Recovery can be different: with the help of water, air, sunlight. In countries with a warm climate, people are more cheerful, and they do not have such concepts as autumn depression, melancholy, or suicidal thoughts, in contrast to the statistics of such phenomena among residents of the northern regions.

Definition of hardening

Hardening is a systematic moderate impact on the body with the help of external factors to increase the stability of the immune system.

The benefits of hardening with water were recognized by Avicenna and Hippocrates, and since the time of the chronicler Nestor, healing through swimming, sauna and snow, and wiping with water has been practiced.

Hardening the body with the sun promotes the production of vitamin D, which strengthens bones and takes part in overall well-being, helps overall health if simple rules are followed.

Sun hardening increases a person's adaptability to cold and heat and reduces the reaction to weather fluctuations. The energy of the sun promotes hardening, improves sleep, well-being, blood composition and metabolism. The skin better resists external harmful influences and regulates heat exchange. Ultraviolet rays increase the body's defenses and are an important means of preventing and treating rickets.

Principles

To obtain the desired results of hardening with water, air and sun, the following principles are important:

Air baths

It’s good to start hardening with air baths, ventilating the room in the mornings and evenings and undressing for a few minutes at 18 degrees. For the first procedure, 3 minutes are enough, subsequent ones - 5-15 or more. Then it is advisable to move on to cold baths - from 14 degrees and below.

The next step will be drying at a temperature of 36 degrees with a towel. The movements are directed from the periphery to the center. After two weeks, you can supplement the hardening with air by walking barefoot, starting with a few minutes and extending up to an hour and a half, ending with rinsing your feet, as well as drying them without wiping.

Hardening of any kind should not be accompanied by disruption of sleep patterns or loss of appetite. Contraindications are injuries, hepatic colic, toxic infections, fever, bronchial asthma, hypertensive crisis. If the interval between procedures exceeds 14 days, then everything should be started from the beginning.

Water hardening

Water hardening can be started in any season, provided that the room temperature is not lower than 18 degrees.

You can start the procedure by going out onto the balcony, continuing it by wiping the body with a towel moistened with water no colder than 34-36 degrees. The duration of the procedure should be reduced as the water temperature decreases.

It is recommended to start dousing after wiping, in summer, with water at a temperature of about 36 degrees, pouring water on yourself from a watering can from the head for 2 minutes. If goose bumps appear, rub yourself with a towel or do a few warm-up exercises.

Water treatments for children

Swimming on an empty stomach, an hour or two after eating, or staying in water for a long time before freezing is not recommended. The recommended break between bathing on a hot day is about 3 hours for preschoolers - 20 minutes each, for younger children - up to 10 minutes. The procedure lasts taking into account the water temperature and the child’s mobility.

Recommended air temperature when swimming: from 24-22 °C, for children 10 years old - 20 °C, for older people - 18 °C, and water - 16 degrees. The second half of the day is more suitable for swimming, preferably after 16 hours.

Any water procedures involve a gradual daily decrease in water temperature after 2 days from 36 °C by 1 degree daily. Subsequently, for children from 1 year old it will be up to 28-26 °C, from 3 years old - up to 25 °C; for preschoolers it can be increased to 20 °C, and from 7 years old - to 18 °C. The duration of the douche or shower is up to 1-2 minutes.

Any type of hardening helps the body resist various diseases.

Benefits of sun hardening:

• Along with tanning, vitamin D is produced, which affects the absorption of calcium, and the skeletal system is formed;
• the exchange of phosphoric acid is stimulated, which is important for the activity of the nervous system and the functioning of the thyroid gland;
• gaining protection of the skin from hypothermia and overheating, which ensures resistance of the immune system to colds, stimulation of cellular and humoral protection.

Sun hardening, rules:

• It is better to start hardening in the spring, in the morning at about 11 o’clock;
• the preferred scheme is to spend 5 minutes in the sun and in the shade;
• First of all, it is recommended to expose the back to the sun, then the stomach, chest, sides, and also the face, taking into account the sensitivity of the skin.

