in the cold autumn, this does not mean that you are guaranteed to get a cold. It's all about the germs and infections that the person walking next to you may have. Colds and all diseases appear because the infection enters a weakened body, which at the moment cannot resist it. Pouring with cold water will increase a person’s resistance to coolness and cold, and therefore the body’s resistance to infections if necessary.

How to get used to soaking your head?

Pouring your head must be done correctly. If you are new to this business, then adhere to the following rules.

1. Start pouring gradually. First of all, pour cold water on your feet, then on your knees and thighs. Day by day, increase the area covered at a time.
2. Fill a bucket of water and leave it in the bath overnight. During this time, the water will warm up to room temperature, and the pouring process will not cause negative emotions.
3. Before dousing, prepare everything you need: a towel, a warm robe and slippers. You need to perform this action calmly, without rushing.
4. When the body has become accustomed to cold water, start dousing your head. Pour water with a sharp jerk, and under no circumstances stand in a cold shower for a long time while pouring.

Attention! Do not douse your head if you have chronic diseases. In this case, the procedure will lead to negative consequences and aggravate ailments.

Conclusion

If you have read this article, then the first step towards improvement has already been taken. Pouring will strengthen your spirit and give you strength for a new day. The main thing is don’t give up and don’t quit halfway. Believe in yourself, in your strengths and way of life, then your actions and actions will bring pleasure. Develop and become better, because there are no limits to perfection!

If you feel that you are not warmed up enough, rub your entire body with your hands until you feel hot, tense your muscles. Or you can simply splash yourself first with warm water and then with cold water.

Tip: first do just your legs, in the second week go up to your knees. Next - to the hips and lower back. After 35 days you can already plunge headlong.

Pouring cold water has brought many benefits to people; whether it will suit you personally or cause harm is difficult to say, but the reviews are very positive.

Girls note complete recovery from chronic female diseases, activation of the immune system and a positive change in appearance.

Men say that it is a lot of fun (especially swimming in the ice hole), and the process brings incredible energy on all levels.

Health system of Porfiry Ivanov

A joker and former swindler with a criminal record, after a mental crisis, thought about the meaning of human existence and completely changed his life.

Porfiry Ivanov became a real spiritual leader who healed people every day, doused himself with cold water and walked around in shorts, barefoot all year round, even in the bitter cold.

Porfiry's followers - the "Ivanovo people" - called him nothing more than "Conqueror of Nature" and "God of the Earth."

He was completely transformed and lived in a healthy body until he was 85 years old.

Ivanov demonstrated extraordinary abilities all his life and developed 12 rules that will help overcome old age, increase your spiritual potential and temper yourself correctly.

Laws of Ivanov’s health system:

1. You should swim in cold water in the morning and evening. It doesn’t matter where it will be: in the lake, at home in the shower or at sea. Go from hot to cold.
2. In his book “Baby,” he recommended that we necessarily combine the spiritual with the physical. Before hardening, go out into nature, stand with your bare feet on the ground and ask for health: first of all for people, and then for yourself.
3. Give up bad habits forever.
4. If possible, do not eat or drink on weekends (until 12 noon on Sunday) or at least wait a day.
5. Complete the ritual by going out into nature. Stand with your feet on the damp ground. After this, you are allowed to eat to your heart's content.
6. Realize the closeness of man and nature. Love and appreciate her.
7. “Health” comes from the word “hello.” Greet everyone on your path, especially the elderly.
8. Help a suffering or sick person. This way you will support the cause of the whole world.
9. Drive away negative thoughts about people, love them sincerely. Conquer laziness, greed, fear, narcissism.
10. Don't think about illnesses, and they won't come back to you.
11. Thoughts and deeds for each person must become one.
12. Tell everyone about these rules, but don't brag about your personal achievements.

Advice: if you are interested in the topic, deepen your knowledge by watching a series of educational videos by V.G. Zhdanov “The miracle of hardening with cold water.”

Breathing warm-up from the “Ice Man” Wim Hof

The Dutchman with the nickname “The Iceman” has already been on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records 20 times.

He spent 4,380 minutes in a bathtub filled to the brim with ice, and also climbed Mont Blanc with virtually no clothes on.

Scientists say: “Phenomenon!”, but V. Hof himself is sure that it’s all about the consistency of his training. Truly, every victory is 90% perseverance and only 10% talent.

