Message on the topic of hardening methods. Methods of hardening the body - factors, methods and hygienic principles. Traditional types, factors and means of hardening in summer

Hardening is an increase in the body's resistance to the effects of natural factors within the boundaries 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 a training of the whole organism and, above all, of the thermoregulatory apparatus.

You can start hardening at almost any age. It is best to consult with your doctor beforehand. He will check the state of health and exclude possible contraindications. If we are talking about hardening a child, then you can start it only when the child is completely healthy.

Basic principles of hardening:

systematic,
gradualism
taking into account individual characteristics,
self-control.

The principle of systematicity requires the obligatory daily implementation of procedures. Long breaks in hardening lead to a weakening or loss of acquired protective reactions.

Another prerequisite for proper hardening is a gradual increase in the dosage of procedures.

When hardening, as in carrying out any other procedures, one should take into account the individual characteristics of the organism. 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 exercises, especially in the fresh air, incl. with swimming, skiing and skating, athletics.

Indicators of the correct hardening and its positive results are: sound sleep, good appetite, improved well-being, increased efficiency, 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 (perhaps temporarily interrupt them) and consult a doctor for advice.

Air and water

Air hardening - air baths - the most gentle and safe hardening procedure. It is with air baths that it is recommended to start systematic hardening.

The hardening effect of air depends mainly on its temperature. Air baths are divided into lukewarm (air temperature +30…+20°С), cool (+20…+14°С) and cold (+14°С and below) according to the evoked heat sensation.

It is better to start taking air baths in a well-ventilated area. Exercise in a room with an open window. Then, as you harden, move the classes to the open air. It is best to take air baths on the move: light jogging, exercising or playing. 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 from 20 minutes at an air temperature of +16 ... + 20 ° C. Gradually, as the body adapts, increase the time spent in the air and lower the temperature.

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

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

Starting to harden with water, first they take light water procedures with a water temperature of + 33 ... + 34 ° C. Then, every 3-4 days, the water temperature is reduced by 1 °, and gradually, in 1.5-2 months, bring it up, depending on well-being and health to +10 ... + 15 ° C. In the summer heat, the temperature can be even lower. The colder the water, the shorter the treatment time should be.

Rubbing is the initial stage of hardening with water. Within a few days, wipe with a towel or sponge moistened with water. At first, this procedure is done only to the waist, and then they proceed to wiping the whole body. Rubbing is carried out sequentially, starting from the upper half of the body: after wiping the neck, chest, arms and back with water, wipe them dry and rub with a towel until redness in the direction of blood flow to the heart. After that, they also wipe the hips and legs. The entire procedure, including rubbing, should not exceed 5 minutes.

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

The shower is another effective water treatment. At the beginning of hardening, the water in the shower should be + 30 ... + 35 ° С, and the duration of the procedure should not exceed one minute. Then the water temperature is gradually reduced, and the shower time is increased to 2 minutes. The procedure ends with vigorous rubbing of the body with a towel.

In order to fully work and actively spend your free time, you need to monitor the health of your body, regularly undergo medical examinations and lead a healthy lifestyle. Hardening of the body in this chain plays an important role. Unfortunately, not everyone has enough time and willpower to follow these principles and keep the body in great shape.

Preventive methods and regular training of the protective functions of the body cost a person much less than the treatment of diseases. Regular exercise, hardening procedures and regular walks in the fresh air will help you save money on treatment and feel healthy and cheerful.

Benefit

Hardening of the body is an effective technique known to mankind since ancient times.

The method is based on procedures that:

• mobilize the body's internal resources;
• increase the resistance of the immune system to external environmental influences.

Procedures aimed at hardening the body can be different: from the most gentle to extreme. It is necessary to start hardening carefully and it is important to remember that procedures must be carried out regularly. Hardening is a whole complex of various procedures, which, in fact, are simple and understandable, but give excellent results.

