Drying with a cold towel is good. Tempering the body with cold water for beginners. Dry and wet towel wipes

Hello dear readers! You probably know that rubdown can be used for many different purposes. In the same article, we will consider the possibility of using it for hardening the body. This type of hardening is considered to be the most gentle, but rubdown should not be considered one-sided. Indeed, there are methods that are shown even to infants, but there are also those that not every adult is able to overcome without preparing in advance.

5 types of rubdowns used for hardening:

  1. Dry rubdown
  2. Snow rubdown
  3. Body Ice Wipes
  4. Hot wipe (hot towel wipe)

Now in more detail about each of them and how to properly rub each type.

Dry wiping every day

First of all, this is an excellent effect on the skin. Dry rubbing has a peeling effect, provides good blood flow in the affected area, thereby helping to supply more oxygen to the right places. By working on the thighs, it actively combats cellulite.

For dry wiping, you can use linen towels or napkins. Also, special brushes with natural and artificial bristles are used.

Movements are made in a circular, clockwise direction. It is better to start from the feet towards the body, then from the hands to the shoulders. Particular emphasis should be placed on the armpits, under the knees and neck. Here the blood and lymph vessels lie close and the effectiveness will be more tangible. Rubdown is not a massage, so there is no need to worry about the side effect of rubbing on these areas.

Dry rubdown is carried out 2 times a day for 7-10 minutes. It will take 3 months to achieve a pronounced result. Each movement must be repeated 10-14 times. At the end of the procedure, it is recommended to take a warm or contrast shower and rub the skin with cosmetic milk or replace it with some vegetable oil, for example, olive, peach, grape seed ...

The method has no absolute contraindications, only some inflammatory skin diseases, accompanied by purulent secretion.

Dry and wet towel wipes

This is a fairly common hardening method with a pronounced strengthening effect. It helps to eliminate skin congestion, remove old skin cells, improve blood and lymph circulation.

Before carrying out, you need to prepare two towels and dishes with cool water. For the first time, 37 degrees is enough. One towel is well moistened and rubbing begins from head to feet. After wiping with a wet towel, wipe dry. So the procedure is repeated several times, gradually lowering the degree. When the water does not seem cold, you can not wipe it off, but rub it with a dry towel or even your hands. After a couple of minutes, a feeling of warmth appears throughout the body. This speaks of a good effect.

The method is similar in action to a contrast shower. It also helps trigger the body's hidden defenses. It can be used daily in the morning and in the evening, the hardening method has no obvious contraindications.

Snow rubdown

The method is the most "extreme" and is recommended for people who are sufficiently prepared for hardening. Since ancient times in Russia, rubdown with snow has been part of the bath procedures. The combination of heat and cold gives a “shake-up” for the whole organism, a special effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system. In addition, the procedure helps burn fat, improve thermoregulation, and increase muscle tone.

Going outside in moderately frosty weather, the body takes both an air and a snow bath. It is worth wiping down only with soft snow that has recently fallen. "Old" snow can damage the skin, as it contains large enough ice crystals. Rubdown is carried out in a circular motion, preferably along the massage lines. A seasoned person can carry out the procedure for 5-7 minutes, and for a beginner, 1 minute is enough. In general, the body itself should prompt when enough is enough. It's just that the procedure ceases to bring pleasure and the feeling of euphoria is lost.

Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for everyone. This is especially true for those who are often sick and have never been tempered, not so long ago have undergone surgery or a serious illness.

Body Ice Wipes

Ice must be prepared in a special way. First you need to collect enough snow and melt it. Then the resulting water is slightly frozen so that a thin layer of ice appears on top. It is separated and discarded. The rest of the water can be poured into small cube-shaped containers. This form of ice is more convenient for rubbing. Snow water has the correct structure, and it contains many useful salts.

Living in a large metropolis, not everyone can afford to use clean snow water, and it is advisable to continue the procedure in the summer. A way out of this situation can be the use of tap water, which should be passed through a filter before freezing. Then also freeze slightly and remove the top layer of ice.

In addition, water can be infused with special stones. Quartz water is an excellent option. It has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole, normalizing biochemical processes in the skin, removes toxins and nourishes them with useful substances. The stones are washed for 3 liters. add 200-300gr of water. stones, infused for 3-4 days. In the frozen state, water enhances the effect due to hardening and special healing properties.

