Hardening the body is a natural method for a healthy and happy longevity! What is hardening and how is it carried out? Hardening includes

We all know how important it is to maintain the body's immune strength. The best way for this is not taking special medications or wearing warm clothes, but hardening. This is training of protective forces that the body instantly mobilizes at the sight of danger. This approach will allow you to stay on your feet, even if the flu is spreading around the city or someone in your family is sick. If, of all types of hardening, you are only familiar with pouring ice water while standing in the snow, you do not know the most basic thing!

Correct hardening

Below we will look at various methods of hardening, but before that we will try to understand the main principles that will allow us to harden the body and not harm our health. The means and methods of hardening may be different, but in any of them the following simple rules will be useful:

1. Subsequence. Before starting the procedures, do some light hardening to prepare the body: rubdown, foot baths, etc.
2. Regularity and continuity. There is no point in hardening yourself 3-4 times in six months. You need to harden often and little by little - this is the most effective approach. At least twice a week. When you stop these actions, after 3-4 weeks the effect goes away, and the child’s body “forgets” even faster - less than a week. You should stop hardening only in case of illness.
3. Graduality. If you dive into an ice hole without preparation, you will most likely catch a cold. It is necessary to gradually increase the intensity of the hardening effects, but so that the body reacts to it.
4. Diversity. You should not stop at one single method of hardening the body; you need to use different methods.
5. Individual characteristics. Consult your doctor first, since hardening may not be accepted equally well by everyone. During the procedure, do not forget about self-control; general health, pulse, weight, appetite, and sleep should be normal.
6. Take breaks. If you decide to harden yourself with both water and air in one day, take care of a fairly good break.

Do not forget about a reasonable approach: if you seek to use unconventional hardening, always assess the possible risks and make a decision based on this.

Types of hardening

Let's immediately say that it is best to start hardening in the summer. Despite the fact that winter hardening seems more effective, an unprepared body may not accept your efforts. Let's look at different hardening methods:

Today there are various types of hardening. Hardening is a system of preventive measures that are aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to harmful environmental factors. People who are hardening can hope that even with significant fluctuations in ambient temperature, their body will quickly respond to such changes and will maintain the temperature of the internal organs within fairly narrow limits.

That is, with a sharp change in air temperature, a hardened organism will quickly increase or limit heat transfer. In the same situation, an unhardened organism will most likely become overheated or hypothermic. Hardening can be useful in that it increases the body's endurance, strengthens its central nervous system and has a beneficial effect on the immune system. That is why experts advise not to neglect this procedure. It is no coincidence that it is considered one of the best ways to support your health.

Water hardening

As mentioned above, today there are many ways to strengthen your body. Water hardening is extremely popular.

1. Rubbing.

The essence of this procedure is to wipe all parts of the body with a terry towel dipped in water, the temperature of which should not be higher than 34-36 degrees. The towel needs to be wrung out thoroughly. Immediately after this, rub the skin until red with a dry towel. Such rubdowns should be carried out once every 5 days. Each time you need to wet the towel in cooler water (1-2°C). This procedure should be carried out over 2-3 months. Ultimately, the temperature of the liquid used should not be higher than 10-12°C. Experts advise wiping at an open window. This way they will be more useful.

1. Pouring.

This procedure is considered more effective. Dousing yourself with water most often begins 1-2 months after the start of rubbing. It is advisable to start with warm water (36°C). First you need to pour over your head, arms, shoulders, and only then other parts of the body. Immediately after this, experts advise doing a few simple exercises or performing a self-massage session. As in the previous case, over time the water temperature must be reduced to 10°C.

1. Cold and hot shower.

This procedure has been known to everyone since childhood. The essence of this preventive measure is alternating hot and cool water for dousing. The maximum water temperature should be 36°C and the minimum 14°C. A contrast shower is very effective after any physical activity.

1. Water baths.

Another type of water hardening. In the first week you should take a bath with warm water (36°C). Over time, its temperature should be reduced slightly. After some time, the water should already be cool. The lower temperature limit of the liquid used should be 12°C.