Depending on your preferences and individual characteristics of the body, you can:

• take contrast showers;
• douse yourself with cold water;
• take air baths;
• walk barefoot;
• engage in ice-skating.

The combination of hardening, exercise and massage will help your body function normally, resist seasonal viral diseases and significantly slow down the aging process. Hardening procedures normalize the functioning of the immune and lymphatic systems, improve metabolic processes, tighten the skin, relieve insomnia and reduce the negative impact of stress.

To achieve the maximum result from the procedures performed, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right. But, even if you have bad habits and proper nutrition is not for you, health-improving hardening methods will help to quickly remove toxic substances from the body, which will reduce the negative impact of the breakdown products of alcohol or smoking.

Methodology

Before you decide to start hardening procedures, you should consult with a therapist, take tests and undergo other examinations. After making sure that there are no chronic and viral diseases, sparing procedures can begin.

Remember the three main postulates of the methodology:

• gradualness;
• systematic;
• moderation.

Based on these principles and the season, you can start hardening the body, for example, in the spring and summer - it can be sunbathing, swimming in a pond or rubbing with cool water.

The most suitable way to start training is air baths or aerotherapy. Be sure to accompany the decrease in your usual ambient temperature with active movement, but do not overdo it: if it is raining and windy outside, you can work out standing in front of an open window or on the balcony.

Sunbathing is also necessary according to the rules: start with 15 minutes a day and increase session time daily.

By adhering to this rule, you will not only train your immune system, but also get an even and beautiful tan. An additional benefit of sunbathing is the synthesis under the influence of sunlight in the human body of vitamin D, which is rarely found in food. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the human body, therefore, you will have healthy teeth, nails, bones and hair, as well as skin.

The second stage of hardening procedures can be hydrotherapy.

Water procedures are considered the most effective for mobilizing the hidden internal reserves of the body. We all take a shower every day, so that it becomes not only a hygienic, but also a healthy procedure, you can wipe your body with cool water after taking a shower. After wiping with a wet sponge, rubbing with a dry towel is unlikely to bring discomfort to anyone, and the reward will be a surge of strength, a cheerful and high spirits.

The direction of rubbing should coincide with the direction of blood flow in the body: chest, neck, back, arms, then hips and legs. But know the measure, five minutes is enough for the whole procedure.

After wiping with water becomes a familiar procedure for you, you can move on to contrasting dousing your legs. First, alternate exposure to hot and cool water, increasing the temperature difference daily. This procedure will greatly help people engaged in heavy physical labor and women, as it prevents the development of varicose veins and atherosclerosis.

After six months of regular training on hardening the body, you can begin the procedure of a contrast shower. The alternating change in water temperature has a tonic effect on the body, activates metabolic and other processes in the body.

Try lowering the water temperature by a degree once a week. As you get used to it, increase the temperature difference by one degree every few days. In a few months, you can reduce the temperature of cold water to 15 degrees.

You can read about the rules for taking a contrast shower and its effect on the body in our article “Health and Beauty”.

Experts disagree on whether it is useful to harden in the evening. For some, water procedures can cause unnecessary vivacity before going to bed, for someone, on the contrary, they will give relaxation. You need to decide the issue based on the reaction of your body to a specific procedure. After the body is accustomed to low water temperatures, you can proceed to an even more intensive method of hydrotherapy - dousing, and, if desired and possible, winter swimming.

The question of the speed of transition from a simple rubdown to extreme water procedures is an exclusively individual matter. Listen to your body, control your condition and well-being. You yourself will feel when you can plunge into the hole after a bath or run through the snow. Observe moderation and do not allow hypothermia of the body. This can lead to colds and disrupt the hardening schedule, after which you will have to return to the original temperatures again and go through the process again.

Remember, the effect of hardening will last for a month and in the event of a long break, you will have to start everything from the very beginning. Therefore, the systematic and continuity of classes is the key to success and excellent health.

Kinds

The method of hardening is based on the effect on the body of cold or heat, as well as the alternation of these effects.