Infused water on flint stones has a pronounced antibacterial and regenerating properties. Ice prepared with such water stimulates the body to rejuvenate. Rubbing helps to cleanse the skin and smooth out wrinkles. It is necessary to insist on the flint for at least 7 days.

Ice made from water infused with shungite has high therapeutic and prophylactic properties. First of all, this stone sterilizes the water and fills it with mineral salts. It takes about 3 days to get a good infusion. Water for freezing must be drained carefully without stirring up the sediment.

During the procedure, the movements should be circular and smooth, without excessive pressure. The technique helps to relax, get pleasant sensations and benefits. The skin becomes softer, it is mechanically cleansed, wrinkles are smoothed out, and the epidermis is fully moistened by the unique composition of snow water. Then you can rub yourself with a towel and take a warm shower.

You can enhance the effect of the procedure by adding medicinal herbs. For this, herbal infusion is poured into the snow water, at the rate of 0.5 liters of water 150-200 g., Freshly prepared infusion.

All decoctions act on the skin in different ways. For example, ice from mint and melilot helps to improve blood circulation, relieves sclerotic redness of blood vessels, and eliminates rash. Psyllium ice is useful for oily skin, and if it peels off, horsetail will help. To restore elasticity and freshness to the skin, it is worth using citrus ice for wiping. If the pores are enlarged, ice from the viburnum will help to narrow them and whiten the skin at the same time.

After this rubdown, you do not need to take a shower right away. It is better to allow the resulting moisture to be absorbed.

Hot rubdown

For the procedure you will need:

  • your choice: cotton mitten or a small towel, or just a piece of cloth
  • hot water basin.

Dip the mitten into the water, squeeze it slightly and rub the whole body. The procedure time is from 1-2 minutes. up to half an hour.

The secret of this hardening is that due to the temperature difference between body and water, it evaporates quickly. In this way, water takes a certain amount of heat from the surface of the skin and cools it. The procedure is carried out in a dry room for the best evaporation effect. To prevent hypothermia, you need to wipe down intensively. It is worth starting the procedure from the hands, reaching the shoulders. Further, gradually expand the area of ​​influence. There is no cold shock effect, therefore, the technique is mild and, to some extent, soothing.

Like all hardening methods, rubdown requires consistency and consistency. Before choosing a method, you must consult your doctor. This is especially true for hardening in childhood and people with weakened immunity.

Health to you!

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Body hardening will help protect against winter colds, as well as increase the body's resistance to viral infections. By the way, this method has been known to mankind since ancient times. History confirms that the first information about the hardening of the body is known to us from the Indian epic Rig Veda (this is about 1500 BC), and over time - the famous doctor Hippocrates agitated for this useful activity. The fact is that it greatly increases the resistance of our body to the undesirable effects of cold and heat, as well as low atmospheric pressure and solar radiation.

So there are such basic methods of hardening:

  • air hardening,
  • water procedures, which include: wiping with a towel, dousing with water, contrast shower, swimming in natural reservoirs, as well as in pools and sea water,
  • sun baths,
  • winter rubdown with snow,
  • walking barefoot in the morning dew,
  • winter swimming - that is, swimming in water in winter,
  • visit to the baths, saunas with bathing in cold water.

The most relevant summer view is sun hardening... First of all, these are sunbathing, which are "taken" easily and conveniently, for example, in a passive state. That is, you can relax while lying on the sand. And there are sunbathing and in an active state when you walk along the beach or play volleyball.

Water hardening- This is perhaps the most famous type of hardening, which includes washing and dousing with water (cold!), As well as wiping with a towel and a contrast shower.

According to the recommendations of experts, it is useful to start in the summer. This way you will protect the body as much as possible from a kind of stress, since our body must perceive everything new (previously untested) gradually and in gentle conditions. And, of course, it is better to start in the summer, because in the cold winter it is morally difficult to force yourself to "make friends" with cold water. And also, importantly, improper (hasty) hardening in winter can provoke colds. Therefore, if you decide to improve your health, then start hardening your body in the summer, gradually increasing the level of complexity, and thus prepare your body for winter procedures.