Contraindications are: fever, diseases of the nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system, genitourinary area. It is recommended to consult a doctor before starting hardening with the sun, water or air.

Solariums for children

Sun hardening is recommended to be carried out in specially equipped areas - solariums, built among greenery, open to the sun and protected from the wind, remote from roads, industrial buildings, located near a sanatorium or other institution.

As a rule, a cage tent is installed over the site, restraining radiation by 15% and ensuring intermittency of the rays.

The solarium must be equipped with an air thermometer, a barometer, an anemometer - a wind speed meter, a psychrometer, sun loungers, and a children's sandbox.

The course involves 30 sunbathing and is effective at an air temperature of 22 degrees in the shade. The first hardening of children by the sun lasts five minutes, and subsequent ones increase by the same time. In mid-summer, the optimal duration of sunbathing is up to 60 minutes.

After strong heating, the child needs to cool down in the shade for about five minutes, after which he can continue hardening with water procedures (pouring from a jug, swimming in the pool). The water temperature at the first douche is 33 degrees, and then, with each subsequent bathing, it gradually drops to 16-20.

The best time for hardening with sun and air in the European zone is from 9 to 12, which is appropriate an hour and a half after eating or later.

Heatstroke

Intense and prolonged bathing in ultraviolet rays can cause sunstroke or burns. Therefore, the optimal preference is sunbathing in the mornings and evenings: at noon, the rays fall perpendicularly, posing a danger of overheating for the skin. In the cold season, a half-hour walk is enough to harden yourself with the sun, which will relieve weather dependence and depression.

Heatstroke is destructive to all organs. People sunbathing without a hat are particularly susceptible to harmful effects.

To avoid heatstroke, you should drink a little water every ten minutes, regardless of whether you are thirsty.

Skin care involves the use of creams with UV filters. Sunglasses prevent the body from receiving a dose of vitamin D, so they should be removed for a while.

Symptoms of heat stroke are:

• nausea;
• dizziness;
• lethargy;
• irritability;
• skin redness, blisters;
• the appearance of burns after a while;
• elevated temperature;
• disorder of the cardiovascular system.

Sun hardening in winter

In the cold season, solarization is useful. Her rules:

• position yourself on the edge of light and shadow, concentrating on the solar flow;
• covering your eyes, turn your head so that the eyeballs are periodically focused on light and shadow, excluding twitching of the eyelids;
• perform the same exercise with alternately closing your eyes;
• perform the exercise with your eyes closed;
• move from a sunny place to the shade.

Supporters of all healing methods consider hardening to be the best way to increase immunity and strengthen the body. The endurance and performance of a person increases, the sphere of emotions is normalized, health and physical condition of the body improve, and the psyche is strengthened. The best effect from hardening with air, water and the sun can be obtained by carrying out procedures in nature.

Hardening is a system of measures, the main goal of which is to form the body’s resistance to the influence of various natural factors. The positive significance of these health procedures can hardly be overestimated. Thanks to hardening, a person’s ability to resist many viral and bacterial infections significantly increases. Strengthening the immune system is achieved through systematic dosed exposure to weather and climatic conditions. Constant implementation of hardening procedures maintains a person’s high performance even in old age.

Hardening to cold promotes more intense heat generation in the body. This improves blood supply to the skin and reduces the risk of frostbite when a person spends a long time outdoors in winter.

Seasoned people almost never get colds , they are not afraid of flu epidemics, they are not bothered by an annoying runny nose. It is surprising that despite the simplicity of hardening, only a few people out of thousands do it. Laziness is a terrible thing.

Some of the disadvantages of hardening include the need to devote some free time almost every day to performing health-improving activities. However, the majority of hardening lovers are unlikely to agree to classify such a “duty” as a disadvantage - hardening procedures are rather a pleasant leisure activity for them.