The main advantage of the technique is its accessibility. The sun, air and water are available to everyone. All you need is a desire, compliance with the recommendations of doctors and a little free time. Having started to practice, a person not only becomes healthy, but also trains willpower, character and learns to enjoy the simplest things.

Regular classes will help you avoid visiting expensive spa treatments, and you will look better than after a course of cosmetic procedures.

Since ancient times, man has been familiar with artificial sources of high temperatures - baths and saunas.

In addition to the hardening effect of a temporary increase in temperature, a healing massage with brooms has a good therapeutic effect. Those who, for some medical reasons, are contraindicated in exposure to extremely high temperatures, can go to the hammam or infrared sauna.

Believe me, you will enjoy, get rid of stress, and gentle soapy massage will take care of your body. The healing effect of these procedures is not as obvious as that of a bath with swimming in an ice font, but it is stable and pleasant.

In addition to all of the above, measures for hardening the body include proper nutrition, daily routine and good rest.

Principles

There are several important points that should be followed when hardening.

• Graduality is one of the most important principles. In order not to harm the body, it is better to start with small fluctuations in temperature and accustom yourself to the cold very gradually. It is better to reduce temperatures by a degree in a week or more. You also need to treat physical exercises, gradually increase the load, focus on aerobic exercises. High loads on untrained muscles will not give any effect other than pain and can harm the body.

• Individual approach- an equally important part of hardening. Each organism has its own characteristics and they must be taken into account in order to achieve the best performance. You can consult with experts about the recommended loads and methods of hardening.
• Systematic. Failure to comply with this rule may nullify all hardening efforts. Since the body gets used to a certain discipline in behavior, interrupting classes for more than a month is not recommended. An unaccustomed organism can give unpredictable reactions. If such a break occurred, then it would be more correct to return to the beginning.
• Complexity. This concept includes not only one type of hardening, but a whole range of exercises and procedures. A positive attitude can significantly increase the effectiveness of recovery and rejuvenation.

Contraindications and restrictions

Hardening is contraindicated for people with chronic diseases from:

• cardio systems - valve defects, ischemic disease, hypertension, angina pectoris, after a heart attack or with coronary cardiosclerosis;
• respiratory tract - sinusitis, asthma, tuberculosis
• vision - conjunctivitis, glaucoma
• hearing organ - chronic and inflammatory otitis
• endocrine system - diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis
• reproductive and urinary system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, prostate pathology, adnexitis
• nervous system - neuritis, polyneuritis
• gastrointestinal tract - colitis, peptic ulcer and cholelithiasis, hepatitis and cholecystitis
• some skin diseases
• after traumatic brain injury, in the presence of extensive scars and burns.

As you can see, the list of contraindications is extensive and not all diseases are listed here, so be sure to first contact a specialist and check your health. There are no age restrictions for hardening. Naturally, the system of training and loads will depend on age.

The familiar word "hardening" carries a deep meaning. In the medical sense, hardening measures imply a set of specific procedures that actively stimulate natural immunity, increase resistance to all adverse environmental factors, improve thermoregulation and form vitality. In simple words, hardening means the natural training of the body's protective barrier with the help of natural factors. Hardening gives a person a complete physical and spiritual balance, increases all the potentials of the body.
Without implying it, we train our body by visiting a bathhouse, swimming in ponds or walking in the fresh air. But in order to call these seemingly ordinary actions true hardening, certain principles must be strictly observed:

1. Before proceeding with the hardening itself, you need to make sure that the body is absolutely ready for this. This implies that there should be no acute diseases and exacerbated chronic diseases (in some of which hardening is prohibited or limited). It is necessary to sanitize all infectious foci in the body (teeth with caries, inflamed tonsils, etc.).
2. In addition to physical readiness, there must be a clear and motivated psychological attitude, i.e. awareness that everything is done for the benefit of one's own health and strong confidence in the success of these events. And only a positive attitude!
3. Hardening is a system that is implemented continuously, i.e. daily. It should be understood that in order to achieve excellent health indicators, one should work long and hard, although it is difficult to call it work - after all, all the techniques are so pleasant and do not require much effort on oneself. Good reasons for temporary interruption of hardening procedures are health problems.
4. The strength and duration of hardening procedures increase day by day, but smoothly, without extreme actions. This is a very important rule. Many, having felt a significant surge of strength and vigor after 3-4 hardening procedures, are ready to dive into the hole the next day. You will have to pay for such “impulses” with your own health. Everything should increase moderately and gradually, and nothing else.
5. When hardening, a reasonable sequence of procedures is also important. You should start the hardening training of the body with soft and gentle methods, and then move on to more serious effects. For example, start hardening with water with foot baths and smoothly move on to dousing, first local, then full-fledged general.
6. No matter how well the hardening procedures are perceived, one should still take into account the individual reactions of the person and the state of health. Hardening at the first stages is a kind of shake-up of the body, and during this period various dormant sores can come out. Therefore, having decided to harden, in any case, you should consult a doctor.
7. In addition to hardening, it is necessary to use physical exercises, active games and sports. All this strengthens the results achieved and helps to fully train your body.

Methods for hardening the body

The natural resistance of the body must be formed to all natural factors without exception.
The main systems and methods of hardening (as the impact on the body increases):

1. Air baths. The technique is used for therapeutic purposes and preventive measures. It is based on the effect of the natural air environment on open skin.

The system is phased, begins with hardening indoors at a temperature range of 15 - 16 ° C with a time interval of 3-5 minutes. After 4-5 days, you can start a ten-minute hardening effect on the skin in the open air, but at t not less than 20 - 22 ° C. In the future, the time spent outdoors gradually increases. This method is optimal for untrained people.

Hardening with cold air masses (from 4 to 13 ° C) can only be used by trained, well-hardened people. Start exposure from a couple of minutes and gradually bring this time to 10 minutes, but no more.

Air baths train the system of thermoregulation, normalize and optimize the functionality of the heart and blood vessels, the respiratory system, digestion and have a beneficial effect on the state of mental balance.

2. Sunbathing. The technique consists in a positive effect on the body of direct sunlight. More effective results are obtained by the simultaneous application of hardening by the sun and air.

The sun's rays are a fairly aggressive natural factor that can lead to burns and heat or sunstroke. Therefore, the following are very important: the time of the procedure (morning between 9-11 am or evening between 17-19 hours) and the duration of exposure (start from 3-4 minutes and increase to 1 hour, gradually adding a few minutes). The head and cornea of ​​the eyes should be protected from direct sunlight. The last meal before tanning should be at least an hour and a half before sun exposure. When tanning, the sun should “look” at your feet, you should not stand or sit, it is better to lie down.

Solar infrared light has an active thermal effect. Sweating and evaporation from the skin of released moisture increase, subcutaneous vessels expand, and general blood flow increases. The body actively produces vitamin D, which normalizes and activates metabolic processes and is involved in the formation of highly active products of protein metabolism. As a result of this, the blood composition improves, and the overall resistance to diseases of any etiology increases.

3. Hardening with water. The most common among the inhabitants and loved by many techniques. It is best to start water hardening in the morning, after charging. The water temperature starts at 37°C natural for the skin, then gradually decreases by 1-2 degrees every day. Each water method has its own temperature limit, which we will discuss below.

Under the influence of water, the vessels initially narrow, the skin turns pale, and blood flows to the internal organs. Then the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems is activated, the general metabolism is accelerated, which leads to the reverse flow of blood from the internal organs to the skin. Those. water comprehensively trains the entire body, tones and strengthens blood vessels.

There are several directions of the water hardening system that can be combined.

a) Local water procedures - the hardening effect of water on the feet and throat.

Foot washing can be done daily. The procedure is carried out before bedtime. To begin with, the water used should have t 26 - 28 ° C, then it decreases to 12 - 15 ° C, within a few weeks. After the procedure, the feet are thoroughly rubbed until visible redness.