Examples of simple hardening:

Rubdown

It is advisable to wipe it off at a temperature of at least 18 ° C. First, you need to moisten a towel or a piece of cloth (naturally, natural) in cold water, then wipe your hands first, then the upper and lower parts of the body with fairly quick movements. After wet wiping, you need to quickly wipe the body with a dry towel.

Hardening the legs

This method is ideal for people who are prone to frequent colds (ARI). So, in the evening, about an hour before bedtime, you should lower your legs to the middle of your lower leg for 3 minutes in cool water. It is advisable to start with a temperature somewhere around 37-38 ° C, gradually (every 2 days) lowering it by 1 ° C. Thus, after 2-3 months you can safely dip your feet into ice water. An important point: if it happens that you catch a cold in the process of hardening itself, then you should immediately stop these water procedures (at least for three days), and then start again from the temperature at which you stopped before the cold.

It is important to get used to the contrast shower procedure gradually. To do this, you should take a shower at a comfortable temperature in the first two weeks. Over time, make one contrast and about 5-10 seconds. stand under cold water. Then gradually after two weeks go to two, and later - to three contrasts.

We are offering to you example of a contrast shower:

  1. Warm water - residence time: 20-40 seconds.
  2. Hot water (comfortable temperature) - residence time 30 seconds-1.5 minutes.
  3. Cold water - residence time: 20 seconds -1 minute.
  4. Hot water - residence time: 20-40 seconds.
  5. Cold water - residence time: 1 minute or more.

Hardening

The benefit of hardening the body is that natural factors such as air, water, sun are used for this procedure.

As a result of regular hardening, habituation reactions occur in the human body, which contribute to the expansion of the range, which helps to tolerate fluctuations in external temperature. As a result, a hardened person perfectly tolerates cooling, and also his body's resistance to a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) is greatly increased.

According to experts, the process of thermoregulation is a prompt reaction of blood vessels in the event of cooling or vice versa - overheating of the body by narrowing / expanding, which in turn leads to a limitation (or increase) of heat transfer. Therefore, at different external temperatures, an ideal balance is observed between heat transfer and heat production.

In addition to the above, hardening helps to normalize our nervous system, strengthening it. And it also positively increases the stability of our emotional sphere, thanks to which we become more restrained and balanced. Also, there is an increased endurance of our body, its efficiency and mood in general improve.

When hardening, the following conditions MUST be observed.
  • The gradualness of the procedure, that is, from simple to complex

Agree, swimming in an ice hole or walking barefoot in the snow is a more than serious test for our unprepared body. We must listen to our sensations. Therefore, in the process of hardening with cold water, it is necessary to gradually reduce the temperature and increase the duration of the procedure. Please note: you need to temper continuously every day. Organize your time so that hardening becomes a good habit, like washing your face in the morning and brushing your teeth. Don't let momentary weaknesses defeat you! If you take a break, then your acquired defensive reactions will weaken (or completely lost), then you will have to start all over again. Therefore, you should harden the body not occasionally, but regularly, because this process contributes to the development of conditioned reflexes. It is better to temper every day for at least a few minutes, rather than once a week for an hour - in this case, there will be no visible effect.

  • Health status

When will you choose a method? hardening, then take into account your age, daily routine, health status, as well as climatic conditions. Signs that the selected hardening scheme is not suitable for you are: decreased appetite, nighttime insomnia, nervous irritability. For beginners, the ideal hardening method is a contrast shower, that is, two minutes of hot water, then 5-10 seconds of cold water. Repeat this cycle about 10 times and finish with cold water. If it happens that hardening will be a difficult procedure for you, then you can replace the dousing with a cold towel for the first time.

  • Climatic conditions

Before starting hardening, you need to take into account the climatic conditions of your region. For residents of different cities, the intensity of hardening is not the same, because it is the temperature conditions of the area that form a certain level of sensitivity of the body, as well as its resistance to cooling.

  • Lifestyle

It is important to adhere to a rational daily routine, giving up bad habits. The fact is that non-compliance with the regime, inadequate sleep, improper (irregular) nutrition, frequent overeating, "lazy" refusal from physical morning exercises will not allow you to achieve the desired hardening effect. Please note: drinking alcohol and smoking with hardening are INCOMPATIBLE! Bad habits provoke the opposite reaction. For example, alcohol promotes the expansion of peripheral blood vessels, and this significantly increases heat transfer. It is hardening that contributes to the narrowing of peripheral vessels, as a response to cooling. The habit of smoking significantly harms blood circulation in the human body, which impairs cooling.

Take care of your health, start hardening today, do not put off good habits for later! If you can overcome your laziness and properly organize the process of hardening the body, then you will confidently meet the frosty winter! Thus, you will safely get rid of colds, and you can even take part in Epiphany bathing!

Proper rubdown is to keep the part or the entire body to be rubbed evenly wet. It is not recommended to rub during the rubdown. The duration of this procedure should not exceed 60 - 120 seconds. When the body is cold or with chills, rubdowns should not be done. Do not replace wet wipes with shower douches. under the shower do not have the same effect and do not contribute to the release of disease-causing substances, as these methods of treatment do.

Complete rubdown for healthy

Healthy people can wipe themselves off by taking a rough towel dipped in a cold one. The principle of these actions is as follows:

      • the procedure begins with the chest and abdomen, then you can move on to the legs and arms;
      • the duration of such a course should not exceed 120 seconds;
      • after wiping is completed, without wiping off, you need to get dressed and proceed to until the moment of complete drying and warming;
      • the best time for this technique is in the morning after sleep;
      • once a day is enough;
      • if there are no conditions or opportunities for physical gymnastics, you can go to bed for 15 - 30 minutes.

In winter, you should lie in bed for about 10 minutes to warm your body before you start rubbing.

Complete rubdown for the sick

According to some experts, any improper rubbing does more harm than good to patients. The fact is that every time a rubdown is performed on a patient, it should be uniform at the level of the whole organism (from head to feet). Observing the following rules, you can achieve a good effect:

      • it all starts with the back and spine, which are rubbed off for about 1/2 minute, after which the patient lies down again;
      • the next stage is to wash the chest and abdomen (about 60 seconds), and then the legs and arms.

The best results are obtained by a quick and gentle rubdown with cold water. In case of illness with severe fever, a complete rubdown is performed.

Patients with weaker immunity can use a place of water, vinegar diluted with water. Rough and gentle rubdowns have long been known in Russian traditions.

We are increasingly talking about the treatment of diseases, when prevention takes an important place. Increasing the body's resistance to negative environmental factors - this is the goal of preventive measures. It is necessary to strengthen the body. One of the prevention methods is hardening. What is the principle of hardening, what rules you need to adhere to, we will consider further.

A little about the history of hardening

Tempering has been known for a long time. There is a mention of him in the treatises of the great scientists of antiquity, such as Hippocrates, Democritus, Asclepiades. Much attention was paid to physical health and endurance in Sparta. From an early age, the boys went barefoot, and in the warm season they were practically naked.

In ancient Rome, hardening, strengthening of the body was also treated positively. Baths were the only main place for the procedures. There were pools with hot and cold water, as well as rooms for massage and gymnastic exercises, mud baths were practiced. Sunbathing on the rooftops.

Ancient Chinese medicine had a positive view of disease prevention and health-promoting procedures. It was said that "the wise heal the disease that is not yet in the body." Much attention was paid to water treatments, gymnastics, massage, diet.

In Russia, hardening was massive. Bathing followed by rubbing with snow was the norm. Swimming in reservoirs at any time of the year is still popular.

Tempering methods

Depending on the effect on the body, there are several methods of hardening:

1. Air hardening:

  • Taking air baths. Air affects the naked body.
  • Sunbathing. Practiced for the purpose of health improvement and prevention.
  • Walking barefoot regardless of the season.

2. Water hardening:

  • Cold and hot shower. Pouring one by one cold, then moderately hot water.
  • Visit to the bathhouse followed by diving into cool water.
  • Dousing with water.
  • Swimming in the ice-hole.

What type of hardening to choose depends on the area of ​​residence, on the state of health and many other factors.

Hardening principles

Regardless of which method is chosen, some hardening principles must be followed. If you do not adhere to them, then the procedures will be random.

Let's list the basic principles of hardening the body:

  • Systematic tempering procedures. They must be carried out regularly, regardless of weather conditions and time of year. You can fix the execution of procedures in the daily routine.
  • A gradual increase in loads. A sudden increase in load can be detrimental to health. The gradual transition should be carried out taking into account the responses of the organism. This is especially important when hardening children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.
  • Compliance with the sequence in the implementation of procedures. Hardening begins with wiping and foot baths. According to medical rules, weak stimuli have a better effect on body functions, while excessive stimuli are destructive.
  • Complex effect on the body. It is necessary to use procedures with the influence of natural forces that daily affect a person - water and air. Dousing can be done outdoors. The body must experience that strong, then weak impact, without getting used to a constant temperature, otherwise hardening in this case will be inappropriate.
  • Taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism and the state of health. Have you decided to start hardening? Perfectly! But it is recommended to visit a doctor beforehand. He will tell you which method to choose. Hardening under medical supervision will help to avoid undesirable consequences and make it possible to properly plan further measures to improve health.

Water hardening

This type of hardening has a more powerful effect on the body than air hardening.

Water affects the body as follows:

  • At the first stage, there is a spasm of blood vessels and subcutaneous fat.
  • On the second, the skin becomes red, adaptation occurs, mast cells, leukocytes are activated, substances with interferon-like properties are released. The state of health improves. A surge of strength is felt.
  • At the third stage, if the body is overcooled, vasospasm again occurs. Since the body is hypothermic, the body can no longer adapt and chills occur.

If you follow the principles of hardening, the second stage will come faster. The most important thing is not to bring it to the third stage.

Who is contraindicated for hardening with water

There are many stories of healing due to hardening procedures, but it is worth noting that in some cases such procedures need to be postponed.

  1. Cold water causes vasospasm, therefore, if there are diseases of the cardiovascular system (tachycardia, coronary heart disease, heart failure), such methods are contraindicated.
  2. The sudden change in temperature affects the central nervous system. It is necessary to practice hardening with caution in diseases of the central nervous system: epilepsy, psychosis, hysteria.
  3. If there are any skin diseases, quenching with water must be abandoned until complete recovery. Especially in the presence of purulent, non-healing or open wounds.
  4. Respiratory diseases: tuberculosis, bronchial asthma.
  5. Dousing with increased eye pressure is not recommended.
  6. In case of colds (ARVI, acute respiratory infections, flu), one should refrain from procedures, even if the exercises were regular before the illness.
  7. Do not drench your head. This can adversely affect health.

Water hardening methods

Water hardening can be traditional and non-traditional.

Traditional methods include:

  • Rubdown. Can be used at any age, even from the cradle. To do this, you need a towel that absorbs water well. How to carry out the procedure, we will tell you below.
  • Dousing. It can be local and general.
  • Swimming in natural waters. It can also be recommended from an early age, starting from a temperature of 24-26 degrees. After the procedure, be sure to move.

How to start the water hardening procedure, we will consider further.

We start water hardening

The most optimal time for hardening water procedures is morning. It is recommended to do exercises.

Water hardening should be started with wiping. To do this, moisten a sponge or towel with water of a certain temperature and wipe off. You need to start from the upper parts of the body - from the neck, then shoulders, arms, chest, back follow. The next step is to towel dry and rub the skin red-hot. It is necessary to move from the periphery to the heart.

Then you can move on to the lower body. They are also wiped with a damp sponge or towel and then rubbed dry with a dry towel. The whole process should last no more than 5 minutes.

Then you can go directly to douches.

They begin to use water a degree below body temperature. The permissible range is +34 ... +36 о С. Every 3 days, the temperature is lowered by one degree. After douches, it is also recommended to rub the body with a dry towel until it is red-hot. The procedure should last no more than 1 minute.

Unconventional hardening

Non-traditional methods of hardening include procedures such as:

  • Snow rubdown.
  • Walking barefoot in the snow.
  • Exposure to low temperature air.
  • Sauna.
  • Russian bath.

The point of hardening is that such procedures train the thermoregulatory apparatus of the immune system. At the same time, the body's sensitivity to the harmful effects of the sun, cold, water and other factors decreases.

The use of non-traditional hardening methods in children at an early age often leads to a backlash. Doctors believe that it is inappropriate to carry out such procedures in childhood. Since the body has not yet been formed and cannot adequately respond to a sharp change in temperature.

Hardening children

For children, it is advisable to use the following hardening methods:

  • Water quenching.
  • Air.
  • Solar.

As we indicated earlier, non-traditional methods of hardening are not recommended for the child's body, especially for preschoolers, due to the immaturity of the neuronal and endocrine systems. What to do? Choose something else.

The best option for children and parents is hardening in the summer. The main rule at this time:

  • Avoid hypothermia or excessive overheating.
  • Together with water procedures, you can do massage, gymnastic exercises.

When hardening preschool children, it is necessary to adhere to several norms:

  • The child's body should be warm before starting the procedures.
  • It is necessary to control the redness of the body. If this reaction does not occur, the body should be rubbed with a dry towel.
  • The lower the water temperature, the shorter the contact with it.

In winter, the hardening of the baby must be approached carefully. If the child is sick, the procedures should be stopped for the duration of the illness.

General rules for hardening children

  • You can temper a child from an early age.
  • The kid must be absolutely healthy.
  • Adhere to the basic principle of hardening - the systematic implementation of procedures.
  • Set an example for your child. Participate, for example, in water treatments.
  • Gradually increase the duration and load. This is another important principle of hardening.
  • Do not start procedures if the child is not in the mood. You need to set a good mood.
  • Avoid overheating or hypothermia of the baby.
  • Add exercises and massage to the procedures.
  • Your child's hands and feet should be warm before the procedure.
  • If you didn't like the procedure and caused unexpected negative reactions in the child, then you will have to give up for a while from hardening and show the baby to the doctor.

Air hardening rules

This type of hardening has been practiced since infancy. Some rules are very natural for each of us. They are the basis for home hardening.

  • The process begins with walks in the fresh air (at first, 10 minutes a day is enough). It is necessary to walk every day, increasing the time.
  • Ventilate the room daily.
  • Be sure to ventilate the room before and after bedtime.
  • Dress your child for the weather.
  • In fine weather, the child can sleep outdoors. Older children should stay outside in good weather as long as possible.

Water hardening of the child

Hardening of preschool children begins with contrasting doused legs. You can also use the following procedures:

  • Local contrasting baths for hands and feet.
  • Wipe off with a damp cloth or washcloth. The best option for starting hardening.
  • Contrast doused legs. The main rule: you should not douse your feet with cold water, without first warming them.
  • Contrast shower with small water temperature difference.
  • Swimming in the pool.
  • Swimming in the sea / river.

It is worth remembering that bathing and hardening is not recommended for children with pneumonia, pleurisy, heart disease, kidney disease. A doctor's consultation is required.

General rules for hardening

Let's highlight some general rules of hardening:

  • If you decide to start hardening, you should first visit a therapist and choose an alternative method together.
  • It is necessary to start the procedures while being healthy.
  • Should not be at the time of occupation diseases in the acute or chronic stage.
  • Observe one of the principles of hardening - regularity. There should not be long pauses.
  • Gradually increase the intensity and load.
  • It is necessary to monitor the state of health. Regularly measure temperature, blood pressure, pulse.
  • Hardening will be more effective when combined with exercise.
  • It is recommended to adhere to a healthy diet, this will also increase the effectiveness of the procedures.
  • If you get sick or feel unwell, the hardening procedure must be temporarily stopped.
  • If in the process of hardening you do not feel a surge of strength, energy, but, on the contrary, there is a breakdown, depression, you must not delay the visit to the doctor and stop the procedure.

Tempering and health can be put in one row. By stimulating the body's defenses, you can forget about colds in the off-season.

On our skin there is a huge number of so-called "cold receptors", irritating which you can affect the entire body. If you carry out the hardening procedures correctly, you will help to strengthen the immune system and improve thermoregulation (the body's ability to maintain a constant temperature under various environmental conditions). In addition, hardening stimulates metabolic processes in your body, strengthens the nervous system, tones the heart and blood vessels, and eliminates arrhythmias. Finally, hardening promotes weight loss, improves skin tone and invigorates the body.

To begin with, there are simple rules for hardening the body, which everyone should know about. If you decide to douse yourself with cold water (or choose other types of hardening - we'll talk about them below), keep in mind:

1. You can start hardening only when you are absolutely healthy

Colds and viral diseases (for example, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, flu), purulent wounds on the skin will have to be healed before hardening procedures. Also, hardening of the body is contraindicated for those who suffer from increased eye pressure - with a temperature drop, the pressure can become even higher, which will provoke retinal detachment. Hypertensive patients, hypotensive patients and those who suffer from kidney disease should consult a therapist before proceeding with the procedures. Ischemic heart disease, heart failure, tachycardia are diseases in which hardening of the body is strictly prohibited.