We present to you his special breathing technique for warming up the body, immediately before hardening:

1. Sit comfortably, relax, close your eyes.
2. Straighten your back and stick your chest forward. The lotus or half lotus position is ideal.
3. Breathe freely and fully. The body should not be constrained by anything.
4. Inhale slowly and deeply until you feel your solar plexus.
5. Stop and then exhale sharply. After a few seconds, repeat the process, continuing the exercises for about a minute.
6. Inhalation is done through the nose, and exhalation is done through the mouth. It's best if the diaphragm works at the same time. Feel filled with oxygen to the limit.
7. Focus on what you are doing, be aware of each subsequent action. Stop the endless stream of thoughts. Try to ignore the thought process, be detached.
8. After the thirtieth breath, switch to normal breathing mode, release all the oxygen (that is, carbon dioxide) from yourself. Hold on as long as possible and try to relax your whole body at the same time.
9. At your limit, breathe again. After recovery, hold the air briefly (up to 20 seconds) and continue training.
10. Wait until you feel that you can independently redirect energy through your body.

This technique is somewhat similar to pranayama. Not surprisingly, Wim Hof ​​puts elements of yoga into each of his workouts.

It works like this: hyperventilation of the lungs occurs, the movement of blood throughout the body accelerates.

The excess CO2 helps dilate the capillaries, keeping you warm in all weather conditions.

Pouring with cold water is one of the most popular methods of hardening. Not everyone can decide to do this, but in vain, because it is an incredible benefit. Therefore, many are interested in knowing the benefits of dousing with cold water. In ancient times, the benefits of dousing with cold water were not even discussed. And even when civilization reached the point of heating water, the Greeks still used cold water for additional benefits. Hydrotherapy has quickly gained popularity. Many resorts have appeared in this direction. And today, experts in the field of health and beauty actively recommend dousing to us, insisting on its comprehensive benefits. Many experts talk about this. For example, the famous Elena Malysheva touches on this topic. However, there are also contraindications that are also recommended to be studied. But more about everything.

So, what are the benefits of dousing yourself with cold water in the morning? Experts highlight the following advantages:

• The benefits of dousing with cold water for women are great in terms of the effect of the procedure on beauty. Cold water makes hair shinier and smoother. It also reduces moisture loss and prevents split ends. The same goes for our skin.
• Of course, cold water is incredibly invigorating. Does it take you a long time to wake up in the morning? Pouring you with help. It increases mental and physical alertness as the cold flow of water puts the body into a state of shock. The rate of breathing, blood circulation, and oxygen supply improves. Due to all these physiological processes, mental activity improves and concentration increases.
• Also, the benefits of dousing yourself with cold water in the morning are great in combating stress. Everyone knows about the negative impact of this condition on the body, body and mind. A cold stimulus helps increase tolerance to stress by reducing uric acid levels in the body and increasing the very important antioxidant glutathione in the blood. These processes help reduce stress levels and prevent its occurrence in the future.
• Dousing also has a beneficial effect on blood circulation. This happens by increasing the breathing rate and oxygen consumption. Blood circulation also improves, which ensures good prevention of cellulite. But poor blood circulation is one of its main causes.
• Pouring cold water, the benefits of which are obvious, helps improve your mood. It activates one of the brain's main sources called norepinephrine, a chemical that plays a role in fighting depression. Cold receptors in the skin send a lot of electrical impulses to the brain, which helps eliminate depression.
• There are also benefits of cold water for muscles. Athletes know that taking a cold shower after intense training is recommended as it combats body and muscle fatigue. Low temperatures relieve muscle pain and swelling.
• The benefits of dousing a woman with water will also include the effect on her figure. There are two types of fat in the body. One of them is brown, activated to retain heat in the body, and the second is white, leading to obesity. Brown fat is activated by low temperatures. This increases energy and speeds up the calorie burning process. This makes it easier for fans of cold showers to stay in shape.
• Pouring cold water helps train willpower. And this will be useful to you in many areas of life.
• And yet, the main answer to the question of whether dousing yourself with cold water is beneficial is related to our immunity. Cold water helps protect yourself from flu and colds, rather than causing them, if used correctly. During the action of cold water, the body will actively try to warm up, which is why the immune system is activated. Thus, if you douse yourself regularly, the body will better fight negative factors from the outside.
• What are the benefits of dousing with cold water for men? Cold water helps boost testosterone production. This increases male libido and also has a beneficial effect on muscle gain. Cold showers can also improve male fertility by improving both sperm quality and sperm count.

When discussing whether it is beneficial to douse yourself with cold water in the morning, it is finally worth noting that such a choice will have a beneficial effect on the environment, as well as on your energy bills, because heating water requires a lot of electricity.

Contraindications and possible harm

Despite all the benefits of this kind of drenching, the harm of dousing with cold water is also possible if there are contraindications or the procedure is performed incorrectly. Let's look at the points you need to know:

• You should not overuse the effects of cold water. Otherwise, serious hypothermia is possible, which will lead to colds and ARVI.
• Pregnant women need caution. Treat the procedure carefully, listen to your feelings. In this case, all that may be enough is pouring cold water over the feet, the benefits of which for expectant mothers can be very great. It is advisable that the water temperature should not be below 18 degrees.
• If you suffer from diseases of the nervous system, be sure to consult a specialist. In this case, prolonged exposure to cold water on the spine can be harmful.
• Refrain from the procedure if there is an exacerbation of any chronic diseases.
• Also wait if you have a cold or flu. Otherwise, the benefits and harms of dousing with cold water will not be so obvious, and you may only get sicker.
• It is necessary to douse yourself with cold water correctly so that the benefits and harms of the procedure are not comparable. If you break the rules, you can only harm yourself.

How to properly douse yourself with cold water

In the correct dousing with cold water, first of all, your attitude is important. If you have already decided to douse yourself with cold water, the benefits or harms of which you have also assessed, then you need to do it regularly, and not give yourself any concessions due to various subjective factors. Fans of this procedure say that after the first ten procedures, the body will make it clear that your new habit is one hundred percent correct.

Pouring cold water and showering are not the same thing. Experts recommend using a bucket for this procedure, and possibly several buckets for dousing parts of the body. The volume of water used must be increased over time along with a decrease in its temperature.

• Start gradually. First, use water at room temperature (you can fill a bucket of cold water in the evening, and overnight it will heat up and free itself from the harmful gases it contained).
• Warm up before pouring. You can do simple morning exercises or just rub your body with a towel.
• In the very first procedures, you can try dousing yourself in parts. You can use a ladle or even start with rubbing with a terry mitt.
• Keep the water draining so your feet don't stay in the cold for too long.
• After dousing, you can warm up by doing physical exercises without drying yourself. No need to wrap yourself up. Maximum - rub yourself with a towel.
• The water temperature should decrease very gradually and eventually reach 12-15 degrees.
• Beginners should avoid dousing their heads. It’s better to start this later, when the body adapts and you want to reach a new level.

True adherents of this type of hardening recommend plucking up courage and dousing yourself with water on the street. Then the effectiveness of the procedure itself will increase due to the influence of fresh air and contact of the feet with the ground (or snow).

Many people are wondering whether dousing is allowed for children. Here the opinions of experts differ. Some of them say that the thermoregulation of a child’s body is perfect, and even swimming in an ice hole is not harmful for a child. Others believe that children’s immune systems do not yet work stably, and therefore may fail. Surely the truth is somewhere in the middle. It is necessary to harden children, but an individual approach and gradualism are important.

Those who want, but cannot yet decide to douse with cold water, can find like-minded people. By motivating each other and doing it together, you will achieve great success. Forums can also tell you a lot of interesting things on this topic, where experienced people give advice to beginners or those who just want to begin to harden themselves. Whether to douse yourself with cold water or not is a personal decision for everyone. But in any case, it is worth studying the contraindications and rules for this procedure.

Hi all! The article “Cold water hardening for beginners” is about the most important thing for the health of each of us - the development of immunity.

1. Hardening the body is strengthening the immune system

Today we will talk about how to start hardening with cold water. 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 our body’s immune system is responsible for resistance to colds and it needs to be strengthened.

It's no secret that the human immune system can be trained just like muscles. You just need to choose a working method, which includes hardening with cold water. Many people have heard about douches and rubdowns, and that “walruses” who swim in an ice hole in winter almost never get sick.

And a couple of years ago, there was a story on television about a Belarusian kindergarten, where preschoolers were doing exercises in the snow barefoot. It seems that such stories should have reassured those who are afraid of catching a cold from such procedures, but there are no more people wanting to harden themselves.

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

Hardening is the effect of alternating cold and heat on our body. The correct start to hardening is the same alternations, but with a slight difference in temperature.

2. The benefits and harms of hardening

I remember how a friend recommended that a relative of mine, to prevent colds, should run every day in the snow or dew around the house. I was so afraid of catching a cold, but the man’s authority was so strong that I tried it and practically forgot about the sore throat.

Another friend told how, on the advice of a doctor, she began to harden her throat by eating a serving of ice cream every day - and cured chronic tonsillitis. Such examples prompted the idea that it is worth collecting information about why hardening is useful and how it can harm a person. But first, I want to remind you what indications and contraindications exist for this.

Rule No. 1 The most important:

To determine whether you can be tempered with water, consult a doctor.

• — purulent chronic otitis, 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 mellitus, 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 cannot begin water procedures if he has coronary vascular spasm, there are disturbances in thermoregulation with vegetative manifestations, cramps in the lower leg muscles, or cold allergies.

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

• - mood (from cheerful to depressed);
• — well-being (from cheerful to general weakness);
• - fatigue (from normal to constant fatigue);
• — appetite (from good to completely absent);

- sleep (from calm to constant agitation and sleep disturbances). If the baby does not respond well to the procedures according to these indicators, their duration should be reduced or stopped completely. Hardening of children can begin almost from birth and the first baths, 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 little 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. Back in Ancient Rome and Greece there was a cult of a beautiful body - the whole Lifestyle in these cultures was aimed at raising strong and healthy members of society.

In Sparta, newborns with deformities were thrown off cliffs, and boys were forced to always walk barefoot and with little clothing to make them more resilient.

In ancient India, hardening the Brahmins was part of their religious education, along with the ability to fully control their body, and water was considered a cure for almost all diseases.

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

And in Rus', for a long time, they practiced rubbing with snow or swimming in the river in summer or winter. But another equally well-known method has survived to this day - a bathhouse, where hot steam is combined with swimming in cool water. The bath helps cleanse the body, helping to remove toxins from it through sweat, and stimulates the functioning of internal organs.

At the end of the 20th century, health improvement according to Ivanov’s system became popular, which suggested swimming twice a day in the nearest river or walking barefoot in the snow. He also talked about how not only swimming in the cold is beneficial for men and women, but also giving up bad habits and fasting one day a week. His technique found many followers at that time, but over time they gradually forgot about him.

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. Hardening the body with cold water for beginners

4.1 Basic rules for beginners

Beginners need to understand , how to start the procedure correctly, because you can’t just decide that tomorrow you will start swimming in the ice hole every day - and the body will easily accept it. The best time of year for beginners, when you can try to get used to the cold, is summer, and start dousing It's better to simply wash your face with cold water in the morning. 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 by healthy people; after a flu or cold, it is better to wait 2-3 months;

• — they need to be repeated every day, because breaks can cause all the positive effects to disappear;
• — the body must be accustomed to the cold gradually;
• - a person must feel good; if weakness or malaise appears, everything must be stopped;
• - consult your doctor in advance about your health and find out whether the cold will harm it;
• — it is better to engage in some kind of sport to enhance the strengthening effect.

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

4.2 Pouring cool water

4.2.1 Basic rules when dousing

The most popular method is dousing with cool water.

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

It can be both general and local. For the first, not only the temperature of the water, but also the air in the room is important: it should be no lower than 23-25°C. on the first day the water is heated to 36°C, and reduced slowly - by 1°C per week, bringing it to cool (18°C). Douches can be replaced with the same cool shower, which can be taken 2-3 minutes a day.

Before you start dousing, it’s worth remembering a number of important rules:

• - do not pour water on your head because of the risk of sharp vasoconstriction;
• — you don’t need to start with a sharp dousing with cold water, you need to get used to the coolness gradually;
• - children and old people should not lift weights with water above them, so they must resort to the help of strangers;
• - you need to avoid any drafts in the room for dousing;
• — at any water temperature a person should not experience discomfort.

If there are contraindications for general douches, you can do local hardening of the legs.

It has a reflex effect on the entire body. Particularly useful are contrasting douches with a change from warm water (36 C) to cool (20-25 ° C). This effect should be completed by rubbing your feet with a dry towel or a good massage.

4.2.2 Dousing children

This method is good for hardening children, once a month increasing the temperature gap by one degree until it reaches 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 such hardening into an interesting game in order to evoke a positive attitude and an overall good reaction. For the first time, this can be done in the bathroom with warm water from a ladle for half a minute.

Its temperature for the first time should not be lower than 36-37°C, and it should be reduced very slowly - by 1 degree in 1-2 weeks, gradually bringing it to 28°C.

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

Cold and hot shower

4.3 Wiping with a damp towel

4.3.1 What to wipe with

Another method is wiping 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 your entire body with it. After this, rub the skin with a dry towel until the capillaries dilate and lightly redden. 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 flannelette glove, which is soaked in fairly warm water (on the first day - 32 ° C), is suitable. It’s better to start by wiping your hands, then move to your back and stomach and finish with your legs. The body is rubbed for 2 minutes, and then wiped dry until the skin becomes slightly red and feels warm. Subsequently, the temperature is reduced every day by 1°C, bringing it to 18°C.

4.3.2 Wiping with snow

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

4.3.3 Wiping down children

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

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

4.3.4 Local rubdowns

4.3.4.1 Foot rubs

Local rubbing is usually a hardening of the legs; it is recommended for frequent throat diseases for a reflex effect. To do this, rub your legs up to the knees with a cool, damp towel for 3 minutes, and then wipe dry.

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

Rubdown

4.3.4.2 Wiping the feet

You can also start by hardening your feet, which is useful for those who often have a sore throat. I would like to explain what this method does: cooling the legs causes a reflex narrowing of the vessels of the tonsils of the pharynx, 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 will automatically protect ourselves from colds.

You can start pouring 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 red and warm.

Hardening the feet - pleasant and useful

4.4 What does a cool bath do?

This is a longer and much more powerful technique, which means it can only be started by those who have no contraindications. If you don’t dare start with a general bath, you can do a local one, for example for your feet , which is useful and no less effective.

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

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

Bathing can be compared to swimming in a river or lake in the warm season. Children 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 a child into the water is allowed only when the air temperature is above 25°C and the water temperature is above 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 entirely traditional local douche is a gargling that helps 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.

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

Over time, rinsing can be replaced by dissolving ice cubes in the mouth of such a size that one cube is enough for about half a minute. For taste and greater benefits, use frozen juice instead of ice. I have already written about the recommendations of some doctors regarding ice cream, but not every mother risks paying for it regularly.

But you can try it with one teaspoon per 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, however, compotes and yoghurts from the refrigerator are also an option. However, you need to get used to such cold gradually and not 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 conditions, so as not to get a sore throat by drinking ice water in the heat. Contrasting rinses, in which warm and cold water are used simultaneously, are well suited for this. First, the throat is gargled warm, then cold, and always finished with warm, and the contrast difference is also gradually increased.

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

If he doesn’t want to gargle, it’s better not to force him, because hardening should not cause him discomfort. You cannot 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 cannot be recommended to everyone. For example, Grebenkin advised everyone over 3 years old to be immersed in cold water for 10-15 seconds, and then left naked in the open air for another 5 minutes without rubbing or warming, so that the body can cope with the cold on its own. After all, adrenaline is released and after a couple of minutes a person feels a surge of heat and vigor.

And recently, in the speeches of the famous doctor Komarovsky, words were said that hardening will not bring an effect if the entire lifestyle, from nutrition to walks in the fresh air, does not comply with generally accepted recommendations.

5.2 Hardening after sauna and steam bath

Not entirely traditional, but quite effective, is the use of a sauna or Russian bath for strengthening purposes. The sauna uses the contrasting effects 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 at the age of 3. For the first time, you can enter a sauna with a temperature no higher than 80°C for only 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 bathhouse, too, everything is based on contrasts: first the body warms up, then cools down for approximately equal periods of time, and then rest follows, which should last as long as the first two stages.

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

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

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

5.3 Snow hardening

Perhaps the most unconventional method is snow hardening. This includes not only wiping with snow, but also walking on it barefoot.

The main thing is that it is clean and covers the ground, not asphalt. If there is an ice crust on the snow, or the temperature outside is below 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, and quite quickly, and after that you need to return to a warm room, put on woolen socks and actively walk around the room in them until a feeling of heat appears in your feet.

5.4 Winter swimming

This type of winter bathing has always stood out and remained a method for the elite. A lot has been written about it - both about the benefits and the harm, the debate still does not subside. But those who have weighed everything and decided to try winter swimming should learn something about it.

When swimming in cold water, the body loses a lot of energy, but releases adrenaline, which increases blood circulation and also improves thermoregulation and immunity. However, you 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” can do this with ease. This technique improves the general condition of the body, but does not strengthen the muscles, unlike regular swimming, so for those who want to build muscles, it is advisable to engage in some other sport.

There is a myth that “walruses” necessarily drink alcoholic drinks to stay warm, but they can cause hypothermia of the respiratory tract and a cold.

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

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

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

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

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

And now “Educational film about Winter swimming and Hardening”:

Today we talked on the topic: “Hardening the body with cold water for beginners.” How did you like the article? If yes, then be sure to share it on social networks, subscribe to blog updates and wait for the continuation.