Gargling is a procedure that should begin the morning and end the evening. Initially, cool water should be 23 - 25 ° C, weekly (not daily!) The temperature is reduced by a degree and brought to 5 - 10 ° C.

b) Rubbing is a very mild water procedure that has no contraindications. Dip a sponge or towel in cool water and wipe the skin. The body is wiped from top to bottom, after the procedure, the skin is rubbed with a towel to redness. The duration of exposure is about 5 minutes.

c) Pouring is the next stage of the water hardening system. They start with water at about + 30 ° C, gradually reduce t to + 15 ° C and below. After the procedure, the skin surface is also rubbed with a towel to hyperemia.

d) Shower is a very effective water procedure. They start from t +30 - 32 ° C and last about a minute. Gradually reduce t to + 15 ° C and increase the procedure time to 2-3 minutes. If the body accepts the ongoing hardening with a shower, they switch to a temperature contrast, alternating water 35 - 40 ° C with water 13 - 20 ° C 2-3 times for three minutes.

e) Swimming in the warm season in a natural open reservoir, starting at 18 - 20 ° C water temperature and 14 - 15 ° C air temperature.

f) Swimming in an ice-hole is the most powerful method available only to the most hardened people. This powerful health-improving technique is referred to the ancient methods of prevention and treatment of many diseases. Indeed, earlier people were healthier both in body and soul, and swimming in the hole itself was not such a curiosity as it is now. On the contrary, this healing ritual was performed by many, from young to old.
The medical history of this method, like hardening, is relatively young, dating back to the late 1800s. Today, traditionally, every Orthodox person strives to experience these unique sensations on the great day of the Baptism of the Lord.

From a medical point of view, swimming in an ice hole is an acute stress with a short-term effect. There is a so-called "dance of the vessels" and the redistribution of blood. First, the vessels lying on the surface narrow and give their blood "to save" the internal organs. Then the internal organs give back this same blood, and the vessels again quickly expand. A huge amount of hormones is released into the blood: adrenaline and endorphins. There is a general stimulation of the body, all systems and organs begin to work more intensively and correctly. The protective function is activated, persistent insensitivity to the effects of pathogenic agents is developed. Emotionally, a person feels indescribably light and joyful. Many say that having experienced swimming in the hole, they began a different life! Bathing in an ice-hole relieves pain in the shoulders, back, joints, relieves insomnia, improves central and peripheral blood circulation and increases cold resistance.

The path to hardening in the hole is long. A person must overcome all of the above methods of hardening, then switch to dousing with ice water, and only then gets acquainted with the hole. You should not engage in this type of water exposure on your own and alone, control by professional "walruses" is required.

Naturally, this procedure requires a state of complete health and psychological readiness. Rules for immersion in an ice hole - gradual dipping with a minimum of time in the water (starts from a few seconds and gently increases to several minutes). It is very important to wipe yourself dry after dipping, dress warmly (but not hot) and move actively. A cup of herbal tea will further emphasize the beauty of this procedure!

In addition to the listed common methods, hardening includes walking barefoot, a bath, wiping with snow, sleeping in the open air, and others.

Walking barefoot is a hardening method available to every person. They start walking in the warm season and, with good tolerance, continue all year round. The sensations of walking in the snow are so contrasting that it is difficult to describe them, in a word - they cause children's delight in adults! It is important to maintain a balance of walking time: with a decrease in outdoor temperature, the duration of exposure is reduced. And only after getting used to the cold (1.5-2 weeks) slowly increase this time. It is better to walk in a certain place, for example, on the ground with grass.

A kind of barefoot walking, or rather, a more serious version of such hardening is barefooting. This technique means constantly walking barefoot, even in everyday life. Barefooting is common in Western countries, where walking barefoot is officially allowed by the authorities. We also use a softer version of barefooting - walking without shoes in nature.
The largest number of biologically active points is located on the feet. They are actively stimulated when walking barefoot and help to normalize the activity of many organs and body systems. The body becomes resistant to colds, immunity is strengthened.