If the rules of hardening are grossly violated, health problems may worsen. However, such situations cannot be considered disadvantages, since all negative effects appear solely due to incompetent implementation of hardening techniques or due to the lack of prior consultation with a doctor.

Fundamental Principles strengthening the immune system due to exposure to unfavorable factors of natural and climatic conditions are as follows:
1) compliance with the rule of gradual increase in the intensity of exposure to cold, heat, and solar radiation on the body
2) systematic implementation of hardening measures, in which long multi-day breaks are unacceptable

Before hardening

If you decide to do hardening, first of all consult your local therapist. The fact is that for some diseases (bronchial asthma, hypertension, hepatic and renal colic), such procedures should be performed with extreme caution. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the body. Sometimes even the same intensity and duration of exposure to cold during hardening activities can be beneficial for one person, but harmful for another.

Air

It is best to start such procedures in the summer. The most suitable method of hardening at this stage is taking air baths, which involve exposing the naked body to moving fresh air. The initial duration of such procedures should be limited 5-10 minutes (for preschool children even 2-3 minutes is enough). Every day the duration of the air bath session is increased by 3-5 minutes until this indicator reaches the value 50-60 minutes. In autumn, it is enough to expose the bare surface of the body to moving fresh air for a period of time. 10-15 minutes. Cold air baths (in late autumn or winter) can only be taken by trained people who have been hardening for several years.

Sun

In hot summers, you can also recommend mastering the methods of sunbathing and hardening to the heat. Being outdoors under the bright sun allows a person to allow ultraviolet rays to affect skin cells. This increases the bactericidal properties of the skin, promotes the synthesis in the body vitamin D, improves the functioning of the digestive system. For preschool children, the first sunbathing sessions should not exceed two minutes, and with constant implementation of these procedures, their duration can be increased to 30–40 minutes. It should be remembered that children's health is more sensitive to the effects of environmental factors. Therefore, during hardening, you should carefully monitor the child’s well-being.

At first, adults can be safely exposed to the bright sun 10-15 minutes, subsequently increasing the duration of these health activities to 40 minutes. It is quite acceptable to take sunbathing in a lying position, periodically turning over from your back to your stomach and back. But under no circumstances should you fall asleep, otherwise you can spend a long time under the sun and get severe burns. In addition to the beneficial effects of solar radiation, such procedures simultaneously promote hardening to high temperatures. In winter, you can train your resistance to heat by visiting a bathhouse or sauna.

Water

All of the above types and methods of hardening can be considered only as a preparatory stage for a more serious healing procedure, which is dousing with cold water. Already in ancient times, different peoples knew the basics of this method of strengthening the immune system. You can begin hardening yourself to the effects of cold by washing your face with warm and then immediately with cold water. Gargling also has a pronounced healing effect.

Next, you can proceed to rinsing your feet with cold water. The initial water temperature should be approximately 28-30 ºС. By regularly performing such hardening sessions at intervals of one week, you can reduce the water temperature by about 1-2 ºС, stopping at the value 14-15 ºС.

At the next stage, you can proceed to pouring cold water over the entire body. In this case, the initial duration of such a procedure should be limited to 2-3 minutes at a water temperature of approximately 28-30 ºС. Proper implementation of hardening measures will allow you to lower the water temperature over time and gradually increase the duration of dousing. However, in no case should you rush - a decrease in temperature by 1 ºС within one to two weeks is enough. If for some reason you were unable to douse with cold water for several days in a row, then, resuming this procedure, use the water for 2-3 ºС higher compared to the temperature at which hardening measures were last carried out.

It is most convenient to perform all water procedures at home, since the use of water with a temperature accurate to one degree is only possible with careful regulation of the flow of cold and hot water from the tap.

There is another easier way dousing with water, which does not require a thermometer. Fill up a bucket of ice water. To do this, you need to pour cold water, add 1 liter of ice and wait for it to melt. After this, pour your feet up to the knees. (The main thing is not to spill water past). After a week, you can grab your hips. After another week or two, pour it on your stomach. It is very important that the procedure does not cause discomfort. If you feel uncomfortable, it means your body has not adapted yet. But there is no point in rushing through hardening. You must understand that the body's hardening will not improve if you pour a bucket of water on your head ahead of time. The duration and regularity of procedures is important. After 1-2 months, you will be able to easily pour a bucket of ice water on yourself and enjoy it.

Correct and regular hardening makes it possible to reveal the truly limitless capabilities of the human body. Many ice-hole swimmers demonstrate simply stunning results. For example, Voronezh resident Vladimir Dadakin, who has been systematically hardening for many years, was able to sit in water at temperatures +1 ºС a whole hundred minutes! This is despite the fact that, according to the American researcher Ritson, at water temperature +10° C a person loses consciousness after 30-60 minutes, and death occurs within 1-2 hours.

The unique capabilities of his body are the subject of close attention from specialists from various research institutes. Using data obtained during experiments involving “walruses,” scientists are developing the most optimal ways to save people exposed to low temperatures and suffering from varying degrees of frostbite.

A somewhat unconventional phenomenon in the world of big sports - the world cold water swimming championship - has become increasingly famous in recent years, attracting the attention of health lovers from different countries. Such championships are held in outdoor pools, the water temperature in which usually does not exceed 5-6 ºС.

Regular hardening procedures in educational institutions significantly reduce the incidence rate among students. Thus, in many schools, after the introduction of mandatory hardening elements in physical education lessons, a decrease in the number of colds among students was noted by 40-50% . The results of such experiments have been reliably confirmed and published in serious scientific publications.
The simplest elements of hardening procedures are beginning to be introduced even in kindergarten. Many sports organizations actively promote various methods of hardening.

With regular and correct implementation of procedures to harden the body, almost any person can significantly improve their health. We hope this article will motivate you to at least try hardening. And if you are already “in the know,” please describe your experience in the comments.

Who doesn't want to be healthy and strong physically and spiritually? Ancient wisdom claims that only a healthy spirit can live in a healthy body. To keep your immunity strong and your mood always cheerful, your body needs to be hardened.

What is this magical hardening?

This is a systematic training of the body through moderate exposure to unfavorable environmental factors. Our best friends will help with this like no one else. This is fresh air, gentle azure water and radiant sun.

Air hardening- the most harmless and simple. There are no contraindications or restrictions for this type of hardening procedures.

It's very simple. It can be divided into the following subspecies.

1. Staying in an open space in the fresh air. In this case, passive hardening occurs.
2. Ventilation of the room.

In both cases, hardening occurs by contact of air with the skin. The larger the area of ​​skin in contact with air, the more effective it is.

Sun hardening familiar to everyone from childhood. Who among us doesn’t like to expose our body to the caress of the sun, lie down on the golden sand and sunbathe?

In the far north, which is not particularly popular among the golden luminary, sunlight has to be replaced with special lamps that emit ultraviolet radiation.

Under the influence of this kind of rays on the skin, vitamin D is formed in the body. Its lack has a negative impact on health. It leads to a decrease in the amount of calcium, causing bones to become brittle.

However, you should not abuse ultraviolet light either.

Firstly, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can, at best, cause skin irritation, and at worst, overheating and heatstroke.

Secondly, there are conditions in which sunbathing should be excluded from the arsenal of preventive restorative procedures. These include:

1. Heart defects.
2. Open forms of tuberculosis.
3. Thyrotoxicosis.
4. Porphyria is a disorder of pigment metabolism.
5. Increased photosensitivity.
6. Eye diseases that cause increased sensitivity to light.
7. Taking medications that increase photosensitivity.

About the hardening properties of water Much, if not everything, has already been said. It consists of a complex effect on many organs and systems. The most powerful way to strengthen the immune system is swimming in the sea or river. During this procedure, hardening occurs not only with water, but also with the sun and air. The temperature and composition of water, as well as human physical activity, are of great importance. This type of bathing involves the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, endocrine and other systems.

Even ordinary washing with cool water or a shower has a tonic and hardening effect, and drying after water procedures is a kind of massage.

Water hardening is contraindicated for people suffering from chronic otitis media, cold allergies, hyperexcitability, epilepsy and infectious diseases.

Many people believe that hardening is more difficult than gymnastics. “Like,” they say, “pouring cold water? I'll get sick right away! In addition, I have radiculitis, pyelonephritis, an allergy to cold and rhinitis, and, in addition, blood pressure... No, this is not for me!”

Hardening- This is a kind of training of the body’s defenses, preparing them for timely mobilization. This is a set of methods for purposefully increasing the functional reserves of the body and its resistance to the adverse effects of environmental factors through systematic training dosed exposure to them.

Hardening does not cure, but prevents illness, and this is its most important preventive role. A hardened person easily tolerates not only heat and cold, but also sudden changes in external temperature, which can weaken the body’s defenses.

The main thing is that hardening is acceptable for any person, i.e. It can be practiced by people of any age, regardless of the degree of physical development. Hardening increases the performance and endurance of the body. Tempering procedures normalize the state of the emotional sphere, make a person more restrained and balanced, they give vigor and improve mood. According to yogis, hardening leads to the merging of the body with nature.

Main factors: water hardening,air hardening, sun hardening.

Hardening is based on the use of natural factors, namely air, water and sunlight. When starting hardening, remember a few simple rules:

• hardening procedures should be carried out daily, possibly 2 times a day;
• gradually reduce the temperature of the air and water;
• gradually increase the duration of exposure to these factors;
• In case of mild illness, there is no need to stop hardening. When health is weakened, procedures to harden the body should be treated with greater caution. It is necessary to reduce the force of influence (increase the water temperature and reduce the dousing time), but it is necessary to carry out these procedures;
• If you still become seriously ill, you can temporarily cancel the procedures, but the break should be no more than 5-7 days. If for some reason the break between hardening lasted more than two weeks, you need to start all over again;
• For children, hardening should be carried out under the supervision of adults.

Hardening with water.

Pouring feet.

In the evening, after work, or half an hour to an hour before bedtime, you need to pour the coldest water from the tap on your feet (approximately up to the middle of the shin). You can use a shower or a ladle - whatever.

People with a nervous, excitable system, suffering from sleep disorders, react to late douches (as well as to barefoot, contrast shower etc.) in different ways. In some cases, strong evening effects are undesirable, but very often after a cold shake, insomniacs fall asleep like babies. After a week or two, the douches will bring real pleasure; the person will feel that in this way he is relieved of fatigue, nervousness, and in some way is being reborn. Hardening with cold water should start with dousing your feet.

Time is not limited: 5, 10 seconds, 1 minute - depending on how you feel.

Contrast shower.

Ideally, a contrast shower is done like this. A person gets into the bath and pours water at a pleasant temperature. The water is then made as hot as possible (without scalding, of course).

After 30-60-90 seconds, turn off the hot water and let in one cold one. After pouring over the whole body (20-30 or more seconds), turn on the hottest water again, pour over the whole body and, without basking for too long, let in cold water. This time it is better to stand under a cold shower longer (until
minutes or more).

Then again a not very hot long shower and a final cold one. While performing a contrast shower, you need to pour over all parts of the body, without staying in one place for a long time. In total, three contrasts are made (transitions from hot to cold). Always finish with cold water. Before cooling your entire body, it is advisable not to forget to wet your face.

Here is an approximate diagram of a contrast shower:

• Warm (to get your body used to it)
• Hot (still nice)
• Cold (20-30 or more seconds)
• Hot (20-40 seconds)
• Cold (up to a minute or more)
• Hot (20-60 seconds)
• Cold (how pleasant)

You need to get used to the contrast shower, as well as to any new influence, gradually. First, take a comfortable shower (shower at a pleasant temperature) every day for 2-4 weeks. Then do only one contrast and not stand under cold water for very long (5-10 seconds), after a week or two, switch to two, and then three contrasts.

Sometimes, at first, you can reduce the temperature difference, that is, douse yourself not with the coldest and hottest water, but with warm and cool water. To “build up” very sick organisms, it is advisable to do this. But, having reached the feeling of obvious cold, you still need to make a sharp leap and
go straight to ice water.

Without knowing this rule, many beginners contrast shower“burning”, trying to further reduce the temperature gradually. They reach, say, 19-20°C, and then, continuing hardening, they start to hurt. The secret here is simple. Water of this temperature already significantly cools the body, but it is not yet cold enough to “turn on” dormant protective forces. A sharp, short-term dousing with cold water does not have time to take away much heat, but has a powerful effect on the nervous system and triggers the thermoregulatory and immune mechanism.

What to do if there is no shower (or hot water)? Dousing yourself with a bucket or taking a cold shower. You can always find a way out if you want.

It is highly advisable to do a contrast shower at least once a day, in the morning, after gymnastics (but not after yoga routines!) Although it is better to wash the body twice a day.

With daily dousing with cold water, there is no need to frequently wash with soap. People with oily skin are recommended to use soap no more than once a week (except for washing hands and hair), and for dry skin - no more than once a month. Even washing with soap once a quarter is enough. Both the skin and the sebaceous glands and, accordingly, the whole body will benefit from this.

Pouring with cold water.

You should douse yourself with cold water every morning and evening. Pouring is already a fairly serious hardening method. Get started cold water hardening right off your feet. Gradually, over a few days, pour your body higher and higher. There is no need to pour your head. Do not dilute cold water with warm water; it is better to immediately pour over a smaller part of your body until you get used to it. Over time, your body will get used to cold water, just like your hands, which you wash in any water without any consequences. This procedure should happen every day, just like you brush your teeth and wash your face every day, because if you miss one day, it is very difficult to start again. Those who have the opportunity to shower themselves on the street have extraordinary capabilities and very powerful medicine. So take it. This is a treatment using the element of water, and remember: the colder the water, the stronger the healing effect.

Effect. Pouring cold water is an ancient pagan rite of worship of the element of Nature, Water. In addition, under no circumstances should you start a prayer, spell, or conspiracy without washing yourself. Having doused yourself with cold water in the morning, you will feel cheerful all day long, your body will glow with a pleasant, gentle tingling sensation, this is health.

You can take a shower in the evening after warm water, after which your sleep will be deep and pure. The external state greatly affects our internal state. Pouring cold water is the best remedy for impotence, and the colder the water, the stronger the effect. Colds will leave your body forever, especially effective for those people who walk wrapped up and are afraid of drafts and freezing. Go under cold water, even if after the first douche your nose is stuffy.

You must break that invisible but existing barrier. In addition, by suppressing your desire, you strengthen and increase the power of your Spirit. You don’t want to go under the cold water, but you go, suppressing your reluctance. The spirit is perfected only in this way, only by suppressing its desire or reluctance. Every day you become higher and higher in the level of your Spirit. All diseases can be cured only by the state of your Spirit. This is an internal medicine that can cure all diseases. Build up this medicine with this simple and affordable method!

Air hardening.

Air hardening (air baths) are useful at any age; these hardening procedures are recommended for both a newborn child and an elderly person. If you wrap up a child from birth, create “greenhouse” conditions for him and, thus, deprive his defense mechanisms of “work,” then the latter, being inactive, will not develop properly. And then even a small breeze is already a threat to the child, he becomes defenseless and falls ill. Therefore, the thermoregulatory apparatus should be trained.

