Hardening with water - dousing with cold water, contrast shower, winter swimming. Contrast shower: benefits, harm, rules Hardening contrast shower

Do you feel tired, drowsy and low in energy in the morning? You can't pull yourself together and get down to important things? Can you only dream of vigor and energy? Of course, in order to begin to control your well-being, a set of measures is important, including proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adherence to a daily routine.

But one of the important places on this list is cold and hot shower. It not only has a beneficial effect on your well-being, but is also an effective way of hardening and skin care.

What is a contrast shower and how is it useful (VIDEO)

Cold and hot shower- these are water procedures that involve alternating hot (about 45 degrees) and cold (about 20 degrees) water. It can be compared with the ancient Russian tradition wiping off snow after a hot bath. And Russian heroes have long been famous for their excellent health, cheerful spirit and beauty.

Under the influence of high temperatures skin pores open, the vessels dilate, thanks to this the vessels begin to actively remove waste and toxins. When hot water suddenly changes to cold water, there is an intense effect on nerve endings. The pores are instantly closed, and the cells are effectively cleansed naturally, without the use of aggressive detergents. Your skin becomes elastic and smooth, unevenness on the body disappears, cellulite goes away.

Among people who have never tried cold and hot shower, there is a strong opinion that this is an unpleasant procedure that is impossible to get used to. However, it should be noted that after three or four procedures, you will be able to easily tolerate temperature changes, and a contrast shower will become part of your life. daily habit and it will start to bring you pleasure.

What else is useful cold and hot shower for our body, in addition to the cleansing and toning effect for the skin?

• Contrast shower is one of the most effective ways hardening body. Therefore, it strengthens immunity and increases the body's resistance to infectious diseases and influenza epidemics.
• Contrast shower improves blood flow, which in turn has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• Taking such a shower helps weight loss in combination with other measures.
• Thanks to the activation of the body's metabolic processes, a contrast shower will give you boost of vivacity and energy all day. This is a great way to stay on your toes.
• Happening cleansing body from toxins.
• A contrast shower gives a wonderful rejuvenating effect.

Contrast shower rules: step-by-step instructions

Contrast shower is carried out in three main stages. Each of them consists of alternating hot and cold water. Be sure to start the procedure with dousing with hot water and end with a cold shower.

Must be enabled warm water and take a relaxing shower at a comfortable temperature for you. Once your body gets used to it, gradually increase the water temperature. The water must become hot, but not scalding! Continue the procedure for 1-2 minutes.

After this, change the water temperature to cool. Take a cool shower for 30 seconds. Important: you must not freeze! It is better to start dousing from the face.

Then turn on the hot water again, then cold. Repeat the procedure again twice. Each time, try to slightly increase the time you spend under a cold shower, but do not let yourself get chills.

During such a shower head It is usually not recommended to wet it. However, it is believed that a sharp change in water temperature can have a beneficial effect on scalp, enhance hair growth and make it stronger.

In order to perform this pleasant and useful procedure every day, it is necessary to develop a certain willpower. After about 2-3 weeks, it will already become a habitual part of your daily routine, and you won’t have to force yourself every time. As with any responsible undertaking, you will need to exercise a little self-discipline.

IN winter season do not go outside immediately after taking a shower, rest a little and let your body recover and come to its senses.

Is it possible to lose weight with a contrast shower?

Because contrast shower speeds up metabolism and has a beneficial effect on all systems of the body, then it can become your faithful assistant on the path to harmony. Thanks to this procedure, you can get rid of cellulite, rejuvenate your body and smooth your skin.

However, the most noticeable effect will await you if you apply comprehensive measures for weight loss, for example, eat right, exercise, lead a healthy lifestyle, and so on.

Cellulite– this is a consequence of impaired blood circulation, so a contrast shower will help you combat it. The main thing is to follow a few simple rules:

• Always douse from top to bottom, in the direction of the blood flow.
• You need to take a contrast shower every day, or maybe twice a day - morning and evening.
• It is best to take a contrast shower early in the morning on an empty stomach or in the evening before bed.
• It is also useful to take a contrast shower after an active workout or cycling.

Pros and cons of contrast showers

So we came to the conclusion that advantages of a contrast shower are:

• invaluable benefits for health and all body systems;
• beneficial effect on overall well-being, increased activity and vitality;
• cleansing the skin, giving it elasticity, softness, combating unevenness on the skin.

However, if the procedure is performed incorrectly or depending on the individual characteristics of a person, a contrast shower can damage the body and harm.

Important avoid hypothermia, so control the temperature and gradually reduce it from cool to cold. However, you should not use cool water for too long, as it may not turn on body defense mechanisms as effective as ice water.

Contraindications: when should you not take a contrast shower?

Cannot be accepted cold and hot shower with enlarged lymph nodes, with exacerbation of chronic diseases, with elevated temperature.

To diseases in which contrast shower is strictly contraindicated, relate:

• Thrombophlebitis
• Vasospasm
• Malignant tumors
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system

In any case, if you have any chronic diseases or complaints, then before starting the procedures, it is best to consult with doctor.

Contrast shower as an effective method of hardening children

Hardening children is an excellent method of healing the child’s body and strengthening the immune system. It is a must for all children, as it helps fight frequent colds.

However, this process is gradual and lengthy. It's important to stock up patience and get ready for a long day of work. Every child needs individual approach.

You should begin to harden your child when he absolutely healthy. Air baths and walking barefoot are a good place to start, and then move on to water procedures.

Contrast shower and douches- useful procedures that kids really like. As a rule, they enjoy playing in the water, dousing themselves, and taking both warm and cold showers. However, if your child is scared or doesn’t like something, don’t force him. Baby should show interest yourself to this hardening method.

The ideal time of year to start water hardening is summer.

Start with wiping with cool water. The child's body is wiped with a sponge or washcloth with water at 30-32 degrees. After a few weeks you can move on to dousing. For the first procedures, make the water 1-2 degrees warmer than when rubbing. The duration of the dousing should last no more than 1 minute.

After one or two months have passed since the start of the douches, you can try to do cold and hot shower for the baby. First, pour warm water over it (about 36 degrees) for 30 seconds, then pour water at 34 degrees. Of course, in the first days it is better to determine the water temperature using a thermometer. After about 15 days, you can increase the difference between temperatures by another 2-3 degrees. Thus, in about three months you need to bring this difference to 15 degrees: warm water - 36 degrees, cool water - 20-21 degrees. At the end of the water procedure, thoroughly dry the child with a terry towel.

All photos from the article

A lot has been said about hardening; we are told about it from TV screens, on the pages of printed publications, in children's clinics. But does everyone understand the essence and the end result? Hardening the body is a system of measures and procedures that increase resistance to negatively influencing environmental factors. If carried out correctly and systematically, we should get a strong immune system and an equally strong spirit.

Does everyone need hardening?

If I were asked to define hardening in one word, I would say “training.” Training of defensive forces, preparation for “mobilization” in case of critical conditions.

What does hardening give?

• normalization of the state of the emotional sphere;
• formation of restraint and balance;
• improved mood;
• cheerfulness;
• performance;
• body endurance.

In addition, being hardened, you will more easily withstand changing weather conditions and temperature changes. Agree, I named a fairly impressive list of “goodies” that your body will receive if you decide to do hardening here and now.

Hardening without errors

Procedures should be started when the body is absolutely healthy. If you remember the need to invigorate your body only when you sign a sick leave for another ARVI, it’s bad, very bad!

Hardening requires self-control and consideration of a number of factors. The latter include body weight, temperature, pulse, blood pressure, sleep, appetite and general well-being. Did you think that we would jump into a bowl of cold water with a running start?!

Hardening (with the exception of winter swimming) does not cure, but only prevents diseases.

The procedures have no restrictions on age, gender or level of physical development. It would be fair to recall that hardening is a type of physical education, which is the most important link in physical education.

Great attention was paid to hardening procedures in Ancient Greece and Rome. In Ancient Rus', they relied on a bathhouse with cheerful rubbing with snow and general swimming in the river.

Rules for preparation and conduct:

1. Before you grab a bowl of cold water or decide to jump into a snowdrift, rid your body of microbial nests. There are no such? Sure? But what about untreated teeth and inflamed tonsils that remind you of themselves?
2. Temper yourself consciously. Everything you do should bring positive emotions;
3. Remember to be systematic. Adverse weather conditions or bad mood should not become an obstacle. Remember how Doctor Aibolit flew to sick animals through storms, blizzards and hurricanes? This is how we will pave the way to a healthy body.
   If your fuse lasts only 2-3 months, you will enjoy its result for only 3-4 weeks, and then everything will return to its previous state;
4. Don't punish your body. The duration and intensity of the procedure should be increased gradually. Jumping into an ice hole without preparation or rubbing yourself with snow in company with your neighbor Uncle Vanya will only cause harm to the body;
5. Start with “boring” procedures. This could include cold water rubdowns, foot baths, and even long walks;
6. Hardening is perfectly complemented by physical exercise, games and sports.

Methods and methods

So, we come to the most interesting part. Yes, yes, to a snowdrift, an ice hole, a wet towel and the principles of their integration into our lives.

The body must gain resistance to all factors, so we will harden it with the sun, air and water.

Remember the slogan “Sun, air and water are our best friends”?

1. Air baths. The simplest way to train the body is used for preventive and therapeutic purposes;
2. Sunbathing. They go in combination with air baths and are aimed at obtaining the benefits of sunlight;
3. Walking barefoot. You need to start such walks in warm weather and continue throughout the year. When winter is raging outside, the promenade time should increase gradually, allowing the body to get used to extreme conditions;
4. Cold and hot shower. Involves dousing with cold and hot water. Such procedures are carried out several times, the morning shower ends with cold water, and the evening shower with warm water;
5. Bathhouse with diving into a cold pool;
6. Pouring with cold water (once a day);
7. Snow rubdown. Start by wiping yourself with a towel rolled out in the snow. Yes, your body will be surprised, but it will not get sick;
8. Swimming in an ice hole. Designed for those who have already passed all the points described above and are ready to dive.

Element Air

Start with procedures in the room when the temperature outside the window does not drop below +15 °C. Once your body is exposed, stay in a well-ventilated area for 3-5 minutes.

Over time, increase the duration of the procedure and reduce the temperature. You can move outside at a temperature of +20 – 22 °C. The first procedure should last no more than a quarter of an hour, each subsequent procedure will increase by 3-5 minutes.

Cold baths in the temperature range from +4 to +13 °C are for well-hardened people. But even for them, the duration of the event should not exceed 5-6 minutes.

If you are asking, why do I need this? Let me explain, systematic air hardening stimulates the thermoregulation apparatus, has a positive effect on the functioning of the skin, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, digestive organs and has a beneficial effect on the psyche.

I'm sitting in the sun

I'm not sitting, but lying down. Although I am not as principled as the Turtle.

Ultraviolet rays have an intense thermal effect and contribute to the formation of additional heat in the body. As a result, the work of the sweat glands intensifies, the level of moisture evaporation increases, vasodilation occurs and the process of skin hyperemia starts, blood flow increases, which in turn improves blood circulation in all tissues of the body.

Sun rays are vitamin D in our body, accelerating metabolic processes and promoting the formation of highly active elements of protein metabolism.

Today, debates about the benefits of sunbathing are becoming increasingly heated, and the line between benefit and harm is thinning.

The optimal time is morning or late afternoon (9-13 and 16-18 hours, in the southern regions 8-11 and 17-19). The first procedures should take place at a temperature above +18 ° C and last 5-7 minutes. Every day the time will increase by 5 minutes, reaching an hour. Oh yes, don't forget the Panama hat.

You can rush into the arms of the sun only 1.5 hours after breakfast (it doesn’t like hungry people). The optimal position is lying down, with your feet facing the sun. And yes, stop sleeping!

Cold water, I say "Yes!"

Water procedures are carried out in the morning after exercise. Are you doing exercises? The classic method involves using water slightly below body temperature (+34-36 °C). In the future, the water will become colder by 1 degree every 3-4 days.

What happens to our body when exposed to cold water? Our blood vessels narrow, blood is directed to the internal organs, after a series of complex reactions, the nervous and cardiovascular systems are activated, and metabolic processes are accelerated. As a result, the vessels dilate, blood rushes to the skin, and a feeling of warmth spreads throughout the body.

Don’t miss the opportunity to strengthen your body by swimming in open waters. The first procedures are carried out at air temperature +18–20 °C, water temperature – +14–15 °C.

Head in the whirlpool

Well, we’ll skip the topic of the whirlpool, but let’s talk about the snowdrift. Snow baths are carried out in snowy, calm weather.

Sequence:

1. Remove clothing from your upper body;
2. Take a handful of snow and rub it on your neck and face. Take snow into your palm again and intensively rub your stomach and chest. Do the same with your shoulders and arms;
3. The duration of rubbing is 10-15 seconds, for 12 sessions it is extended to 20-30 seconds.

Swimming in icy water

Uh-uh guy, are you ready to dive?

Chewing is the lot of those who have been trained.

In the first stages, even a prepared organism can remain in the water for no more than 20-30 seconds, gradually the time will increase, reaching 1 minute. The frequency of “swims” is no more than 2-3 times a week.

Winter swimming also has a healing effect, helping to cure radiculitis, hypotension and even skin diseases.

Winter swimming is prohibited in case of atherosclerosis, hypertension, chronic pneumonia and bronchial asthma. It is not recommended to dive into ice water after 50 years of age.

Will winter swimming be useful for you? How to check? Go into the bathroom, fill a bucket of cold water and pour it over yourself. If your skin has acquired a reddish tint, you are a potential walrus, blue - the procedure is not for you.

Summing up

Hardening the body with a shower, sunbathing and fresh air are generally available ways to increase immunity. Don't be lazy to take care of your health!

Improvement with a cold or contrast shower increases resistance and protective functions. It is water hardening that is considered the best method for strengthening and maintaining health.

A cold shower is an extremely beneficial event for the health of the body. Water hardening stimulates blood circulation, saturates the organs with a large amount of oxygen and useful substances. There are two options for taking a shower for hardening - with cold water and alternating contrasting temperatures. It is better to start health procedures with a gentle regime, that is, alternating hot/warm water. When the body gets used to it, you can alternately turn on warm/cool water. This procedure is based on pouring your body from above, including your head. It is better to do hardening in the morning, because, in addition to the healing effect, you will also get an invigorating effect.

As already noted, it is better to start hardening the body with a contrast shower. But at the same time, you should know how to shower properly to improve your health. It must be remembered that in this procedure it is important not only to be systematic and regular, but also to have a correct understanding of the temperature regime and its effect on the body.

Let’s say that if a person, in an effort to quickly recover from a cold, starts taking a shower, alternating ice and hot water, then this will not bring him any benefit. The opposite effect is more likely - that is, the disease will only get worse.

Hardening should be gradual and consistent. After all, all medical procedures without exception must meet the main requirement - to be safe for the body. This means that when carrying out water procedures, you need to remember the rule: a mild irritant stimulates functions, and a strong one harms. After the body adapts, you can switch to a cold shower, but also with a gradual decrease in temperature and an increase in procedure time.

How to start hardening correctly

It is clear that not many people can immediately take a cold shower, which is why it is recommended to begin hardening by alternating temperatures. This will help prepare the body and conduct safe hardening. It is advisable to start performing water procedures in the warm season, ideally in the summer. In addition to this rule, there are some more and it is advisable to know them for anyone who has decided to start their recovery in this way.

1. Beginners should not immediately pour low-temperature water on their heads. Because this can cause hypothermia, colds, and headaches due to unexpected vasoconstriction.
2. It is not advisable to go completely under a cold shower at first; this is an extra burden for the body. Hardening should start from the feet.
3. You need to start taking a shower with water at a temperature of at least 30-32 degrees. Then every three to five days you can lower the temperature by a couple of degrees. After a few weeks, you will be able to adapt to water of 15-18 degrees. If there are no restrictions and you do not feel unwell, then the mark can be increased to 10 degrees. It is important to carry out hardening by listening to your feelings and body - you should not feel any discomfort.
4. After taking a shower, you should rub yourself thoroughly with a towel and perform warming movements so that the blood from the organs returns to the skin.
5. There should be no drafts in the shower, otherwise colds cannot be avoided. Doctors recommend not only rubbing yourself after a cold shower, but also dressing warmly to achieve maximum comfort.
6. And one more important rule: if a person has already started taking a shower for hardening, then this procedure must be carried out regularly. Adaptation of the body to cold water occurs after two months, and weaning occurs much faster - in one to two weeks.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that hardening is only a component of the general requirements for a healthy lifestyle. You should not ignore your diet and other important aspects of life.

Why is the procedure useful?

The benefits of taking a cold shower are considerable, but it is worth highlighting the following important points from the total mass of advantages.

1. Strengthening immune forces due to the body’s adaptation to sudden changes in temperature.
2. The activity of the nervous system improves due to systematic stimulation of skin receptors. A cold shower is useful for severe fatigue and apathy.
3. The endocrine system is stimulated, the state of which affects all vital processes.
4. Under the influence of cold water, all cells begin to actively work, due to which their rejuvenation occurs.
5. It is useful to take a shower as a preventive measure that reduces the risk of varicose veins and spider veins. Due to the compression of blood vessels at cold temperatures, they acquire elasticity and stability.
6. The appearance of the skin is restored, it becomes more elastic, and the appearance of cellulite is reduced.
7. In addition, proper hardening stimulates blood circulation throughout the body, including the head, which ensures oxygen saturation of all organs, tissues and cells. This significantly improves overall well-being, enhances brain activity, increases tone and activates the body's energy reserves.

In general, these are quite compelling arguments in favor of hardening with a cold shower. Of course, if you remember the rules and recommendations.

Contraindications

Recuperation with a cold or contrast shower is not recommended for people with severely weakened immune systems, since this procedure can cause hypothermia and lead to the opposite effect. People with existing diseases should also refrain from water hardening procedures; in extreme cases, a minimum temperature contrast is allowed.

Showering with cold or ice water is strictly prohibited. It is not advisable to choose such a health event if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, tumors, or thrombophlebitis.

All health activities should be started only when a person is absolutely healthy. For children or people with any diseases, it is preferable to use a gentle regimen and only after the approval of the attending physician.

You also need to strictly adhere to the requirement of gradualism. This can be attributed to the temperature regime and the time of taking a shower. You should start water procedures by taking a shower at room temperature, and you should gradually reduce it by one or two degrees. The same principle applies to the time of hardening; you need to start with 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing the duration of your stay in the shower.

Regularity in the procedures is no less important; there should be no long breaks, regardless of weather conditions and time of year. If some circumstances force you to pause, then the procedures must be started again with a gentle temperature regime.

Water activities should be combined with physical activity to increase their effectiveness and ensure an overall positive effect on overall health. It is important to remember that hardening should please and invigorate.

If you feel unwell after water activities, you need to stop them and go to the doctor. When hardening, it is important to take into account the characteristics of a particular person, climatic and weather conditions, time of year, general health and other important factors.

Conclusion

When performing hardening activities, it is important to correctly assess your well-being, monitor your blood pressure, pulse, appetite and other indicators, of course, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body. Hardening with water procedures, like other types of healing of this kind, requires endurance and self-control.

The efforts made are fully justified, since a strong organism, even with sudden changes in external temperature, ensures thermal equilibrium of the organs within fairly limited limits.

For example, if the ambient temperature sharply decreases or increases, a hardy organism will quickly respond to the risk of possible overheating or hypothermia by constricting or dilating blood vessels. Due to this, heat transfer will be adjusted in the desired direction: when overheating, it will increase, and when overcooling, it will decrease.

An unprepared body is incapable of a quick reaction, and the threat of overheating or hypothermia greatly increases. In addition, healing with a cold or contrast shower increases resistance and protective functions. It is water hardening that is considered the best method for strengthening and maintaining health.

Physical education methodologist and massage therapist Galina Samuilovna Inovenkova believes that hardening is the best prevention of all diseases. Where to start?

In my opinion, the most effective hardening methods are those that have stood the test of time. Not everyone knows that hardening was the norm in Rus'. In the 17th century, all work related to active movements in the fresh air during the cold season was considered useful. Healers and healers recommended this hardening exercise, which, by the way, is still applicable today: in early spring, put on wet shoes - that’s what linden bast shoes were called, “stuffed” with the first herbs: dandelions, coltsfoot, young nettle sprouts - and walk in them in the cool early morning . The cold hardened the body, the herbs strengthened the immune system and at the same time dissolved calluses, prevented the appearance of new ones, protected the skin from infections and relieved swelling.

In the modern world, hardening has become a system of comprehensive measures to strengthen the immune system and increase the body’s resistance to the effects of weather and climatic conditions. The main law of hardening is gradualism and systematicity. There are four main means of hardening: water, air, sun rays and physical exercise.

The most powerful hardening agent is water. Water treatments available at home include rubdowns, hand and foot baths, douses and contrast showers. These procedures can be alternated, but, as a rule, each person stops at one type of hardening. With any water hardening, it is necessary to monitor the water temperature, so I would advise using a water thermometer, at least for the first time.

Rubbing is the mildest means of hardening with water. With a well-wrung out wet terry towel, wipe the entire body in the following sequence: arms, then neck, chest, back, and finally legs. The direction of rubbing is important: arms and legs - from fingers to forearms and thighs. The abdomen is massaged in a circular motion clockwise, the shoulders and back - from the periphery to the center. Initially, you need to wet the towel in water at room temperature, then gradually reduce the temperature, bringing it to 10-12 "C.

Hand and foot baths are suitable for those who suffer from chronic diseases and do not tolerate cold water well. Contrast baths are the most useful. Prepare two basins: with hot water, temperature - 38 - 40 "C, and cold, 28-30 'C. Every five days, reduce the temperature of cold water by one degree. The ideal temperature for healthy women is 10-12 'C.

Immerse your feet and hands in hot water for half a minute, then in cold water for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this procedure 3-4 times. Then dry your feet and hands with a cotton towel, rub your soles and palms with a rough, scratchy, dry washcloth, and put on soft socks.

For this procedure, you can use solutions of herbs: sage, lavender, chamomile. Herbs relieve fatigue. They are prepared as follows: pour 2-3 tablespoons of dry herbs with one liter of boiling water, leave for at least thirty minutes, strain and add water at the desired temperature. The solution can be stored in the refrigerator for several days in a glass jar tightly closed with a plastic lid.

Dousing should begin with water at least 34°C. Gradually, the temperature must be reduced and brought to 18-20°C. The meaning of dousing is a rapid and strong flow of water. Therefore, water is poured into a bucket or basin and quickly poured onto the body. It is advisable to douse your head as well. For women with long hair, such a daily procedure is impossible, so the flow of half the bucket should be directed to the chest area. The second half of the bucket is poured onto the back. After dousing, rub the body with a dry washcloth or towel and put on a warm robe for ten minutes.

An effective way of hardening is a contrast shower: the water should be quickly switched several times - from warm, about 40'C, to cold, from 34 (initially) to 18'C. A shower with a temperature difference of more than 15" is considered high contrast, medium contrast - about 10", low contrast - less than 8". . Any Contrast shower is an excellent and powerful vascular exercise. In addition to the benefits of changing the “temperature” regime, water has an excellent effect on the skin, being a kind of massage that improves capillary blood circulation. Once a week, a hardening “mineral” bath is useful. Add half a glass of salt and soda to warm water. Sit in this bath for ten minutes. Then douse yourself with cool water.

The mucous membrane of the nose and throat can be hardened by daily preventive washing and rinsing with cold salt water - half a teaspoon of salt per glass of water - or chilled infusions of antiseptic herbs: raspberry leaves, linden blossom, coltsfoot.

Don’t let this not only healthy but also delicious recipe for strengthening the nasopharynx seem strange to you: eat ice cream and then drink a glass of warm herbal tea. The temperature contrast perfectly trains the mucous membrane, making it resistant to infections.

Photo: still from the movie "Gentlemen of Fortune"

In the cold season, skiing and skating in lightweight clothing are used for hardening. One of the best ways to harden is to walk in the fresh frosty air, as well as sleep indoors with an open window. True, the air temperature in the room should not be lower than 16-18 ‘C.

It is most effective to combine physical activity, fresh air and the healing power of water. This opportunity is provided by outdoor swimming pools. An exceptional energy strengthening effect is walking at a brisk pace from a warm shower to the pool, even if it is bitterly cold outside. After such a “minute walk”, even cool water will seem like fresh milk.

The bathhouse has great hardening value. The effect of the bath, like all types of water hardening, is based on temperature contrast, which normalizes the functioning of the vascular system and regulates blood circulation. But the bath also relaxes the muscles and has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system.

However, you should not steam more than once a week. Traditional Russian bath ceremony involves obligatory dousing with cold water or swimming in the snow. The heat of the steam room becomes stronger each time, and the water douches become cooler. The choice of a bath: Russian, Finnish or Turkish depends on the tastes and preferences of each person.

Hardening will not be beneficial if you wrap yourself in warm clothes. In winter, even in severe cold, you should not pull the scarf tightly around your throat - the neck area should be ventilated. Otherwise, a steam room effect is created, which is fraught not only with colds, but also with skin allergic reactions. The neck of a turtleneck or the collar of a sweater is quite enough. If the clothing does not cover the neck, then it is loosely covered with a thin scarf. But the blood vessels of the brain need to be protected from hypothermia - protect your head with a hat in winter.

Rules for water hardening:

1. Water hardening procedures should not be performed before bedtime or immediately after waking up.. They are desirable during the period of the day when the body is active and vital. Cold water quickly affects the central nervous system, relieves fatigue and gives vigor. After hydro procedures, it will be difficult for you to fall asleep, and for a newly awakened body, cold water is too strong a “doping”.

2. Water hardening should not be abused. For women, the ideal norm is one procedure per day.

4. The duration of procedures should not exceed 1.5-2.5 minutes.

5.Rubdowns, douches, contrast showers cannot be interrupted. They should become a daily ritual, as obligatory as combing your hair or applying makeup. One of the mistakes is that when we get sick, we stop hardening. Procedures can only be interrupted for a few days when the temperature persists. With a runny nose and cough, the body will defeat the infection faster if traditional hardening does not stop.

6. Useful after all water procedures, rub the body with a towel until noticeable redness. You should feel that your skin is completely warmed up.

8. Chills and blue, goose-colored skin are an indicator that this procedure is not suitable for you. It is worth changing it or choosing a more gentle temperature regime.

Solovey Olga

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