Bath. The bath helps to achieve the correct reaction of the vascular bed to the effects of the external environment. The body quickly adapts to frequently changing environmental conditions, especially to high and low temperatures. The likelihood of colds is reduced, the heart and blood vessels are toned, and a stable psyche is formed.
But it should be understood that the bath gives a load and is of a training nature. The approach to bath hardening is the same as to other methods: a smooth increase in the time of exposure to heat on the body.
The first acquaintance with the steam room should be in a healthy state, outside of physical exertion and an hour or two after eating. It is recommended to take a bath in the evening hours, so that after pleasant procedures you can go to sleep. You should start with 1-2 minutes of being in the steam room, after which you need to take a warm shower and relax. Gradually, the time is increased to a three-four-minute visit to the steam room, and the t of the shower water is reduced to 20-25 ° C. The most optimal is a three-time visit to the steam room, but with a mandatory rest between visits. Trained people can take a contrast shower or swim in a cool and even cold pool. But even here there is a rule - the colder the water, the less time you can stay in it.

Wiping with snow. Only completely healthy people are allowed to perform this invigorating and useful procedure after a preliminary long hardening with cold water. Ideal weather: no wind and temperature around 0°C. Rubbing is carried out from the periphery (hands and feet) to the center. You should not wipe your head and ears, but your face is a must. It is enough to walk over the body 1-2 times, the duration of the procedure: 1-2 minutes.
The therapeutic effect of wiping with snow: the body's defenses are stimulated, especially in the fight against colds.

Sleeping in the open air refers to passive hardening techniques. The main rule is the absence of drafts. Daytime and nighttime sleep can be organized in the bedroom with open windows, on the balcony or loggia, on the veranda. Many are interested, is it possible to sleep on the street? If it is summer time, there is an equipped place, protected from wind and precipitation - then you can. But in the off-season and especially in winter, it is better not to do such extreme actions, because. in a dream, a person’s thermoregulation is imperfect, the body cools down very quickly. And sleeping in a padded jacket and felt boots is very uncomfortable, and there will be absolutely no benefit from such a dream.

Fresh, constantly circulating air is an excellent therapeutic and preventive factor in itself. All microbes and viruses floating in the air are neutralized, and the blood is saturated with oxygen. The result is a fresh and rested appearance after sleep, strong immunity and excellent health.

The positive effect of all the listed hardening procedures on the body has been proven for centuries. An invaluable mechanism for adapting the body to all environmental factors is launched, thanks to which resistance to various diseases is developed, a person becomes healthier, more durable and happier!

…

The benefits of hardening
Hardening is a system of preventive measures aimed at the body's resistance to adverse environmental factors. Improving hardening helps the body to increase adaptation to environmental conditions. That is, a hardened organism, even with significant fluctuations in ambient temperature, maintains the temperature of internal organs within fairly narrow limits. For example: with a sharp decrease or increase in the temperature of the external environment, a hardened organism will react sharply by narrowing or expanding blood vessels to the threat of possible strong cooling or overheating, and will limit or increase heat transfer. Whereas an unhardened organism will not be able to react so quickly, and will get hypothermia or overheating.

In addition, hardening a person increases the endurance of the body, strengthens the nervous system, increases immunity and resistance to diseases. Hardening is considered one of the best ways to maintain health.

Types of hardening
Hardening of the body can be divided into several types depending on the procedures performed:

• Aerotherapy - hardening with air. This type of hardening includes air baths and long walks in the fresh air. Fresh air tempers the body by cooling the skin receptors and nerve endings of the mucosa and thereby improves the body's thermoregulation. Hardening with air is useful for the psycho-emotional state of a person, increasing immunity, saturating the body with oxygen, and thereby contributes to the normalization of the work of most organs and body systems.
  .
  Air hardening is the simplest and most affordable hardening method. You need to spend more time outdoors, regardless of the weather and season. You need to try to spend more time walking in parks, forests, near water bodies, since in summer the air in such places is saturated with useful active substances that are released by plants. In winter, walks in forests and parks are also very important, since winter air contains practically no microbes, is more saturated with oxygen and has a healing effect on the entire body.