Air hardening(air baths) are carried out in a room that has been previously ventilated, it is better if it is through ventilation. In the warm season, a small draft will not hurt. The temperature in the room should be +20C, with further reduction through ventilation to 15-16C. The duration of the air baths at the beginning will be only 4-5 minutes, but then strive to gradually increase this time to half an hour. When this temperature is mastered, you can go out into the colder open air.

Walking in the fresh air has a beneficial effect on the health and condition of the nervous system. It is advisable to walk for at least 1 hour, the pace of walking is chosen individually. When hardening at an ambient temperature of 5-10 degrees and below, you need to help your body by performing any exercises. Running, race walking, and skiing are useful. We dress according to the weather, sportswear.

Sun hardening.

Sun hardening(sunbathing) is widely used by each of you in your daily life, and especially if you relax near the river and the sea. The main thing here is a sense of proportion; any extremes are harmful to health. And don’t forget to put a Panama hat on your head, preferably a light one. The recommended time of day for sunbathing in the south is 8-11 and 17-19 hours, in central Russia 9-13 and 16-18 hours. Initially, it is recommended to sunbathe for no more than 15 minutes, especially for those with fair skin. By gradually increasing the duration of sunbathing by 5-10 minutes, you can reach 2-3 hours, but you should take a break of 10-15 minutes every hour. Another caution: eating an hour before and after these procedures is also not recommended.

Walking barefoot.

Barefoot– this is another method of hardening, no worse than a contrast shower, dousing with cold water, etc. All these methods cannot be compared because they affect the body differently. It is very useful to walk or run barefoot on the ground at least once a day, or better yet twice, morning and evening. And in summer, and in winter, and in the off-season, in any weather - all year round. What does this give?

Firstly, actually hardening. First of all, resistance to colds increases, since the feet are reflexively connected to our six tonsils. By cooling our feet, we harden our throat. But the tonsils are an immune shield that stands in the way of many diseases.

Secondly, barefooting helps revitalize internal organs. After all, the zones of the feet are not only reflexively, but also energetically connected with all systems of our body. Therefore, barefoot walking is beneficial for diseases of the liver, eyes, stomach and pancreas, intestines, heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.

Thirdly By standing barefoot, we release accumulated static electricity.
Usually you can start barefoot walking without special preparation (although in winter it is still advisable to pour cold water on your feet for two to three weeks before walking barefoot on the floor). In summer you can walk as much as you want. In winter, for starters, it’s better to just step on the snow and immediately return. Then very gradually increase the time, guided by your feelings. By the end of the first winter, it is advisable to bring it to 2-5 minutes.

In severe frost, it is better to walk or run, since if you stand still, you may get frostbite at first. Upon return, wash your feet only with cold water. It is impossible to describe the feeling of revitalization and renewal, especially strong in the first months of classes. This is joy and goodness, a special kind of ecstasy.

Under the influence air hardening,hardening with water And sun rays the body's resistance and endurance to changing environmental conditions increases: immunological resistance to diseases increases, thermoregulation mechanisms improve, and the state of nervous processes is balanced.

If you start hardening starting tomorrow, you have a chance to start moving towards a healthy lifestyle one day faster!

First of all, I want to say that it is impossible to determine which type of hardening is definitely better and where it is better to start. Because All methods and methods, from air hardening to water hardening, have different effects on the human body.

Based on personal experience I can say that contrast shower is perfect for beginners. If it's hard to start, try pouring cold water on your feet.

In a word, try and look for the most optimal options and practices for yourself. The main thing is without fanaticism!

Publication date: Mar 13, 2009 Author of articles: admin

It has long been known that systematic implementation of hardening activities has a beneficial effect on our body: it increases its resistance to various infections, strengthens the immune system, improves metabolism, increases efficiency, etc. Depending on the nature of the external influence, there are three main components healing hardening effect on the human body:

• Hardening with water,
• Air hardening,
• Sun hardening.

When hardening, the following rules should be observed:

1. Graduality in changing the conditions and duration of activities and in their dosage. The first air baths and water procedures should be carried out in warm conditions, subsequent ones - with a gradual, stepwise, smooth decrease in air and water temperature.
2. Systematicity. Hardening activities and water procedures should be regular, day after day, as well as strength training in fitness and bodybuilding.
3. Sleep with the window open, avoid overheating.
4. Accustom the body to systematic exposure not to one cold stimulus, but to successive temperatures of varying intensity.
5. A variety of hardening agents. Long-term use of just one stimulus for hardening purposes significantly increases the body's resistance to that stimulus alone. Therefore, it is necessary to include the systematic application of both cold and heat stimuli of varying intensity, using air, water and solar procedures.

Hardening training should be carried out with full consideration of individual characteristics and health status, with self-control and medical supervision.

Air hardening

The influence of air on physiological processes comes down to training the heat-regulating apparatus, enhancing metabolism, strengthening the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

The degree of exposure to air depends on a combination of its physical properties:

• a) temperature,
• b) humidity,
• c) speed of movement.

The hardening effect is achieved when the air temperature differs significantly from the skin temperature.

This type of hardening includes not only air baths, but also frequent, prolonged exposure to air.

The first air baths should be taken at a temperature of 20-26°, then at a lower temperature - 14-20° and cold - 14-0°. The place where they are received should, if possible, be protected from immediate direct exposure to sunlight.

When using aerial hardening training, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. The duration of the bath is determined by how you feel; if chills appear, it should be stopped.
2. Before the bath, you need a light warm-up, rubbing your arms and torso.
3. Air baths are good to combine with a set of daily exercises and walking.
4. It is not recommended to take baths earlier than one and a half/two hours after eating.

People who are tempered by air for a long time can take baths even at extremely low temperatures - below 0° for 15-20 minutes.

Water hardening

By temperature effects water procedures are divided into:

• hot with water temperature above 40°,
• warm - 32-40°,
• lukewarm - 24-32°,
• cool - 16-24°
• and cold - below 16°.

Hardening the body with water includes:

• rubbing,
• dousing,
• bathing.

Rubdown- the simplest and most accessible method of water procedure is performed with a wet towel or sponge. After this, wipe dry with a terry towel.

At dousing water should flow throughout the body. After the procedure, wipe dry.

Shower has a strong beneficial effect on the body. Afterwards, you should also dry yourself thoroughly.

Bathing very useful in open waters. The procedure not only hardens, but also develops strength and endurance.

When hardening with water you should remember:

1. Procedures should be started with warm water and constantly lower its temperature. A healthy person can start rubbing at 20-22°, reducing the temperature by approximately 1-2° in steps of 2-3 days. When the water temperature is brought to room temperature, you can proceed to douches and showers.
2. The best period to begin the complex water hardening process is summer.
3. Water treatments are not recommended immediately after intense work with sweaty skin.
4. The duration of the procedure is 2-3 minutes.
5. After the procedure, you must thoroughly dry and rub large muscle groups with a towel.

Sun hardening

Solar radiation in a moderate dose has a positive effect on various physiological processes in the body: it helps improve the activity of the heat-regulating apparatus, strengthens the skin, enhances the activity of the hematopoietic organs, and improves metabolism. The main biological effect is caused predominantly by ultraviolet rays.

It is better to take dosed sunbathing with your head covered. The optimal time for this procedure is the first half of the day, in the range from 8 to 12 hours.

You should not sunbathe less than one and a half/two hours before eating and the same time after it. The dosage of the bath is individual. It depends on the state of health, age, dose of solar energy and radiation and is determined by the doctor.

Excessive use of solar radiation is harmful to the body and can cause sunburn or stroke.