There are many folk methods for preventing diseases, healing the body and achieving longevity. Pouring as a means of hardening appeared a long time ago and is popular in the modern world. But for the results to be effective, you need to understand how to properly douse yourself with cold water in the morning. Field Marshal Suvorov, who, being sick and weak in childhood, was able to improve his health and harden himself, thanks to this, as he himself wrote about.

Pros and cons of dousing

In official and folk medicine, in nutrition, there is a simple rule, which is that any remedy can be beneficial or harmful depending on the amount and method of its use. Clean water is undoubtedly useful and necessary, but its excessive consumption can be harmful to health. To understand whether dousing yourself with cold water in the morning is beneficial, you need an individual approach, taking into account the characteristics of a particular person’s age, lifestyle, and health status.

Practice shows that hardening, in particular dousing, has a healing effect, relieves stress, strengthens the cardiovascular system and has a positive effect on human immunity. This procedure carries a positive emotional charge, improving well-being and mood for a long period of time.

When in contact with cold water, the blood vessels on the surface of the body narrow, blood automatically flows to the internal organs, oxygen saturation and the stress experienced activate their work. Immediately after dousing, blood rushes to the vessels of the body, this is evidenced by noticeable redness of the skin, and feelings of warmth and lightness come in the body. Specifically, the benefits of pouring cold water in the morning are as follows:

• strengthening the cardiovascular, immune and endocrine systems of the body;
• prevention of colds;
• rejuvenating effect;
• acceleration of metabolic processes in the body and removal of toxins;
• positive emotions and improved well-being and mood.

During this procedure, adrenal hormones are released, which suppress the immune system. Be that as it may, a lot depends on the correctness of the douche, taking into account all the necessary parameters (age, state of health and presence of diseases, gradual hardening, etc.).

In general, the following harmful consequences of the procedure are noted:

• the occurrence of colds;
• complications in the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• functional disorders in the functioning of the adrenal glands and internal organs;
• weakening of the immune system.

We must remember that a lot depends on the gradual preparation of the body for this procedure.

We carry out hardening correctly

There are several well-proven rules that will make it possible to get the maximum effect from dousing with cold water in the morning. First of all, these include gradualism. If you start by dousing yourself with cold water, you can cause significant harm to your health and body.

It is advisable to use water at room temperature at the initial stage and gradually reduce it, accustoming the body and yourself to hardening. According to one method, the water temperature is reduced by about 5 degrees over 10 days.

It is extremely undesirable to take a sharply cold shower; the negative effect is more therapeutic and prophylactic, hypothermia is possible.

You should pour cold water on yourself from a bucket, so that the water covers your entire body; during the first douche, you can use half a bucket of water, gradually increasing the volume.

It is not recommended to dry yourself with a towel for a long time after the procedure and immediately take a hot shower. It is useful to carry out a set of physical exercises after. It is important to take into account age; in old age, water below 15 degrees is not recommended; children must be accustomed to low temperatures very carefully and gradually.

Naturally, during the first procedure there will be timidity, and even fear that must be overcome, this will make the procedure easier in the future.

An integrated approach is effective when dousing is combined with a healthy lifestyle, physical education and sports, and proper nutrition.

Cosmetic effect

Washing with ice in the morning is very useful. It tones the skin, cleanses pores and enhances metabolic processes, prevents the appearance of wrinkles, makes the face smooth and causes a glow.

When making ice cubes, it is strictly not recommended to use tap water, preferably mineral water, or even better clean water with decoctions of medicinal herbs. It is recommended to wipe the entire surface of the face with ice in the morning and evening, for 3 to 5 minutes, movements with ice should be soft and smooth, the range of movements should be from top to bottom. You should not linger on the frontal part of your face.

Pre-prepared ice cubes from medicinal infusions or decoctions help enhance the effectiveness of such procedures. For example, chamomile, mint, calendula and other plants help not only tone, but also improve the health of the facial skin, cleanse it, narrow the porosity of the skin, and give it a beautiful healthy shade. The recipe is simple:

1. Decoction of 2 tbsp. l. herbs or mixtures of herbs, pour 1 cup of boiling water or bring to a boil.
2. Strain and pour chilled into ice trays.
3. The composition is ready.

You can add berries or juicy fruits instead of herbs. Every morning we wipe our face with the cube and already in the second week of use you will notice an amazing result.

Joint hardening of the skin of the face and body is the main component of success on the path to health and longevity.