2. Start to temper gradually to relieve the body of stress

If your body is not in good health, start strengthening it in the simplest way - accustom yourself to washing your face with cold water (do this gradually - let the water be at room temperature 20-22 ° C at first, then lower it by about a degree every day). Ultimately, you will get used to washing your face with cold tap water and will be able to move on to the next stage without negative consequences for the body.

3. Carry out the hardening procedures regularly, systematically, without interruption.

If you have already decided, then temper yourself daily, in any weather and in any conditions. Even on a trip or a hike, you have to continue what you started, and what kind of procedure it will be - walking barefoot or rubbing off with a towel - you decide for yourself. Keep in mind that hardening can cause a runny nose, but this is not a reason to stop the procedure. An exception may be a rise in temperature.

Varieties of hardening procedures

Let's put aside such extreme procedures as ice swimming and talk about easy-to-follow procedures that are accessible to everyone.

1. Air baths

Air hardening should be started in a well-ventilated area at a temperature not lower than 15-16 ° C. At the initial stage, the session should last 3 minutes (over time, you will increase it to 5 minutes). After undressing, do some vigorous "warming" exercises (walking in place, squats, push-ups - whatever you want). You can start taking outdoor baths after at least a month of such preparation.

If you start hardening now, then by summer you will be able to switch to air baths outside - it is recommended to start taking them at a temperature of 20-22 ° C. The first session is no more than 15 minutes (and only if you have prepared the body with winter home workouts), subsequent air baths can be longer (add 1-2 minutes every day).

In the cold season, sessions in the air (on the balcony, for example) can be carried out only after a year of preliminary preparation (start with 1 minute and gradually increase the "dose" to 15 minutes).

2. Rubdowns

Rubdowns are useful to everyone who has no contraindications and - especially - violations on the skin. The procedure consists in vigorously rubbing the body with a towel soaked in water. Within 2 minutes, successively rub with a wet towel until the neck, chest and back are reddened and warm, then dry them. Repeat the procedure for the hips and legs.

First moisten the towel with water, the temperature of which is 33-34 ° C, gradually (every 10 days) lowering the temperature by 5 ° C, so you will bring it to 18-20 ° C. Having consolidated the result for 2-3 months, you can proceed to lowering the degree of water to cold - also, once every 10 days, continue to lower it by 5 ° C.

3. Dousing

The easiest way for beginners is to do a partial douche. The best time for the procedure is in the morning. I recommend preparing the water in the evening: take a bucket of cold tap water (it will warm up to room temperature overnight). In the morning, douse your hands, feet and neck several times and rub them dry with a towel. After 2 weeks of daily pouring, you can start pouring over the whole body.

With regard to temperature, the effectiveness of hardening increases as the contrast between body temperature and water temperature increases. Every 10 days, as with rubdowns, lower the water level by 5 ° C. Keep the air temperature in the room at least 20 ° C - this way you will avoid hypothermia.

4. Contrast shower

The contrasting effect of water strengthens the heart and blood vessels, triggers metabolic processes in the body due to the rapid flow of blood to the organs. Without lingering for a long time on individual parts of the body, consistently pour a stream of water from the shower over yourself. The simplest and most understandable procedure scheme from the existing ones, in my opinion, is as follows: 10-30 seconds - hot shower, 10-30 seconds - cold shower, repeat the cycle three times.

Start with 10 seconds, after 2 weeks, increase the time to 20 seconds, after another 2 weeks, bring it to 30 seconds. Water temperature in the first 2-3 weeks: hot - 40-45 ° C, cold - 28-30 ° C. Then you can lower the cold water temperature to 15-20 ° C.

5. Barefoot in the cold

Hardening of feet is a method available to everyone. Pour water at room temperature (20-22 ° C) on the bottom of the bath, stand in it for 2-3 minutes and alternately step from foot to foot. Reduce the water temperature by 1 ° C every 2-3 days. Gradually you will "reach" the temperature of cold tap water.

A pleasant bonus - this method of hardening the body not only helps to increase immunity, but also serves as the prevention of flat feet and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) of the feet.

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