Foot baths for hardening are considered no less effective. Pour cool water into the bucket (no more than 20°C). You need to keep your feet in it for 1 minute. After 5-7 days, noub should be kept in a bucket for at least 3 minutes. At the same time, you need to reduce the water temperature. Ultimately it should be 13°C. Immediately after such baths, your feet should be thoroughly wiped with a dry towel and a massage of the calf muscles should be performed.

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Swimming in open water

It is advisable to start swimming in reservoirs in the summer. Bathing should be systematic (at least 2-3 times a week). This is the only way to achieve positive results. The best time for such procedures is from 9:00 to 11:00 or from 14:00 to 17:00. You need to be active in the water.

Swimming time directly depends on the temperature of the water and the degree of training of the person. If after such a bath a pleasant feeling of warmth appears, then this is a clear sign that the hardening is proceeding correctly. If after such procedures a feeling of chills appears, then next time you need to spend less time in the water. Chills are very dangerous, as they are a consequence of hypothermia. In such a situation, you should thoroughly rub your arms, legs and torso with a soft towel, drink a large cup of hot tea and do a little exercise.

Water types of hardening, namely swimming in open waters, imply over time a transition to the highest form of hardening: winter swimming. Swimming in cold waters in the winter season should only be done under the guidance of an experienced specialist. Often winter swimming, due to lack of control, leads to very serious illnesses. For example, to the development of cold allergies.

To boost immunity, experts advise walking barefoot on wet grass or stones. Walking barefoot is also beneficial because it is an excellent way to prevent flat feet.

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Air hardening

The main types of body hardening also involve aerotherapy. This is about . Aerotherapy involves quite long walks in the fresh air. Fresh air not only hardens the body, but also increases immune strength, normalizes a person’s emotional state, due to which the functioning of all internal organs is normalized. The hardening process is carried out by cooling the receptors of the skin and the nerve endings of the mucous membrane. Due to this, the body's thermoregulation is improved.

Doctors advise getting out into nature and breathing fresh air as soon as possible. You need to walk both in summer and in winter. You should try to walk near ponds, parks and forests. Aerotherapy is considered the most accessible preventive procedure.

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Sun hardening

Few people know, but you can harden your body with solar heat and light. This procedure is called “heliotherapy”. Heliotherapy accelerates the body's metabolic processes, makes the nervous system more resistant to external factors, increases the body's resistance, and has a positive effect on muscle function and blood circulation. In addition, it has a tonic effect on all organs and functions of the body.

Doctors advise sunbathing in the morning or late afternoon. It is at this time of day that the air is as clean as possible, and the sun is not very hot. Sun hardening should begin at an air temperature of no higher than 18°C. You should stay in the open sun for about 5 minutes. Further, the duration of such procedures must be constantly increased and brought to 1 hour. Experts warn that during heliotherapy, overheating or burns should never be allowed. Improper sun hardening can cause the development of quite serious illnesses. Before starting such procedures, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Precautions that must be observed:

1. It is not advisable to take such baths immediately after meals or on an empty stomach.
2. Eyes must be protected with sunglasses.
3. You should wear a headdress (hat, cap, Panama) on your head.
4. Children are not recommended to immediately undress completely; the child starts wearing clothes for 15-20 minutes, and only after that can they be removed.
5. Elderly people are recommended to sunbathe in the shade for 30 minutes (no more) at a safe time of day.

To properly organize hardening, let’s get acquainted with the characteristics of natural factors, that is, hardening means. These include solar energy, water and air. These are the most powerful healers, surpassing all artificial means in their effect on the body.

Types of hardening(hardening procedures):

Sunbathing;

Air baths;

Water procedures (dousing, rubbing, showers, baths, swimming in open water, hardening of the nasopharynx);

Folk types (walking barefoot, using baths).

Let's get acquainted with the accepted classification forms hardening

1.Differentiate passive and active hardening. Passive hardening occurs regardless of the person. In the summer he wears lightweight clothes, spends a lot of time outdoors, swims, walks barefoot, etc. All this has a training effect on the physiological mechanisms of thermoregulation and somewhat increases resistance to cold. Passive hardening also occurs in some professions, for example, refrigerator workers, timber raftsmen, fishermen, lumberjacks, etc. The effectiveness of such hardening is low.

Active hardening is the systematic use of artificially created and strictly dosed cold influences aimed at increasing the body's resistance to cold. This includes all special hardening procedures and the complex as a whole.

2. Hardening can be general and local. General hardening is considered to be when a cold stimulus acts on the entire surface of the body, for example, showers, baths, swimming. With local hardening, cold affects only a certain area of ​​the body surface, for example, wiping the body, foot baths, hardening procedures for the upper respiratory tract, etc.

3. Hardening can be collective or individual. With collective exposure, everyone in a given room is exposed to the same effects. It consists of creating an optimal microclimate in the room and selecting a set of clothing that corresponds to specific temperature conditions. Examples include hardening of all family members at home, in kindergarten - pupils, students in the class, workers in the department, workshop. The intensity of cold influences is calculated for a conventional average person. But for some it is not enough, and for a certain part it may be too much. This lack of collective hardening is compensated by training carried out independently by each person, taking into account his individuality.

The given classification is conditional. In life it is impossible to isolate the isolated influence of any of these types, since they interact and complement each other. Passive hardening enhances active hardening, local hardening contributes to the general, collective hardening complements the individual and vice versa.

The type and form of hardening must be chosen in accordance with the functional capabilities of the body, as well as taking into account the area exposed to dangerous temperatures. If, for example, due to professional, domestic or other reasons, the threat of cooling of the feet is most likely, it is necessary to pay attention to the hardening of the feet in order to eliminate the adverse consequences of their cooling. For those employed in voice-speech professions (vocalists, teachers, educators, educators, lecturers, tour guides), it is advisable, along with strengthening the whole body, to focus on hardening the upper respiratory tract.

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 not individual organs participate, but functional systems organized in a certain way and subordinate to each other, aimed at maintaining body temperature at a constant level.

Various means of hardening the body can be used not only for preventive, but also for therapeutic purposes. 1) air hardening; 2) sunbathing; 3) water procedures (rubbing, dousing, showering, swimming in natural reservoirs, pools or sea water); 4) rubbing with snow; 5) walking barefoot; 6) bathhouse or sauna with cold water swimming; 7) winter swimming.

Air hardening. Air baths are available to people at any time of the year and in any conditions. Fresh cold air, when exposed to a partially or completely naked human body, irritates the nerve endings in the skin, which reflexively promotes better oxygen saturation, enhances skin respiration and trains the thermoregulation system. At the same time, the body's metabolic rate increases, sleep and appetite improve. The positive effect of air baths depends on temperature, air humidity, cleanliness and ionization of the atmosphere. Air hardening begins at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Initially, the duration of air procedures should be no more than 10-15 minutes, then daily it should be increased by 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing to 1.5-2 hours. At the same time, it is necessary to dress according to the weather. If the air temperature is below 10 degrees, then hardening must be combined with physical exercise. After taking air baths, it is recommended to take a warm shower and vigorously rub the body. Air baths, when used correctly, improve blood circulation and metabolism, promote the development of resistance to acute respiratory diseases, and increase the tone of the nervous system. However, the duration of the air bath is determined by the body's reaction. The appearance of goose bumps, chills or trembling indicates an excessive duration of the bath and is a signal to stop it. Under unfavorable weather conditions (rain, fog, high or low atmospheric pressure, strong wind), taking air baths is not recommended. Also, air hardening should not be carried out in acute diseases with increased body temperature, acute neuritis or myositis, as well as in case of exacerbation of chronic joint diseases (arthritis, arthrosis) and rheumatism. Sunbathing Ultraviolet rays, which are completely absorbed by the skin, have the most active effect on the body and, when used correctly, are most beneficial for it. Ultraviolet rays have a complex biological effect on the body, improve metabolism, stimulate the activity of the nervous and endocrine systems, and promote the production of vitamin D in the body. Sunbathing for the purpose of hardening should be taken wisely, otherwise, instead of benefit, they can cause harm, cause burns, overheating, sun shock, overexcitation of the nervous system. It is necessary to take them in a particularly strict dosage on the beach (depending on age, gender, health status, degree of resistance to ultraviolet rays). It is best to sunbathe in the morning from 9 to 12, and in the south from 16 to 19 hours. In this case, a person needs to periodically change his position so that the sun's rays affect all parts of the body evenly. The duration of the procedure on the first day should not exceed 10 minutes. Then it is gradually recommended to increase the amount of time spent in the sun by 5-10 minutes, eventually bringing it to 2 hours. After sunbathing, it is advisable to swim or take a shower. After swimming, sunbathing is not recommended. It must be remembered that sunbathing should not be taken in case of acute diseases or exacerbations of chronic diseases. Precautionary measures against heat and sunstroke: 1) it is not advisable to take a bath on an empty stomach, or immediately after eating; 2) the head must be covered with a hat, Panama hat or umbrella; 3) it is better to protect your eyes with special dark sunglasses; 4) it is better to take a bath in the first half of the day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 5) be sure to use sunscreen lotion or cream; 6) children are not recommended to immediately undress completely. First, the child should be allowed to walk around in the heat in shorts and a T-shirt and only then, after 10-15 minutes, take off the T-shirt.

We should not forget that the child’s head must be covered with a hat; 7) it is advisable for older people to sunbathe for no more than 20-30 minutes, preferably in the shade, before 11 a.m. or after 4-5 p.m. You should not get too carried away with sunbathing. Excessive sun exposure can cause heat stroke or sunstroke, increased body temperature, headaches, fatigue and irritability. Water procedures. Water procedures as a hardening agent act most effectively and quickly. Water differs in these qualities because it has good thermal conductivity (28 times the thermal conductivity of air) and a mechanical action that causes greater thermal irritation than air of the same temperature. Thermal irritation of skin receptors caused by water affects the entire body and, above all, the circulatory system, tissue respiration, and the nervous system. Hardening with water begins in the morning, immediately after sleep and morning exercises, which helps to uniformly warm the body. The lower the water temperature, the shorter the duration of water procedures. Hardening with water is carried out by dousing with cool water and cold rubbing with a wet towel, sponge or hand moistened with cold water. First, wipe the upper half of the body, then wipe the skin dry, and then the lower half. The duration of this procedure should be 4-5 minutes. Daily rubdowns increase immunity and help develop the body's resistance to colds. Pouring. Initially, the water for dousing should have a temperature of +37-38 °C. At the end of each week, the water temperature is reduced by 1 °C. The duration of the procedures is initially 1 minute and gradually increases to 2-3 minutes. After dousing, it is recommended to rub the entire body with a terry towel. It is very useful to carry out contrast procedures, i.e. alternating dousing with hot and cool water. This effectively stimulates the activity of skin receptors, helps strengthen blood vessels, and has a general strengthening effect on the body. Cold and hot shower. This is an alternation of dousing with hot and cool water. Its effect on the body consists not only of temperature, but also of mechanical irritation of skin receptors. Temperature changes cause blood vessels to alternately narrow and expand, which helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improves blood circulation, color and elasticity of the skin. During one procedure, it is recommended to change the water temperature 4-5 times, but it is better to start with warm water. The difference between the temperature of hot and cold water should initially be minimal, over time it increases to the maximum tolerated. Swimming in open waters. Is a valuable hardening method. You can swim both in the pool and in open water (pond, lake, river, sea). At the same time, the body is affected not only by the temperature, but also by the mechanical factor of water, and when swimming in an open body of water - also by the sun and air. In addition, sea water has a beneficial effect on the body due to the rich range of dissolved mineral salts it contains. In addition to the hardening effect, bathing increases the intensity of metabolism, trains the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The swimming and swimming season begins in early spring at a water temperature of at least 18 °C. The best time for swimming is morning and evening hours, no earlier than 1-2 hours after eating. Thanks to gradual training, you can swim and swim in water with a temperature below 5-10 ° C. You should pay attention to the fact that you should not swim in open water if you have an elevated body temperature, with acute and infectious diseases, with certain diseases of the heart and blood vessels, as well as if the body is prone to bleeding. Rules for swimming. 1) before you start swimming, you should bask a little in the sun, you can do several physical exercises for 5-10 minutes; 2) the most favorable time for swimming in an open reservoir is before 12 noon and after 16 pm. It is important to remember that you should not swim immediately after eating. It is better to do this 1-2 hours after eating; 3) it is better to enter the water, especially cool water, gradually, so that the body has time to get used to the temperature of the water; 4) in water it is recommended to move and swim all the time so as not to freeze.

Under no circumstances should you swim until “goose bumps” appear - this is a sign of hypothermia; 5) after swimming you should dry yourself with a clean towel. Air drying is not recommended; 6) children, especially small ones, must bathe in the presence of adults, and it is unacceptable to leave the child alone even for a minute. When swimming in open water, safety precautions should be followed to prevent drowning. In particular, you should not swim, much less dive in an unfamiliar place or in places not intended for swimming. Snow baths Snow baths are performed in calm, snowy weather to increase the body's resistance to the effects of cold. Before performing them, it is recommended to perform the above dynamic exercises for the arms, legs and spine. The procedure for snow bathing is: 1) remove clothes from the upper body; 2) grab a handful of snow and rub it on your face and neck. Then pick up snow in your palms again and rub your chest and stomach. Then rub the snow on your shoulders and finally your arms in exactly the same way. The total duration of rubbing with snow is 10-15 s. Then gradually over the course of 12 lessons it is brought up to 20-30 s. Walking barefoot. Good hardening effect. Take off your shoes at the beach, at the dacha, when walking in the forest, etc. You can walk barefoot at home on carpet or parquet, but you need to get used to it gradually, starting from a few minutes. First, walk on the floor in socks and, only after you get used to it, slowly move on to walking barefoot. Bath or sauna with swimming in the pool. Thermal procedures are a good hardening agent. At the same time, there is an improvement in the consistency of all thermoregulation mechanisms - the nervous system, cardiovascular, pulmonary and activation of the functions of the sebaceous and sweat glands, which in total increases the heat transfer of the body and ensures the constancy of normal body temperature. The sauna as a therapeutic agent is indicated for chronic bronchitis (with a non-purulent form), allergic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis without damage to internal organs, colds (rhinitis, bronchitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, etc.) In order to accelerate recovery processes after heavy physical exertion, it is recommended 1 -2 visits to the sauna for 5-10 minutes. With an air temperature of 70-90 degrees and 5-15%, followed by a warm shower. Of no small importance is the so-called massage of skin blood vessels, their alternate narrowing and expansion, which increases their elasticity and improves metabolism. It is useful to combine hardening procedures with self-massage and physical exercise. Thus, in a dry air bath, pools are used, while in which you should perform self-massage of the abdomen and limbs, as well as some physical exercises, for example, strength training for the arms and swimming movements for the legs. 4.7 Winter swimming. This is swimming in an open reservoir in winter. In terms of the degree of impact on the body, it is the most powerful hardening procedure. You can start winter swimming only after preliminary intensive hardening with cold for a long time. Before the procedure, consultation with a doctor is necessary, since when swimming in water with a temperature below +5 ° C, significant energy expenditure occurs in the human body, body temperature decreases, heart rate and respiratory movements increase, and blood pressure increases. It is not recommended to start winter swimming after the age of 50. You need to start the procedure by staying in ice water for 20-30 seconds, then gradually increase the duration of bathing to 1 minute. Spending more than the specified time in water is not recommended. At the same time, you should be in the cold air undressed as little as possible. In winter, you can swim no more than 2-3 times a week. Winter swimming cannot be carried out in case of certain diseases of the cardiovascular system and respiratory system (hypertension, atherosclerosis, bronchial asthma, chronic pneumonia, etc.), as well as for children under 18 years of age