• Heliotherapy - hardening by the sun, exposure of the body to sunlight and heat. Hardening by the sun increases the stability of the nervous system, accelerates the body's metabolic processes, increases the body's resistance, improves blood circulation, improves the functioning of the muscular system, and has a tonic effect on almost all body functions.
  Hardening by the sun can not only be beneficial, but also very harmful, so this type of hardening must be treated very responsibly and all the rules of hardening by the sun must be observed. In no case should burns, overheating and thermal shock be allowed. Improper hardening by the sun can lead to serious illnesses. Hardening by the sun should occur gradually and take into account age, human health, climatic conditions and other factors.

• Walking barefoot. This type of hardening is useful for both children and adults. There are a large number of biologically active points on the feet of a person, which, when walking barefoot, are stimulated and help to normalize the work of many organs and systems of the body. Walking barefoot increases the body's resistance to colds, improves immunity. This type of hardening is a good prevention of many diseases.

• Hardening with water. Hardening with water is a very useful procedure for the human body. With water hardening, blood circulation in the body is more intense, bringing additional oxygen and nutrients to the organs and systems of the body. Water hardening can be divided into several types:
  .
  Rubbing. Rubbing is the most gentle and sparing of all hardening procedures with water. Rubbing can be applied from the earliest childhood. Rubbing can be done with a sponge, hand or towel dipped in water. First they wipe the upper part of the body, then rub it with a dry towel, and then they wipe the lower part of the body and also rub it with a dry towel.
  .
  Pouring. Dousing is a more effective procedure than wiping. Pouring can be general, that is, the whole body and local - dousing the legs. After the dousing procedure, it is necessary to rub the body with a dry towel.
  .
  Shower. Shower hardening is an even more effective hardening procedure than rubbing and dousing. There are two options for hardening with a shower, this is a cool (cold) shower and.
  .
  Therapeutic bathing and ice swimming. This type of water hardening is becoming more and more popular every year. Therapeutic bathing and winter swimming have a great effect on all organs and systems of the human body, the work of the heart and lungs improves, the thermoregulation system improves. This type of hardening involves the strictest observance of all the rules for this type. It is necessary to start winter swimming after consulting a doctor.

hardening rules

1. It is necessary to start hardening procedures when a person is completely healthy. Children and people suffering from various diseases can start hardening with sparing procedures and only after consulting a doctor.
   .
2. The principle of gradualism must be observed. This applies to both the temperature regime and the time frame of hardening procedures. When hardening with water, you need to start the procedure with water at room temperature, gradually lowering it by 1-2 degrees. When hardening by the sun, it is also necessary to observe the principle of gradualness and start exposure to the sun from a few minutes, gradually increasing the time spent in the sun.
   .
3. It is also very important to carry out hardening procedures regularly, without long intervals, in any weather and season. If, nevertheless, it so happened that you interrupted hardening for a long time, then it is necessary to resume it with more gentle procedures.
   .
4. Combine hardening with. This will greatly increase the effectiveness of hardening procedures and have a beneficial effect on the entire body.
   .
5. Hardening should bring cheerfulness and joy. If you feel unwell after hardening procedures, then you need to stop hardening and consult a doctor.
   .
6. When hardening, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of a person, the state of health, the season, natural and climatic conditions, and so on.
   .
7. Performing hardening procedures, it is necessary to carry out self-control. Assess general health, pulse, blood pressure, appetite and other indicators depending on the individual characteristics of the body.
   .
8. Remember that hardening is one of the components of a healthy lifestyle. Remember to pay attention to other aspects of your life as well.

Temper with pleasure and be healthy!

And a little more about hardening: