Rules for hardening the body. Hardening: the whole truth about the beneficial effects of cold

Introduction

History of hardening in Russia.

Basic rules of hardening.

Traditional hardening methods.

1. Hardening with water.

   Air hardening.

   Sun hardening.

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

What is hardening? IN " Explanatory dictionary"V. Dahl gives an explanation of this word in relation to a person. He believed that hardening a person means “accustoming him to all hardships, needs, bad weather, and raising him in severity.”

It has long been known that human health depends on heredity - 20%, on the state of the environment - 20%, on the level of medicine - 10% and on lifestyle - 50%. A healthy lifestyle means eating right, playing sports, giving up bad habits, etc. At the same time, hardening is also very important.

Hardening the body is a system of procedures that increase the body’s resistance to the influence of bad weather, develop immunity, improve adaptability to temperature changes, and strengthen the spirit. Hardening is a long-term training of the body's defenses and disease prevention. A seasoned person can easily tolerate cold and heat, he is more restrained, balanced, always cheerful and in a good mood, and copes better with stress. Hardening is suitable for any person; people of different ages can do it, regardless of their physical development. It’s better to harden yourself from childhood. Numerous observations have proven that children who are hardened from an early age very rarely suffer from colds.

History of hardening in Russia.

In all cultures around the world, hardening the body was used as a preventive means of strengthening the human spirit and body. In Rus', hardening was widespread. “Russians are a strong, strong, hardy people, able to easily endure both cold and heat. In general, in Russia people are healthy, living to a ripe old age and rarely getting sick,” wrote Adam Olearius, secretary of the Holstein embassy in Moscow.

Slavic peoples Ancient Rus' They used a bathhouse followed by rubbing with snow or swimming in a river or lake at any time of the year to improve health. The bathhouse performed therapeutic and health-improving functions. The oldest Russian chronicler Nestor in the 10th century described how he began to soar in a bathhouse and bathe in cold water babies immediately after birth. And so - for several weeks, and then with each illness. E.A. Pokrovsky wrote that among the inhabitants of Ancient Rus' “... it was considered the greatest virtue to accustom the body from very early childhood to cold and various bad weather.” Harsh climatic conditions forced people to look for original forms and methods of hardening. It is no coincidence that the Russian people had the following saying: “When a person becomes stronger, he is stronger than stone, but when he weakens, he is weaker than water.”

The famous Russian commander A.V. Suvorov, being frail and sickly from birth, thanks to hardening carried out over many years, managed to become a hardy and persistent person, not susceptible to either cold or heat. Until old age, he retained indomitable energy, cheerfulness, and creative capacity. “He walked naked for several hours in order to accustom himself to the cold and overcome the weakness of his nature. With this habit and dousing himself with cold water, he, one might say, hardened his body from the influence of bad weather, he seemed like a supernatural being,” the commander’s valet, Sergeant Ivan Sergeev, later recalled. According to an eyewitness, in addition to dousing him with cold water, A.V. Suvorov took great pleasure in steaming with a broom in a hot steam bath.

Special attention Hardening was given priority in the Russian army, where the Russian bathhouse was also widely used for “strength and health of the body.” Suvorov introduced physical training and hardening into military practice and strictly demanded their observance as the basis of the health of soldiers. In the famous instruction “The Science of Victory,” he wrote: “Road soldier!.. Take care of your health... Whoever doesn’t take care of people gets arrested, the non-commissioned officer and corporal get wands, and even the wands himself, who doesn’t take care of himself.” Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov, continuing Suvorov’s military traditions, strictly demanded that officers observe the rules of hardening and hygiene.

Russian doctors, writers, and scientists play a leading role in the development of the hardening method and its scientific justification. So A.N. Radishchev, in his work “On Man, On His Mortality and Immortality,” published in the 18th century, wrote: “Everything affects a person. Its food and nourishment, external cold and warmth, air and even light itself.”

Basic rules of hardening

When starting hardening, you must adhere to the following rules:

Taking into account age and individual characteristics of the body.

You cannot start hardening during illness or immediately after recovery. Hardening has a strong effect on the body, especially on people starting it for the first time, so it is best to consult a doctor. Taking into account the age and condition of the body, the doctor will help you choose the right hardening agents and advise how to use them so that there are no undesirable consequences.

2. Systematic hardening.

Hardening should be systematic, day after day throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions and without long breaks. Only in this case will it be effective.

3. Gradual hardening.

The strength and duration of action of hardening procedures should be increased gradually. First, you need to pre-train the body with more gentle procedures. For example, you can start with rubbing, foot baths and then start dousing, gradually lowering the temperature of the water.

4. Positive attitude towards hardening.

The success of hardening procedures largely depends on interest in them, positive psychological mood. Hardening should bring joy.

Violation of these rules results in a lack of positive effect from hardening procedures.

Traditional hardening methods

Existing hardening methods are divided into two groups: traditional and non-traditional. In traditional methods, the natural forces of nature have been used since ancient times and still remain the main means of hardening: the sun, air and water.

Hardening with water.

Water is a powerful, generally accepted means of hardening the body, having a pronounced cooling effect. At the same temperature of water and air, the water seems colder to us. The advantage of water over other means of hardening is also that water procedures are easy to dose. It is best to start them in the morning, after exercise. First, they begin to use water at body temperature, then the water temperature is carefully reduced by one degree every 3-4 days. Under the influence of the water procedure, the blood vessels first narrow, the skin turns pale, and at this time the blood moves to the internal organs. Then a number of complex reactions occur in the body: the activity of the nervous and cardiovascular systems is activated, metabolism accelerates, etc. As a result, the skin vessels dilate and blood from the internal organs passes into them, the body turns red, and the person experiences a feeling of warmth. If you experience chills during a cold water procedure - it is accompanied by “goose bumps” - you should immediately stop hardening the body and thoroughly rub the body. There are several separate methods of water hardening.

Washing the feet. This procedure is carried out throughout the year before going to bed with the temperature initially 26 - 28°C, and then reducing it to 12 - 15°C. After washing, the feet are thoroughly rubbed until reddened.

Gargling. It is held every day in the morning and evening. Initially, water is used at a temperature of 23 - 25 ° C, gradually every week it decreases by 1 - 2 ° C and is brought to 5 - 10 ° C.

Rubbing. This is the most gentle of all water procedures, which can be used at all ages, starting from infancy. It is carried out with a towel, sponge or simply a hand moistened with water. Rubbing is carried out sequentially: neck, chest, back, then wipe them dry and rub with a towel until red. After this, they wipe their feet and also rub them. The entire procedure is completed within five minutes.

Pouring. For the first douches, it is necessary to use water with a temperature of about +30°C, then reducing it to +15°C and below. Afterwards, the body is vigorously rubbed with a towel.

Shower. This is a very effective water procedure. At the beginning of hardening, the water temperature should be about +30 - 32°C and the duration should not be more than a minute. Then you can gradually reduce the temperature and increase the procedure time to two minutes, including rubbing the body. With a good degree of hardening, you can take a contrast shower, alternating water of 35-40°C with 13-20°C two or three times for three minutes.

In the warm season, you should take advantage of every opportunity to swim in open water. You can start swimming at a temperature of 18-20°C and 14-15°C air.

Air hardening

Air is a medium, constantly surrounding a person. It comes into contact with the skin - directly or through the fabric of clothing and with the mucous membrane respiratory tract. Special air hardening measures include sleeping in the air, in cold weather, and air baths.

Hardening should begin in a room, regardless of the time of year, at a temperature not lower than 15-16°C. Air baths are taken in a well-ventilated area. Having exposed your body, you should remain in this state for no more than 3-5 minutes.

The dosage of air baths is carried out in two ways: a gradual decrease in air temperature or an increase in time at the same temperature. After such preparation, you can proceed to outdoor hardening. Air baths should be started in places protected from the sun, strong wind at an air temperature of 20-22°C. The first air bath should last no more than 10 minutes. And each subsequent one increases by 3-5 minutes. Cold baths (4-13°C) can only be taken by seasoned people. Their duration is no more than 1-2 minutes, s gradual increase up to 8-10 minutes.

Air baths stimulate the thermoregulation apparatus, have a positive effect on all skin activity, on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and have a beneficial effect on the human psyche.

3.3. Sun hardening

The hardening effect of the sun is unique. The sun is strong active agent hardening

Solar infrared rays have a pronounced thermal effect on the body. They contribute to the formation of additional heat in it. As a result, activity increases sweat glands and the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the skin increases. The subcutaneous vessels expand, blood flow increases, and this improves blood circulation in all tissues of the body. Ultra-violet rays promote the formation of vitamin D in the body, improve blood composition, increase the body's resistance to colds and infections.

Sunbathing must be taken very carefully, otherwise instead of benefit it will cause harm (burns, heat and sunstroke). It is best to take them in the morning, when the air is especially clean and it is not too hot, and also in the late afternoon, when the sun is setting. Their duration should not exceed 5 minutes, then you need to add 3-5 minutes, gradually bringing it up to an hour. The head should be covered with something like a Panama hat, and the eyes with dark glasses. You need to sunbathe in a supine position, with your feet facing the sun.

Conclusion

Hardening is based on the human body’s ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Hardening should begin from the very early childhood and continue throughout life, modifying the forms and methods of its use depending on age. The health benefits of air, sunbathing, and water procedures are undeniable. Hardened people tolerate changes in humidity, cold and heat more easily and are less susceptible to colds and other diseases. Hardening strengthens the nervous system, improves heart and lung function, blood composition and metabolism.

Hardening means are simple and affordable, they are always at hand. The main thing is that they can be used at any time of the year, in any conditions. They do not require complex equipment and special rooms, and the methods of their use are not difficult. The Poles have a wise proverb: “What is unnecessary is not healthy.” It seems to me that when hardening it is better to use proven traditional methods, while observing common sense and the “golden mean”.

Literature

1. Biryukov A.A. This sorceress bathhouse. – M.: Soviet Sport, 1991, 110 p.

2. Zmanovsky Yu.F. Let's raise children healthy. – M.: Medicine, 1989, 128 p.

3. Your child / Author: I.I. Grebesheva, N.A. Ananyeva, S.G. Gribakin et al. / - M.: Medicine, 1990, 384 p.

4. Postysheva A. History of hardening [Electronic resource]. Access mode: http://www.zakalivanie.ru/detail.php (December 1, 2012)

5. Komarovsky E.O. Hardening [Electronic resource]. Access mode: http://articles.komarovskiy.net/zakalivanie.html

6. Kotesheva I. Hardening [Electronic resource]. Access mode: http://www.medcentre.com.ua/articles/Zakalivanie-8372

Baikalova L.A. , Voronova A.O.

Introduction

Nowadays there are many children with poor health, so we consider the topic of health promotion relevant.

To achieve our goal, we have set ourselves the following tasks:

Study hardening as a system for healing the body;

Consider the essence of hardening methods;

Investigate the effect of hardening on the human body.

Hypothesis: hardening improves the functioning of the body, strengthening the immune, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Methods research – theoretical, empirical (method of collecting and accumulating data), mathematical (diagrams).

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Hardening methods and their effect on the human body Research work of 8th grade “A” students Lyubov Baikalova and Alena Voronova Scientific supervisor: Natalya Yuryevna Makeeva, physical education teacher, Municipal Educational Institution Secondary School No. 9

Nowadays, there are many children with poor health, so we consider the topic of health promotion to be relevant. Relevance of the topic

Hypothesis: hardening improves the functioning of the body, strengthening the immune, nervous and cardiovascular systems. Research methods - theoretical, empirical (method of collecting and accumulating data), mathematical (diagrams). Hypothesis and research methods

Hardening is a system of special training and thermoregulatory processes of the body, which includes procedures whose action is aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to hypothermia or overheating. Hardening as a body training system

Air baths; Sunbathing; Walking barefoot; Cold and hot shower; Bath (sauna); Cold shower; Wiping with snow; Swimming in an ice hole. Types of hardening

In order to appear beneficial effect hardening, a number of conditions must be observed: Regularity; Graduality; Absence discomfort. How to harden properly?

Strengthening the immune system; Skin cleansing; Increased blood circulation; Strengthening the cardiovascular system; Increased endurance; Disappearance nervous tension; Ventilation bronchopulmonary system etc. The effect of hardening on the body

Student survey

Conclusion Hardening really benefits the body with the right and competent approach. It helps strengthen the nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems. If you want to keep your body toned and in good shape, then this method of healing the body as hardening will help you.

Thank you for your attention!

Hardening– is an increase in the body’s resistance to the effects of natural factors within the limits of physiological stress. It not only strengthens the body, improves blood circulation, normalizes metabolism and increases the tone of the central nervous system, hardening actually strengthens the immune system.

Hardening the body a system of procedures that help increase the body’s resistance to adverse influences of the external environment, the development of conditioned reflex reactions of thermoregulation, with the aim of improving it. When hardening, the body develops resistance to cooling and thereby to the so-called. colds and some other diseases. If the body is not trained to cool, the reaction to cold has the character of an unconditioned reflex; The heat production time is delayed, the skin vessels do not have time to contract quickly enough, and paralytic relaxation of the vessels occurs, which further increases heat transfer. The reaction of a hardened organism during cooling is of a conditioned reflex nature: heat production increases, heat retention quickly occurs due to contraction of skin vessels - the so-called vasomotor play - short-term dilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow; metabolism increases.

It is important to begin hardening the body in childhood, when thermoregulation is in the formative stage and immunobiological defense mechanisms are developing. To fully harden the body, it is necessary to use a set of hardening procedures, observing the principles of complexity, gradualism, systematicity and taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.

The complex of hardening procedures consists of convection (air and solar-air baths) and conduction (rubbing, dousing, foot baths, swimming in open reservoirs and contrasting procedures, for example, alternating dousing with warm and cold water with a temperature difference from 3°C to 10°C , as well as walking barefoot) cooling. In the winter months, especially in the north, ultraviolet irradiation from artificial sources becomes of great importance for hardening the body.

When hardening the body, the strength of the stimulus is increased gradually. In the spring-summer period, when hardening of the body occurs spontaneously due to lighter clothing, swimming in open reservoirs, etc., a decrease in water and air temperatures during hardening of the body can be carried out more intensively. When hardening is carried out in the autumn-winter period, the temperature of water and air is reduced at significantly greater intervals. Hardening procedures begin with air baths indifferent air temperature from 24°C - for infants and from 18°C ​​to 12°C - for older schoolchildren and adults (at an air speed not exceeding 0.1 m/sec, and relative humidity in the range of 40-65% ). Sunbathing start with 3-5 minutes and gradually increase to 20-40 minutes, depending on age. For general water procedures, the skin temperature in the heart area is taken as a basis: for children under 1 year of age 35-36°C, for adults 31-33°C. Water this temperature is used for rubdown; for dousing- 1-2°C higher, for foot baths- 1-2°C lower. The water temperature is gradually reduced for children under 3 years of age to 26-24°C, for older children to 15-12°C. For local water procedures, the temperature of the exposed parts of the body is taken as a basis (about 29-25°C) and gradually decreases to 12-10°C. In the second year of systematic hardening classes, contrasting procedures can be carried out. A good hardening procedure is bathing in open water.

Systematicity is very important in hardening the body. If a stimulus acts with some consistency for a more or less long time, a certain stereotype for this stimulus is developed. If the fastening is insufficient, the hardening effect is removed. So, when carrying out hardening procedures for 2-3 months. with their subsequent cessation, the hardening of the body disappears after 1-1 1/2 months. During long breaks, hardening procedures begin again at the initial temperatures of water and air. Taking into account the individual characteristics of the body (foci of dormant infection, state of convalescence, anemia, heart defects, asthma, etc.) is especially important in children. Hardening of the body is carried out without reducing the indifferent temperatures of water and air. When hardening the body, it is necessary to take into account that easily excitable people need calming procedures (air baths, rubdown, etc.), sun-air baths are excluded. For people with a predominance of inhibition processes, douches and contrast procedures are recommended; lethargic - dousing immediately after sleep; calm and balanced - after morning exercises. Hardening should not be carried out on patients until full recovery, as well as those suffering from congenital and acquired heart defects in the stage of decompensation, chronic kidney diseases.

Hardening of children

After all, a hardened child is not afraid of hypothermia, temperature changes, cold winds - hardened children rarely get very sick and practically never catch a cold. You can harden your child even from birth. Start now and you will notice that your child will become strong, healthy, energetic and more productive.

The most “harmless” method as preparation for intensive hardening is contrasting dousing of the legs in the autumn-winter period. Take advantage of the fact that all children love to dangle their feet in the water. And if you put a toy in the basin, the procedure will give the child a lot of joy and pleasure. You can start contrasting the legs as soon as the baby starts crawling. You can harden a child with the help of air (air baths) and water (water procedures). Contrast water hardening has the most powerful effect on the body.

The hardening procedure consists of lowering the legs one by one into water at 38–40 degrees, and then into a container with a temperature 3–4 degrees lower. First, the child immerses his feet in hot water for 1-2 minutes (“tramples” them), then in cool water for 5–20 seconds. The number of alternating dives is 3–6. Every 5 days, the temperature in the second basin is reduced by 1 degree and raised to 18–10 degrees.

An element of hardening can be introduced into such ordinary procedures as washing and bathing. In order for a child to grow up healthy, hardening should begin from the first months, at any time of the year. The main thing is that the baby enjoys the hardening procedures.

From the age of two months, you can wipe the baby with a soft towel soaked in warm water. First, wipe the baby's arms, then the legs, chest, tummy and back. Rubbing the entire body should not take more than 2 minutes. After this, wipe the baby dry and put him to bed for 10 minutes. If the child likes this procedure, after about a couple of months, move on to the “second step”; after bathing, pour water over the child, 1–2 degrees lower than in the bath. Gradually, the water temperature can be reduced by 2 - 3 degrees, not forgetting to thoroughly rub the baby with a towel.

From 9 – 10 months you can start general hardening. This is a dousing procedure during which the child can sit or stand. Keep the flexible shower hose at a distance of 25–30 cm. The water stream should be strong. First pour on the back, then the chest and stomach, last resort- hands.

After dousing, wipe the baby dry until slightly reddened. At first, the optimal water temperature is 35-37 degrees, every 5 days reduce it by 1 degree and bring it to 28 degrees.

Of particular importance is such a moment as the child’s clothing in different time of the year.

Before the baby is one year old, you need to dress a little warmer than yourself, and after a year, the same as yourself. A temperature of 22–23 degrees is considered comfortable for a child, while the baby does not need additional insulation and can sleep under a thin flannelette blanket or sheet.

In warm weather, clothing should be single-layer. At temperatures below 18-20 degrees, two-layer, below 8-10 degrees - three-layer, etc.

You should not be guided by your own thermal sensations. If your feet often get cold, and your baby wants to run barefoot on the carpet, do not follow your beloved child with socks in your hands.

A child makes a thousand movements per minute, so, naturally, you are much colder than a toddler running around the yard or room.

Parents' task– make the rules of a healthy lifestyle become natural. Then even a baby who is not in excellent health will become strong and resilient. The main thing is to accustom the baby - wet his feet - immediately change into dry shoes, get cold outside - drink hot tea at home. Someday, a grown-up child will remember your hardening lessons with gratitude and boldly open the window on a frosty day, greedily inhaling deeply the fresh air.

Hardening is a system of special training of the body’s thermoregulatory processes, which includes procedures whose action is aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to hypothermia or overheating. Under the influence of these environmental factors, a complex physiological set of responses arises in the body, in which non- individual organs, but in a certain way organized and subordinate to each other functional systems aimed at maintaining body temperature at a constant level.

Hardening- a proven means of promoting health. Hardening procedures are based on repeated exposure to heat, cooling and sunlight. At the same time, a person gradually develops adaptation to the external environment. In the process of hardening, the functioning of the body is improved: the physical and chemical state of cells, the activity of all organs and their systems are improved. As a result of hardening, performance increases, the incidence of illness, especially colds, decreases, and well-being improves.

Staying and playing sports on fresh air , as well as water procedures (rubbing, dousing, bathing, contrast shower). In this case, it is important to gradually and systematically reduce the temperature of water or air, and not its abrupt transition.

The most powerful hardening procedure - winter swimming(swimming in ice water) - has a number of contraindications, especially contraindicated for: children, adolescents and people constantly suffering from diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Winter swimming should be preceded by preparation of the body, which consists of regular douches with a gradual decrease in water temperature.

One of the most common types of hardening is walking barefoot.

With long breaks in hardening, its effect is reduced or lost completely.

You need to start hardening (any of the proposed types) only after visiting and checking a doctor, since hardening is a training, not a treatment, and for people with a disease and weak immunity such procedures may be contraindicated.

Hardening– is an increase in the body’s resistance to the effects of natural factors within the limits of physiological stress. Hardening strengthens the body, improves blood circulation, increases the tone of the central nervous system, and most importantly, strengthens the immune system and reduces the frequency of colds. Hardening is training the entire body and, above all, the thermoregulatory apparatus.
You can begin to harden yourself at almost any age. It is better to consult a doctor first. He will check your health status and rule out possible contraindications. If we're talking about about hardening a child, it can only be started when the child is completely healthy.
Basic principles of hardening:

• systematicity,
• gradualism,
• taking into account individual characteristics,
• self-control.

Principle systematic requires mandatory daily implementation of procedures. Long breaks in hardening lead to a weakening or loss of acquired protective reactions.

Other required condition proper hardening– gradual increase in the dosage of procedures. When hardening, as when carrying out any other procedures, one should take into account individual characteristics of the body. Your own feelings will tell you which hardening methods are best for you. The effectiveness of hardening increases significantly if it is combined with physical exercise, especially in the fresh air, incl. with swimming, skiing, speed skating, and athletics.

Indicators correct implementation hardening and its positive results are: sound sleep, a good appetite, improved well-being, increased performance, cheerful mood, absence of flus and colds, etc. Accordingly, the appearance of insomnia, irritability, decreased appetite, decreased performance and cold symptoms indicate improper hardening. In these cases, it is necessary to change the form and dosage of the procedures (possibly interrupt them temporarily) and consult a doctor for advice.

Air and water

Air hardening– air baths are the softest and safest hardening procedure. It is recommended to begin systematic hardening with air baths.
The hardening effect of air depends mainly on its temperature. Air baths, according to the heat sensation they cause, are divided into lukewarm (air temperature +30...+20° C), cool (+20...+14° C) and cold (+14° C and below). It is better to start taking air baths in a well-ventilated area. Do exercises in a room with an open window. Then, as you harden, move your classes to the open air. It is best to take air baths while moving: light jogging, exercise or play. In case of rain, fog and strong wind, hardening can be done at home in a room with an open window. You should start taking air baths for 20 minutes at an air temperature of +16...+20° C. Gradually, as the body adapts, increase the time spent in the air and reduce the temperature.

Water treatments– a more intensive hardening procedure. The main hardening factor is water temperature. The systematic use of water procedures is a reliable prevention of colds and ailments.

The most favorable time to start water hardening is summer and autumn. It is best to carry out procedures in the morning, immediately after sleep or at the end of morning exercises.

When starting water hardening, first take light water procedures with a water temperature of +33...+34° C. Then, every 3-4 days, reduce the water temperature by 1°, and gradually, over 1.5-2 months, bring it up depending on the well-being and health status up to +10...+15° C. In the summer heat, the temperature can be even lower. The colder the water, the shorter the procedure time should be.

Rubdown – First stage hardening with water. For several days, wipe with a towel or sponge moistened with water. At first, this procedure is done only up to the waist, and then they move on to wiping the entire body. Rubbing is carried out sequentially, starting from the upper half of the body: having wiped the neck, chest, arms and back with water, wipe them dry and rub them with a towel until red as the blood moves towards the heart. After this, the thighs and legs are also wiped. The entire procedure, including rubbing, should not exceed 5 minutes.

– the next stage of hardening with water. In this procedure, a small pressure of the water jet is added to the effect of low water temperature on the body. When dousing, water pours out of a bucket, basin or hose. For the first douches, it is better to take water with a temperature of about +30°C, later the temperature drops to +10°C, and in extreme heat outside it can be even lower. After dousing, the body is vigorously rubbed with a towel. The duration of the entire procedure is no more than 3-4 minutes.

Shower– another effective water procedure. At the beginning of hardening, the water in the shower should be +30...+35°C, and the duration of the procedure should be no more than one minute. Then the water temperature gradually decreases, and the shower time increases to 2 minutes. The procedure ends with vigorous rubbing of the body with a towel.

Brief history

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC) was the first to describe a system of rational hydrotherapy in his writings and point out the beneficial effects of sunbathing.

Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) created the “Canon of Medical Science” in the 8th – 9th centuries. He divided medicine into theoretical and practical, and the latter into the science of maintaining health and the science of treating a sick body. In one of the chapters, Avicenna talks about swimming in cold water, including for young children, as well as methods for preparing travelers for the conditions of the hot desert and winter weather.

Rituals, sayings reflecting centuries of experience Russian people talk about the use of cold water in Rus' for a long time to improve health. “Ice water is bad for the sick.”

The ancient Russian chronicler Nestor in the 10th century described how he began to soar in a bathhouse and bathe babies in cold water immediately after birth.

The great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov created a whole system of physical training with daily dousing with cold water.

The founder of Russian medicine S.G. Zybelin in “A Tale on the Harm Resulting from Keeping Oneself in Excessive Warmth” (1773) wrote: “It is very useful to wash babies with cold water to bring them to strength and to prevent many diseases.”

Russian scientist Pokrovsky in the book “Phys. raising children among different nations” (1884), noted that a healthy newborn has a tremendous ability to adapt to the environment. The Scythians, according to Herodotus, bathed their newborns in cold water. The Yakuts rubbed them with snow several times a day. Residents of the North Caucasus washed their children below the waist with very cold water twice a day, starting from the first day of life. And Turkish women, performing their first ablution, washed their newborns with hot water.

According to many researchers (Speransky, Kalyuzhnaya, Nikiforov), hardening children reduces their incidence of illness in cold weather by 2-3 times and increases performance.

Basic requirements for hardening

1. Taking into account the individual characteristics of the child’s body. When forming a hardening system, it is necessary to take into account the state of health, age, climatic conditions, the development of subcutaneous fat, the type of nervous system, and the degree of hardening of the child.

Three groups of children can be distinguished according to these indicators: I – healthy, hardened; II – children with functional deviations in health and healthy, but not hardened; III – children suffering from chronic diseases and convalescents after long-term illnesses.

Hardening of children of group I should begin with indifferent stimuli. For air baths, these are comfortable air temperature indicators; for local and general water procedures, these are skin temperature in a state of thermal comfort.

For children of groups II and III, the initial and final temperature of the influencing factors should be 2-4°C higher than for children of group I, and the rate of its decrease should be slower.

By changing the duration of cold stimulation, you can increase the child’s energy expenditure. This is important for children increased nutrition and with obesity, because short-term cold exposures tone up heat transfer processes, and long-term exposures stimulate deep metabolic processes (heat production).

1. The gradual increase in the strength of the stimulus means that an almost instantaneous and deep decrease in temperature at the beginning of hardening, as well as a rapid increase in the duration of the procedure, is unacceptable. It provides five options.
2. For weakened children, hardening can begin with areas of the body less sensitive to cold (for example, hands), gradually moving to areas of the body that have not been exposed to cold and are therefore more sensitive (back).
3. Change in body surface area exposed to the hardening factor. (They often start from distal areas, gradually increasing the area).
4. Transition from less intense procedures to more intense ones: from air to water, from wiping to dousing with water.
5. Increasing the intensity of the hardening factor: decreasing or increasing the temperature, increasing the speed of air movement, the strength of ultraviolet irradiation.
6. Increasing the duration of action of the hardening stimulus - the intensity of the hardening factor should increase gradually, but each subsequent load should cause a response from the body, vegetative shifts: increased heart rate, increased depth and frequency of breathing. The absence of these shifts indicates an insufficient increase in the acting stimulus.
7. Systematic use of hardening procedures at all times of the year, without interruptions, i.e. regular repetitions of hardening effects, which form, on the basis of an unconditioned reflex, a conditioned reflex pulsation of skin vessels, which ensures greater resistance of the skin surface to prolonged exposure to cold, and regulation of heat transfer helps maintain temperature internal environment at a constant level. When the hardening influences cease, conditioned reflexes fade away. The training effect of the hardening load is achieved in several months (2-3), and disappears in 2-3 weeks, and in preschoolers after 5-7 days.

Subject to this rule, hardening cannot be canceled even in the case of mild illnesses in children - the load or intensity of the stimulus should be reduced.

1. The specificity of adaptation processes necessitates the need to observe the principle of diversity or complexity of hardening means. This implies the use of a variation of the action of the same factor. For example, gargling with water, local hardening and pouring water on the feet reflexively leads to a decrease in the sensitivity of the nasopharynx to cold.
2. Polygradation, i.e. the need to train for strong and weak, fast and slow, as well as moderate in strength and time cooling. In order not to perpetuate narrow stereotypes of hardening, it is necessary to develop the readiness of the child’s body to respond to factors that vary in range. They note the phenomenon of “unilateral adaptation”, the essence of which is that if you harden top part torso, then only the torso becomes resistant to cooling, but not lower limbs. In this case, the tolerance to cold on the feet weakens. Therefore, it is better to combine local and general hardening procedures when the body’s optimal resistance to cold is achieved.

6.All hardening procedures should be carried out against the backdrop of positive emotions!!!

Violation of these rules leads to a lack of positive effect from hardening, and sometimes to hyperactivation of neuron endocrine systems s and its subsequent depletion.

According to V. Dahl’s definition in his “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language,” hardening a person is “accustoming him to all hardships, needs, bad weather, educating him in severity.” In modern literature one can find different explanations for hardening. According to one of them hardening is a scientifically based systematic use of natural factors to increase the body’s resistance to adverse environmental agents.

By another definition, hardening- This is an increase in the body's resistance to adverse effects physical factors environment (low and high temperatures, low atmospheric pressure, etc.) is an important part of physical culture, as well as preventive and rehabilitation measures. Hardening is a fairly strong healing agent.

In a narrower sense, hardening should be understood as various activities related to the rational use of the natural forces of nature to increase the body’s resistance to the harmful influences of meteorological factors.

Thus, hardening of the body can be defined as a system of procedures that help increase the body's resistance to adverse influences of the external environment, the development of conditioned reflex reactions of thermoregulation, with the aim of improving it. When hardening, the body develops resistance to cooling and thereby to colds and some other diseases.

From the history of hardening

Hardening as a factor in increasing the body's resistance to different conditions has been used since ancient times. The experience of hardening that has reached us dates back over a thousand years.

In almost all cultures around the world, hardening was used as a preventive means of strengthening the human spirit and body.

Much attention was paid to physical exercise, hardening and body hygiene in Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome. There was a cult of health and beauty of the body here, so the system physical education hardening was included as an integral part. Hardening in these countries pursued the goal of improving health and developing a person’s ability to endure all possible hardships. According to Plutarch, the hardening of boys in Ancient Sparta began from a very early age. From the age of seven, education continued in public houses in increasingly harsh conditions: they were shaved bald, forced to walk barefoot in any weather, and naked in the warm season. When children turned 12, they were given a raincoat to wear all year round. They were allowed to wash themselves with hot water only a few times a year. And in their mature years, people had to live as custom prescribed.

In Sparta, much attention was paid to the physical development of women. Like men, they “also practiced running, wrestling, throwing discus and javelin, so that their bodies would be strong and strong and so that the children they bore would be the same,” writes Plutarch. “Hardened by such exercises, they could more easily endure the pains of childbirth and emerge healthy.”

Ancient Romans largely borrowed and transformed ancient Greek culture. Their most important hardening agent was the bath. The Roman baths, or baths, were spacious and very roomy buildings, built from magnificent types of marble (the baths of Diocletian (505-506) accommodated 3,500 bathers).

The thermal baths had rooms for undressing, gymnastic exercises and massage, there was a hot bath, pools with warm and cold water, showers, sand and mud baths were widely used. On the roofs of many thermal baths there were platforms for sunbathing.

Hardening as a preventative measure was widely recommended by such prominent scientists of antiquity as Hippocrates, Democritus, Asklepiades and others. One of the means of hardening is exposure to sunlight. The healing effects of the sun's rays were well known in Ancient Egypt, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the walls of ancient temples. The first doctor to recommend the use of therapeutic purpose sunbathing, was Hippocrates.

IN Ancient China disease prevention and health promotion were of a state nature. Therefore, in ancient Chinese medicine great attention focused on activities that promote health. The most important means for this were considered physical exercise, water procedures, solar radiation, massage, therapeutic exercises, and diet.

One of the most important areas in medicine Ancient India there was the prevention of diseases, the use of various exercises, such as yoga, aimed at maintaining and strengthening health, achieving moral and psychological balance, where hardening also played an important role.

Particular importance was attached to hardening in Rus'. Here it was widespread. Since ancient times, the Slavic peoples of Ancient Rus' used a bathhouse followed by rubbing with snow or swimming in a river or lake at any time of the year to improve health. The bathhouse performed therapeutic and health-improving functions. Particular attention was paid to hardening in the Russian army, where the Russian bath was also widely used for “strength and health of the body.” Russian doctors, writers, and scientists play a leading role in the development of the hardening method and its scientific justification.

Their views on the role of hardening in strengthening human health were based on the recognition of the determining role of environmental factors in the life of the body, its dependence on the conditions in which it exists and develops. So A.N. Radishchev, in his work “On Man, On His Mortality and Immortality,” published in the 18th century, wrote: “Everything affects a person: his food and nutrition, external cold and warmth, air and even light itself.”

Basic principles of hardening

In order to achieve the desired result, when carrying out hardening procedures one cannot neglect the principles that have been developed practical experience and supported by biomedical research. The most important of them are systematicity, gradualness and consistency of irritating effects, taking into account individual characteristics, self-control and the complexity of the influence of natural factors.

It suggests that hardening the body should be carried out systematically, day after day throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions and without long breaks. It is best if the use of hardening procedures is clearly fixed in the daily routine. Then the body develops a certain stereotypical reaction to the applied stimulus: changes in the body’s reaction to the effects of cold, which develop as a result of repeated cooling, are fixed and preserved only under a strict regime of repeated cooling. Breaks in hardening reduce the body's acquired resistance to temperature influences. In this case, there is no rapid adaptive response. Thus, carrying out hardening procedures for 2-3 months and then stopping them leads to the fact that the hardening of the body disappears after 3-4 weeks, and in children after 5-7 days.

Graduality and consistency increase in irritant effects implies that hardening will bring positive result only if the strength and duration of the hardening procedures are increased gradually.

You should not start hardening immediately by wiping with snow or swimming in an ice hole. Such hardening can be harmful to health. The transition from less strong influences to stronger ones should be carried out gradually, taking into account the state of the body and the nature of its responses to the applied influence. In other words, the strength of the stimulus is increased gradually. In the spring-summer period, when hardening occurs spontaneously due to lighter clothing, swimming in open water, etc., the reduction in water and air temperatures can be carried out more intensively. When hardening is carried out in the autumn-winter period, the temperature of water and air is reduced at significantly larger intervals.

This is especially important to consider when hardening children and the elderly, as well as people suffering from chronic diseases of the heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. At the beginning of the use of hardening procedures, the body experiences a certain response from the respiratory, cardiovascular and central nervous systems. As this procedure is repeated several times, the body's reaction to it gradually weakens, and its further use no longer has a hardening effect. Only then is it necessary to change the strength and duration of the impact of hardening procedures on the body. It is usually recommended to begin systematic hardening of the whole organism with them. Scientific observations show that the hardening of the body increases significantly if increased demands are systematically placed on it. We should not forget that if the dose of the irritant is not gradually increased during hardening procedures, then it can no longer stimulate an increase in the hardening and stability of the body. Hardening should begin with small doses and the simplest methods, gradually placing increasingly higher demands on the body. Preliminary training of the body with more gentle procedures is necessary. You can start with rubbing, foot baths, and only then start dousing, while observing the principle of gradually decreasing temperatures. When hardening, it is best to stick to the known medical rules: weak stimuli contribute to better performance of functions, strong ones interfere with it, excessive ones are destructive.

When hardening it is also important to consider individual characteristics of a person. Hardening has a very strong effect on the body, especially on people starting it for the first time. Therefore, before you start taking hardening procedures, you should consult a doctor. Taking into account the age and condition of the body, the doctor will help you choose the right hardening agent and advise how to use it to prevent undesirable consequences. Medical control during hardening will reveal the effectiveness of hardening procedures or detect undesirable deviations in health, and will also give the doctor the opportunity to plan the nature of hardening in the future. When choosing the dosage and forms of hardening procedures, various individual characteristics of a person are taken into account - age, health status, and other factors. This is explained by the fact that the body’s reaction to hardening procedures varies from person to person. Children, for example, are more sensitive to the influence of external factors than adults. Persons who are weakly physically developed or have recently suffered from a disease also react significantly more strongly to the effects of meteorological factors compared to healthy people. It is also important to take age into account. Usually, a person at the age of 40-50, and even more so in subsequent years, experiences inevitable age-related changes blood vessels and other body systems. For this reason, it is especially dangerous for elderly and elderly people to use strong hardening agents and get carried away with lengthy procedures. The gradual increase in load must be brought into strict accordance with individual characteristics. We must not forget about the diseases that a person starting hardening may have. Finally, it is also important to take into account the climatic conditions in which a person lives and works, as well as the various vagaries of the weather.

An important factor in assessing the effectiveness of hardening is self-control. With self-control, the person being hardened consciously follows the hardening of his own well-being and, on the basis of this, can change the dosage of hardening procedures. Self-control is carried out taking into account such indicators as general health, body weight, pulse, appetite, sleep, etc. Self-control is developed over time.

Complexity of impact natural factors. Natural environmental factors that are widely used to harden the body include air, water and solar radiation. The choice of hardening procedures depends on a number of objective conditions: time of year, state of health, climatic and geographical conditions of the place of residence. The most effective is the use of a variety of hardening procedures that reflect the entire complex of natural forces that influence a person every day. The hardening effect is achieved not only by the use of special hardening procedures, but also includes the optimal microclimate of the room in which a person is located, and the heat-protective properties of clothing, creating a microclimate around the body. The most favorable for hardening is the so-called dynamic, or pulsating, microclimate, in which the temperature is not maintained at a strictly constant level, but fluctuates within certain limits. The body must be trained for fast and slow, weak, medium and strong cold influences. This kind of comprehensive training is very important. Otherwise, a biologically impractical, rigidly fixed stereotype of resistance to only a narrow range of cold influences will be developed. The effectiveness of hardening procedures increases significantly if they are combined with sports exercises. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the amount of stress on the body is also different. Thus, exposure to several natural factors increases the effectiveness of hardening procedures.

Exist various methods hardening depending on the method of exposure. The first (and most common) is cold hardening. Cold hardening is the most common and practically the most important, because... it helps prevent acute respiratory infections viral infections, thanks to stimulation of immune reactions and improvement of thermoregulation processes. In people who are resistant to low temperatures, heat generation in the body occurs more intensely; better blood supply to the skin reduces the likelihood of frostbite. Sensitivity to cold is also reduced due to some thickening of the stratum corneum of the skin and the deposition of cold-resistant fats. Cooling of even small areas of the body, as well as general hypothermia, in people not accustomed to cold, leads to dilation of the blood vessels in the mucous membrane of the nose and nasopharynx. In hardened people, the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract does not react in this way. Hardening to cold is carried out mainly through frequent exposure to the open air and the use of water procedures. The most effective and convenient water procedures are rubdowns, douses, showers, which begin with the use of water at room temperature.

Rubdown– the initial stage of hardening with water. It is carried out with a towel, sponge or simply a hand moistened with water. Rubbing is carried out sequentially: neck, chest, back, then wipe them dry and rub with a towel until red. After this, they wipe their feet and also rub them. The entire procedure is carried out within five minutes.

– the next stage of hardening with water. For the first douches, it is advisable to use water with a temperature of about + 30C, subsequently reducing it to + 15C and below. After dousing, the body is vigorously rubbed with a towel.

Shower– an even more effective water procedure. At the beginning of hardening, the water temperature should be about +30-32C and the duration should not be more than a minute. In the future, you can gradually reduce the temperature and increase the duration to 2 minutes, including rubbing the body. With a good degree of hardening, you can take a contrast shower, alternating 2-3 times water at 35-40C with water at 13-20C for 3 minutes. Regular use of these water procedures causes a feeling of freshness, vigor, and increased performance.

They also bring great benefits bathing. However, water procedures such as swimming in open water in winter can only be taken after lengthy preliminary preparation, with the permission of a doctor and under constant medical supervision. In addition, cold hardening can lead to changes temperature regime body. Constancy of body temperature is possible only if the amount of heat generated is equal to the amount of heat given off by the body to the environment. In other words, the constancy of body temperature is ensured by a combination of two interrelated processes - heat production and heat transfer. If the heat input is equal to its consumption, then the body temperature remains at a constant level. If heat production prevails over heat transfer, body temperature rises. In this regard, a sharp drop in temperature for an unprepared (unhardened) organism leads to an increase in temperature and the occurrence of a cold.

In those cases when heat production lags behind heat transfer, a decrease in body temperature is observed.

It should be noted that the limits of thermoregulation are by no means unlimited. Disturbances in the thermal balance of the body, as a rule, cause significant harm to health. Excessive cooling, for example, leads to a weakening of the body, a decrease in its stability, and a decrease in resistance to pathogenic microbes.

It has long been noted that people react differently to cooling.

Not everyone gets colds. There are many cold-resistant people who are less susceptible to colds and tolerate colds painlessly. sharp fluctuations temperature. It also turned out that the degree of sensitivity to cold does not depend on congenital features organism, but is determined by living conditions, and, above all, by climatic conditions.

Another method of hardening is air hardening(or aerotherapy). Air, as we know, is a natural mixture of gases, mainly nitrogen and oxygen. This gaseous shell makes up the atmosphere of our planet. Under the influence of air and water, the most important geological processes occur on the surface of the Earth, weather and climate are formed. The existence of a person, the vital activity of his organs and systems largely depend on the chemical composition and physical properties atmospheric air. If a person can live without food for tens of days, without water for 3 days, then without air he cannot live even 10 minutes. But air is not only a supplier of necessary oxygen. He - excellent remedy strengthening and hardening the body. That is why air baths are considered the safest procedures.

An important and exclusive feature of air procedures as a hardening agent is that they are available to people of all ages and can be widely used not only by healthy people, but also by those suffering from certain diseases. Moreover, for a number of diseases (neurasthenia, hypertension, angina) these procedures are prescribed as remedy. This type of hardening must begin with developing the habit of fresh air. Walking is of great importance for improving health. The hardening effect of air on the body helps to increase the tone of the nervous and endocrine systems. Under the influence of air baths, digestion processes are improved, the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the morphological composition of the blood changes (the number of red blood cells and the level of hemoglobin increases). Staying in the fresh air improves the overall well-being of the body, influencing the emotional state, causing a feeling of vigor and freshness. The hardening effect of air on the body is the result complex impact a number of physical factors: temperature, humidity, direction and speed of movement. In addition, especially on the seashore, a person is influenced by chemical composition air, which is saturated with salts contained in sea ​​water. According to temperature sensations, the following types of air baths are distinguished: hot (over 30C), warm (over 22C), indifferent (21-22C), cool (17-21C), moderately cold (13-17C), cold (4-13C), very cold (below 4C). It must be borne in mind that irritant effect air has an effect on skin receptors the more sharply, the more difference skin and air temperatures. Cool and moderately cold air baths have a more pronounced effect. By taking increasingly cooler air baths for the purpose of hardening, we thereby train the body to cope with low environmental temperatures by activating compensatory mechanisms that ensure thermoregulatory processes. As a result of hardening, first of all, the mobility of vascular reactions is trained, acting as a protective barrier that protects the body from sudden changes in external temperature. Warm baths, while not providing hardening, nevertheless have positive influence on the body, improving oxidative processes. Air humidity in combination with fluctuations in its temperature can have different effects on the body's thermoregulation processes. The intensity of moisture evaporation from the surface of the skin and lungs depends on the relative humidity of the air. In dry air, a person can easily tolerate a much higher temperature than in humid air. Dry air causes the body to lose moisture. Air mobility (wind) is also important when taking air baths. The wind affects the hardening organism due to its strength and speed, and its direction also matters. It, by helping to enhance heat transfer by the body, increases the cooling power of the air. Air procedures for the purpose of hardening can be used either in the form of a clothed person staying in the open air (walks, sports activities), or in the form of air baths, in which a short-term effect of air of a certain temperature occurs on the naked surface of the human body.

One of the ways to harden the body with air is the so-called. They prepare the body for subsequent hardening procedures, for example, hardening with water.

The dosage of air baths is carried out in two ways: a gradual decrease in air temperature and an increase in the duration of the procedure at the same temperature. You should start taking air baths in a room, regardless of the time of year, at a temperature not lower than 15-16 C, and only after some time you can move to the open air. They are taken in a well-ventilated area. Having exposed your body, you should remain in this state at the beginning of the hardening course for no more than 3-5 minutes (further increasing the time). When taking cool and especially cold baths, it is recommended to perform active movements: gymnastic exercises, walking, running in place. After appropriate preliminary preparation, you can proceed to taking air baths in the open air. They should be taken in places protected from direct sunlight and strong winds. It is necessary to start taking air baths in the open air at an indifferent air temperature, i.e. 20-22 C. The first air bath should last no more than 15 minutes, each subsequent one should be 10-15 minutes longer. Only seasoned people can take cold baths. Their duration is no more than 1-2 minutes, with a gradual increase to 8-10 minutes. Taking air baths in the open air should begin no earlier than 1.5-2 hours after meals and finish hardening 30 minutes before meals.

When air baths act on the body, two phases are clearly visible: the neuro-reflex phase, or the so-called primary chill phase, characterized by a feeling of cold, a decrease in skin temperature, increased breathing, and a reactive phase, which is characterized by the appearance of a feeling of warmth as a result of reflex stimulation of heat production.

If during an air bath it becomes cold and chills appear, you should immediately get dressed and do a short jog or a few gymnastic exercises, or stop the procedure altogether. Water procedures are beneficial after air baths. The time of day for air hardening is not of fundamental importance, although it is better to perform such short procedures in the morning after sleep.

Air baths are taken on verandas, in rooms with open windows, as well as on specially equipped sites or in premises - aerariums and aerosolariums.

An important condition for the effectiveness of outdoor hardening is also wearing clothing that is appropriate weather conditions.Clothing should allow free air circulation.

Aerotherapy is contraindicated for acute infectious and purulent-inflammatory diseases, for chronic diseases in the acute stage, as well as for organic disorders of thermoregulation.

The third method of hardening is sun hardening(or sun treatment). Solar infrared rays have a pronounced thermal effect on the body. They contribute to the formation of additional heat in the body. As a result, the activity of the sweat glands increases and the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the skin increases: subcutaneous vessels expand and skin hyperemia occurs, blood flow increases, and this improves blood circulation of air baths in all tissues of the body. Infrared irradiation enhances the effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the body. UV rays have a predominantly chemical action. UV irradiation has a great biological effect: it promotes the formation of vitamin D in the body, which has a pronounced antirachitic effect; accelerates metabolic processes; under its influence, highly active products of protein metabolism and biogenic stimulants are formed. UV rays help improve blood composition and have a bactericidal effect, thereby increasing the body's resistance to colds and infectious diseases; they have a tonic effect on almost all body functions. Different people's skin has to varying degrees sensitivity to solar radiation. This is due to the thickness of the stratum corneum, the degree of blood supply to the skin and its ability to pigment. Sunbathing – one of the ways of hardening by the sun. They should be taken carefully and preferably in the morning, because... the air is especially clean and it is not yet too hot, and also in the late afternoon, when the sun is setting. Best time for tanning: in middle lane 9-13 and 16-18 hours; in the south 8-11 and 17-19 hours. The first sunbathing should be taken at an air temperature of at least 18. Their duration should not exceed 5 minutes (then add 3-5 minutes, gradually increasing to an hour). You cannot sleep while taking air baths or sunbathing! In summer, it is recommended to carry out light-air baths at an air temperature of 22C.

Cold and hot shower carried out this way. First, the water temperature should be the most comfortable for you. Then you raise the temperature to your highest setting for about a minute. Turn off the hot water and stand under cold water for about twenty seconds. Next, the water is again made as hot as possible, not for long at all, but the whole body should warm up a little and, right there, turn off the hot water and stand under the cold water for about a minute. Repeat the last cycle twice.
For the first week, do only one contrast procedure, gradually increasing to the same amount as described above. A contrast shower must be performed at least once a day, but optimally in the morning and evening.

Walking barefoot does not mean walking on thick carpets at home, but walking on the ground. If there is a park with green grass near your house, take off your shoes and socks and walk barefoot on the ground. You'll see - you'll really like the new sensation. Having started procedures in the summer, do not finish them with the onset of autumn. This way you will gradually prepare yourself for walking barefoot in the snow. This is a special pleasure. Just do not wash your feet with hot water after this procedure, only cold. If the frost is very strong, do not stand still, walk or run if you want. The duration of the procedure should be at least five minutes. Otherwise, it will not bring the desired effect.

The next type of hardening is hardening in a bath. The bathhouse is an excellent hygienic, healing and hardening agent. Under the influence of the bath procedure, the body’s performance and its emotional tone increase, and recovery processes are accelerated after intense and prolonged physical work. As a result of regular visits to the bathhouse, the body's resistance to colds and infectious diseases increases. Staying in the steam room of the bath causes dilation of blood vessels and increases blood circulation in all tissues of the body. Under the influence of high temperature, sweat is intensely released, which helps remove harmful metabolic products from the body.

However, this type of hardening also has its drawbacks. In a bathhouse, for example, there is no air movement. Staying in a bathhouse requires strict rationing, taking into account the state of health, age and individual ability of a person to adapt to its conditions. Too high a temperature and a long stay in the bathhouse are inadvisable, as they can lead to decreased performance and deterioration of well-being. The length of time you spend in the sauna depends on the following circumstances: whether carried out or not before the bath is tense physical labor, sports training, when (on the same day or a day or more after the bath) they are planned. Visiting the bathhouse is contraindicated for people with cardiovascular diseases. And for healthy people a long stay in the bathhouse can cause loss of consciousness and sometimes death. In moderate quantities bath procedures goes well with massage. Thanks to it, blood supply to muscles, joints, and ligaments improves. Heat and steam, in turn, activate the physiological effect of massage. The restorative effect of joint use massage and generous heat have been shown to be more significant.

In general massage- This is another method of hardening the body. The beneficial role of massage is explained by the fact that the techniques used, acting on the nerve endings embedded in the skin, muscles and ligaments, influence the central nervous system, and through it the functional state all organs and systems. Blood circulation and nutrition of the skin and muscles improve, and the excretory function of the sebaceous and sweat glands increases. The performance of muscles increases - they are better supplied with oxygen and nutrients, are quickly released from decay products. The elasticity and strength of ligaments, mobility in joints increase, and the flow of blood and lymph accelerates. All this leads to the fact that after a massage a person feels more energetic, and the process of restoring his strength occurs faster.

Massage is usually performed by a specialist. However, you can easily learn to perform certain techniques on your own. What basic rules must be followed? First of all, your hands and body must be clean. To make the skin slippery enough to protect it from irritation, you can use baby powder, talc, rice powder, and boric petroleum jelly. During the massage, the body takes a comfortable position, the muscles are extremely relaxed. The massage therapist's movements are always made in the direction of blood and lymph flow. During massage, the following techniques are used in the order of their application: stroking, squeezing, kneading, shaking, rubbing, active and passive movements with resistance, percussive techniques, shaking. Massage techniques should not cause pain. When performing any technique, it is necessary to observe a certain rhythm, tempo of movements and force of pressure (squeezing). There are two forms of massage: private (local), when any part of the body is massaged separately, and general massage, in which the entire body is massaged. The following types of massage are distinguished: hygienic, sports, cosmetic, therapeutic. Of particular importance for promoting health is hygienic massage, which helps maintain vitality body, increasing efficiency, accelerating recovery processes and disease prevention.

Hardening the body is inextricably linked with physical exercise. Physical exercise significantly expands the functionality of all body systems and increases its performance. Their health-improving and preventive effect is associated with increased physical activity, increased functions of the musculoskeletal system, and increased metabolism. The specifics of a particular hardening method and the accompanying physical exercises require a special form of clothing. When exercising in the summer, clothing consists of a T-shirt and shorts; in cool weather, a cotton or woolen knitted sports suit is used. During winter activities, sportswear with high heat-protective and windproof properties is used. To ensure body hygiene during physical exercise, it is necessary that sportswear be made of fabrics with the following properties: hygroscopicity, ventilation, wind resistance, heat protection, etc. Shoes should be light, elastic and well ventilated. It should be comfortable, durable and well protect the foot from damage. It is important that sports shoes and socks are clean and dry to avoid scuffs and frostbite at low temperatures. IN winter time waterproof shoes with high heat-protective properties are recommended. Thus, hardening is an important means of prevention negative consequences cooling the body or exposure to high temperatures. The systematic use of hardening procedures reduces the number of colds by 2-5 times, and in some cases almost completely eliminates them.

The mechanism of hardening is the general adaptation syndrome. The advantages are that a person gets the opportunity to live in more unfavorable climatic and natural conditions. Increases resistance to diseases. Hardening has a beneficial effect on the entire body: it increases the tone of the nervous system, improves blood circulation and metabolism, and when the surface of the body is irradiated, a number of photochemical reactions occur in the body, entailing complex physical and chemical transformations in tissues and organs (these reactions cause a beneficial effect on the entire organism, increasing its resistance).

The disadvantages include various restrictions in the hardening process, the impossibility of carrying out certain procedures for all people due to various factors(age, etc.). Failure to comply with these restrictions, going beyond reasonable limits in hardening leads to various violations in organism. However, despite this, there are more pros than cons in hardening.

Human health depends 50-70% on lifestyle, which includes hardening, which, as a factor in increasing resistance, is extremely important for people of different ages, and especially for children due to the growing number of people who are often ill in this age group. It was found that the hardening of children and adolescents corresponds to a general biological pattern, according to which a growing organism must necessarily be exposed to temperature fluctuations. They are an indispensable condition for it efficient growth and development.

For absolutely everyone, hardening all people increases the body’s resistance to colds; increases nonspecific resistance to infectious diseases, enhances immune responses. Hardening provides training and successful functioning of thermoregulatory mechanisms, leads to an increase in the general and specific resistance of the body to adverse external influences. That is why hardening is included in the idea of ​​a healthy lifestyle.

How does hardening work on the body? During hardening procedures, the body receives a signal that it has entered into stressful situation and you need to adapt to it. Thus, the immune system gets used to various environmental changes. The body's thermoregulation is also adjusted, because in children it is still far from perfect. The body learns not to lose excess heat when cooling and, vice versa, to give off heat so as not to overheat. With periodic repetitions of the procedures, the body gradually gets used to it and immediately responds with the necessary reaction. The sooner you start hardening a child, the easier his body will tolerate the procedures and the more effective the result will be. In addition, when hardening a child, not only his body is trained, but also the reactions of the brain are accelerated. All children are different! If you decide to harden your child, study his inclinations thoroughly. Maybe your baby is very afraid of water, then you shouldn’t immediately start pouring water on him. Such measures can frighten the child and discourage you from hardening for a long time. If the baby has an excitable nervous system, is timid or is overly capricious, then hardening may occur with some difficulties. Try to start as gently as possible, without sudden changes in water or air temperature, so that the child does not immediately develop a negative attitude towards hardening. If the baby is often sick, then hardening should be carried out only under the supervision of a doctor. But do not think that if the baby is weak, then there is no need to toughen him up. On the contrary, for the development of his body, small “stresses” in the form of hardening are required. If your baby is very active and mobile, then there is no need to douse cool water right before bed. This will agitate him even more. But children with inhibited temperament should be doused immediately after waking up. Such procedures will help wake up the body.

Do not hurry! The benefits of hardening a child can only be if the degree of impact on the body increases little by little. When hardening newborns and weak babies, no other methods should be used at all, but in general this principle applies to all children. Starting small, you, guided by common sense, the child’s condition and acquired knowledge, gradually increase the impact. Remember that if you pour water at the same temperature, even cool, over your baby for too long, he gets used to it and hardening does not occur. Therefore, a gradual decrease in temperature is necessary. Blueness should not be allowed skin or the appearance of goose bumps, the baby should not tremble. Such signs indicate that the water is too cold and the child is hypothermic. It urgently needs to be rubbed with a terry towel.

Hardening of the child must be carried out constantly or not at all. Because if you perform the procedures from time to time, you will not get any effect.
Never harden a baby if he is bad mood, capricious. Try to calm the child and only then begin the procedure. If you harden a child when he cries or is naughty, the procedure can even lead to the child getting sick.

Sun, air and water!
These are your main assistants in hardening a child. Just don’t think that inhaling the polluted air of a metropolis can harden a baby. Only the clean air of forests, steppes or park areas can truly improve your health. Sun use must also be used with caution. Avoid sunbathing between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is most active.

A hundred years have passed since Dr. Kneipp from Germany proved to everyone that cold has a beneficial effect on the body. Dr. Kneipp suffered from a severe form of pneumonia and cured himself by regularly bathing in ice-cold water. After the magical healing, the doctor devoted his entire life to developing a cold hardening system. People still use his technique, amazed that such an unpleasant phenomenon as cold can treat many diseases so wonderfully.

In fact Body temperature– this is not such a constant value. We don’t think much about it, but even during the day, body temperature changes several times. Affects body temperature and physical activity person. During exercise or heavy work, your body temperature may be one or even two degrees higher than normal. In addition, what a person is wearing also affects body temperature. If he is bundled up too much in the heat, the body cannot release heat and the body temperature increases. Thus, body temperature depends on both the internal environment and external conditions.

The human body can withstand a temperature drop of up to thirty-three degrees, and an increase of up to forty-one. If a person generates more heat than he can release into the environment, body temperature increases, and in the reverse process, body temperature decreases.

In the human body, the main organ that produces heat is the muscles. In the warm season, the body not only produces heat itself, but is also “warmed up” from the outside. But in cold weather the body produces much more heat. In addition, the amount of heat released into the external environment is reduced. When a person gets into the cold, his body begins to tremble, this is the muscles contracting to reduce heat transfer.

How quickly the body cools depends on the humidity of the environment. The body cools faster in water than in cold air. The more humid the air, the more cooling it has on the body. At the same time, during hot weather, moisture prevents the body from cooling. In dry air, sweat evaporates more easily and the body cools faster.

In fact, these processes have virtually no effect on the condition of the internal organs. Their temperature remains constant and changes only in case of illness. The human body has many possibilities to adapt to both heat and cold. Scientists are constantly finding more and more new mechanisms that allow the human body to maintain a constant internal environment regardless of external conditions.

From simple to complex
This is what you must remember and live by this slogan. Do the selected procedures every day. This technique will allow you to achieve good results. Thus, remember the first rule: no matter what happens, hardening is carried out daily! Only repetition of hardening procedures helps to achieve results.

If you take a long break, then all your successes will go down the drain. If, for example, you got sick and couldn’t carry out the procedures, start over. And gradually increase the impact. You should gradually increase the load, that is, increase the exposure time and reduce the temperature of the water or air. But in this process it is unacceptable sharp jumps. The longer you temper, the longer the effect lasts. So, for example, for a person who hardens for three months, the results of hardening “last” for up to three weeks. The child’s body “forgets” all the effects of hardening in just a week. So don't take long breaks.

In general, if you have any diseases, consult your doctor before starting hardening. If you are seriously ill, coordinate all procedures with a specialist. Constantly check your condition, control the frequency heart rate, blood pressure, body weight, appetite. Pay attention to your general well-being. If any indicators have worsened, it means that you are not tempering correctly.

If you decide to do hardening, pay attention to what you eat. Food should be beneficial and enjoyable at the same time. If your diet is composed correctly, then you should not have the desire to constantly chew something. Eat simple and natural food.

Plan your diet carefully to ensure there is enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Pay attention to the vitamin and mineral composition of your food. Sometimes no hardening procedures can help if a person eats poorly and no nutrients enter his body.

Hardening is one of the effective means health promotion.
Hardening is an increase in the body's resistance to the adverse effects of a number of environmental factors through systematic exposure to these factors. It is based on the ability of the human body to adapt to changing environmental conditions. During hardening, there is a gradual decrease in the body's sensitivity to the actions of a certain physical factor.
The most important thing in our conditions is the development of the body's resistance to cold, since cooling in unhardened people is one of the main causes of respiratory problems. viral diseases. Under the influence of cooling, the level decreases metabolic processes, the activity of the central nervous system is weakened, which leads to weakening of the body and contributes to the exacerbation of existing chronic diseases or the emergence of new ones. Hardened people develop resistance to low temperatures, heat generation in the body occurs more intensely, and this reduces the likelihood of developing infectious diseases. Hardening helps to increase the activity and power of all the body's defenses.
To restore and maintain the protective properties of the human body to cold stress at the proper level, special hardening procedures are required, carried out constantly. You can start hardening at any time of the year, but it’s better in the summer. One of the most simple methods is wiping with water, dousing with water and, finally, swimming in open water. During bathing, the body is simultaneously exposed to the sun, air and water. The advantage is that it involves mastering the vital skill of swimming. The most effective water procedure is swimming in ice water (winter swimming). However, preparation for it requires special training and knowledge of physiological processes.
A powerful stimulating and hardening factor is sunlight. The sun's rays have bactericidal effects. Under the influence of sunlight, the activity of the nervous system is stimulated, overall tone increases, and a person’s mood and performance improves. Sunbathing should be done wisely, otherwise it will not be beneficial.
The most in an accessible way hardening are air baths. Air, acting directly on our body and skin, leads to a number of biochemical changes in tissue cells, irritating the skin receptors of the nervous system. Air baths increase the metabolic functions of the body, strengthen the blood vessels and nerves of the skin, improve the functioning of the central nervous system and heart, and increase the overall tone of the body. Air baths are best taken outdoors, combined with various physical exercises. After them, it is recommended to take a shower or do a douche.
Walking barefoot is another type of hardening. It has been used since ancient times for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. It turns out that when you come into contact with the earth, a number of favorable factors act on the body. Scientists have found that on the human foot, when walking barefoot, 72 thousand nerve endings are activated, forming biologically active zones associated with various bodies and human systems. Walking barefoot is a powerful preventive and healing remedy, one of the components of a healthy lifestyle.
All of the above hardening procedures should be carried out in combination with physical exercise. This will provide the most beneficial influence on general state health. Physical education classes and hardening procedures should have a permanent place in the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedule.

Usually about this wellness procedure a person remembers when they begin frequent colds, illnesses drag on and occur with complications. In such cases, they say that immunity is low - and you need to toughen up. So, let's learn about the effect of hardening procedures on the human body.

About heat hardening

For some reason, it is generally accepted that only cold has healing properties. But the same effect is produced by heat, that is, a sauna and bathhouse. Hardening is a system of training, the purpose of which is to develop thermoregulatory processes in the body and increase its resistance to overheating and hypothermia.

The basic principle of hardening is a sharp change in the temperature conditions that surround a person. They can change in one direction or the other. Thermal hardening is a stimulation of many processes. For example, metabolism accelerates, which helps remove excess fluid, waste and toxins from the body. And this good way cleansing and losing weight. In addition, the skin is more rejuvenated.

Thermal procedures serve as excellent cardiac stimulation, because the heart begins to work at an accelerated rate, blood moves faster through the vessels, oxygen is carried to the organs.

In general, under the influence of thermal procedures, the immune system is activated. A person’s ability to resist a cold also increases, because this is facilitated by the contrast of temperatures in the steam room and the dressing room. The maximum effect of baths and saunas is achieved in combination with water procedures, that is, swimming in the pool. True, only a trained person with good health can afford a combination of a steam room and a cold pool. But if this is a long-term habit, then he almost never gets sick. A person will not catch a cold after leaving a warm house for a few minutes in the cold. After all, his body gets used to such a temperature contrast.

And also thermal procedures for their regular use improve the psycho-emotional state of a person. After the bath, the body is renewed and rejuvenated. He begins to tolerate physical activity and heat more easily.

About cold hardening

It involves exposure to water and air. Cold helps to activate all processes in our body.

For of cardio-vascular system hardening serves as good training. After all, exposure to cold causes blood vessels to contract and unclench. First, blood circulation in the skin decreases sharply, increasing in the internal organs. And then the blood is redistributed from them to the skin. This speeds up metabolism, stimulates the synthesis of enzymes and hormones, and improves the body’s health.

Cold dousing and air hardening have a great effect on muscles - they begin to recover faster after exercise. Muscles become more resilient because their fibers are strengthened.

The nervous system also becomes more resistant under the influence of hardening. The first seconds of exposure to cold are stressful for the skin, blood vessels, and heart. With constant exposure to this hardening factor, the nervous system gets used to stress, it quickly comes to a state of balance. And when, in certain circumstances, a person experiences emotional stress, he endures it much easier, he calms down more quickly, because his nervous system is already trained. But it is worth noting that hardening the nervous system will be most effective when pouring cold water over the entire body. It's really stressful. If we are talking about foot baths, then their effect on the central nervous system will be much less.

Foot treatments will be the most beneficial for those people who often suffer from colds and are afraid of hypothermia. Contrast baths or pouring cold water over the extremities increases resistance to cold. The legs and the body as a whole get used to it. And when a person has to freeze and become hypothermic, his chances of getting sick after that are minimized. That is, hardening is a kind of vaccination against many diseases, only with a slow effect. And since the vaccination system begins to operate from an early age, hardening should begin from childhood. Then parents will not waste time going to the pediatrician, and the family budget and nerves will remain more intact. And the child will thus get used to a healthy lifestyle.