The principle of tempering the body. Hardening: types, principles, means and methods

The question of increasing the protective forces of the human body lies at the basis of almost all of world medicine. The principle of hardening is a system of methods for influencing the natural factors of the environment on the body. If we believe doctors, as a result, we will get a person with a high level of resistance to the effects of unfavorable factors. Over a thousand years ago Avicenna included information on hardening in the practical chapters of his "Canon of Medical Science". He suggested bathing newborns in cold water, as well as preparing travelers for a difficult journey in the hot desert and winter snowstorm.

The principle of hardening was also read in Russia: the monk Nestor wrote about how babies were hovered in a bath and dipped in an ice hole! Quenching procedures were performed during the first 4-6 weeks of the child's life, and then repeated in cases of illness. The people of Yakutia are recommended to wipe the children with snow from birth, and the Caucasians - to pour ice water.

Even now, modern doctors, having studied the hygienic principles of hardening, confirm that these procedures increase the resistance of the human body to all kinds of colds and infectious diseases. Thus, hardening procedures are the most powerful remedy given to us by nature itself.

Hygienic principles of hardening

The main commandment of Hippocrates "do no harm" is true not only in classical medical practice, but also with hardening procedures. So do not mindlessly follow the fashion for a healthy lifestyle and from a running start dive into an ice hole unprepared person. Remember that every human body is unique, therefore, before you begin hardening, you must choose a technique that will be tailored to your individual characteristics. To do this, you need to know what is relevant to the basic hygiene principles of hardening.

First of all, study the reaction of your body to hardening, and in fact to stressful factors. When immersed in cold water, your skin first fades (this is due to the contraction of the blood vessels), then blushes (the vessels dilate) and finally turns blue (which indicates the absence of a smooth muscle tone of the blood vessels), resulting in a feeling of chill. The first reaction is called weak - it is insufficient for the appearance of the effect of hardening. The second reaction is average, which is exactly what we need, excessive reaction prevents the processes of adaptation of the organism.

Proceeding from this, the basic principles of hardening are:

• Psychological training. The processes of thermoregulation of the human body, its immune responses largely depend on the psychological mood. So, if you are sure that if you are in cold water, you will immediately get sick, so it will be!
• Systematic. Zakalivanie - this is not a procedure that can be done from time to time. In this case, it is better not to start at all! Optimal hardening should be done daily. Long breaks (2-3 weeks) will negate all your efforts and benefits.
• The principle of pulsating temperatures. The most common cause of catarrhal diseases is a sharp temperature drop. Thus, your main task is not immersion in the coldest possible water, but the transition from hot water to cold water. Each time, you should increase the temperature range.
• Graduality. Quenching can be represented as the effect of the lowest possible temperatures or as the effect of low temperatures for the longest period of time. Start with a decrease in temperature (say 15 ° C for 1 minute), during the second procedure, you pay more attention to the exposure time (15 ° C for 5 minutes), the third time again lower the temperature (13 degrees for 1 minute ) etc.
• Individual approach. This most important principle of hardening is based on the fact that each person has his own reaction rate: someone should start procedures from 15 ° C and bring them to 3-5 ° C, and the other - from 20 ° C to 10 ° C.
• Complexity. As you know, different parts of the body have a different level of sensitivity to temperature changes. In addition, water, air and other elements have a different cooling effect on the body.
• In addition, hygienic principles of hardening also include the principle of optimality of dosing procedures (taking into account age and physiological characteristics) and versatility (it can be started at any time of the year and under any weather conditions).

Hardening means

Strangely enough, but the main means of hardening is available to anyone who wants. To mobilize the body's defenses, it is enough to constantly keep the room temperature at 18 ° C. This temperature level provides a constant tone of skeletal muscles and supports the activity of the cerebral cortex. When the temperature rises to the room, the body overheats, the latent process of sweating begins.

Also useful is a contrast shower, clothing that meets current weather conditions and stuff. These measures represent a general hardening. Principles and means of hardening allow you to keep the body in good shape and provide an average level of resistance to infections.

To maintain immunity at a consistently high level of general hardening is often not enough. Local hardening includes the impact on local areas of the body, in the first place it's brushes and feet. On these surfaces there are many temperature, sensory and reflex zones, the irritation of which positively affects the general state of the body.

Helpful Hints:

• Wash your hands with cold water.
• Do not rush to wear gloves with the first signs of cold snap.
• Walk more often barefoot (for an apartment, a yard, a beach, grass and even snow).

Principles and methods of hardening

Depending on the procedures you have chosen, several methods of hardening are distinguished: aerializing (taking air baths), heliotherapy (exposure to sunlight), hardening with water (not always extremely low temperatures) and some others that are much less common in practice in Europe And the CIS. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, as well as nuances of application and contraindications.

Air quenching

Air baths have long been considered an excellent means of strengthening the immune system for people, regardless of their age and health status. The principle of air quenching is that air masses of a certain temperature have a complex effect on the entire surface of the human body.

Begin the reception of air baths experts recommend in a ventilated room at rest or in motion, first releasing the body from clothing. At the first procedures, the air temperature should be 15-20 ° C for 20-30 minutes. If you feel a chill, do not stop the procedure - make several vigorous movements with your hands, legs, body. Over time, try to lower the temperature to 10-12 ° C and bring the exposure time to 2 hours. Take air baths better in the morning, combining them with gymnastics.

Within a week of regular procedures, you will feel improvements in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, thermoregulation. In addition, a beneficial effect will affect the work of the nervous system - there will be cheerfulness, poise, sleep will improve.

Quenching with water

Water, perhaps, is the most popular means of hardening, and often the only one. So, many people, taking a decision about hardening, immediately begin to pour ice water, eventually get at best a cold disease. The basic hygienic principles of hardening suggest that you should start gradually and taking into account the individual characteristics of your body. Start by wiping your body with a damp towel, then a contrast shower and only after that you can try to dip into an ice hole.

Helpful Hints:

• Before taking water procedures, the body should be pre-heated by physical exercises.
• Do not try to increase the length of time in cold water, better gradually reduce its temperature.
• The air temperature should not be below 18 ° C at the beginning of hardening.
• The best time for hardening is the first morning hours after awakening.

It is better to start hardening at the end of summer or early autumn with a temperature of 30-35 ° C. And then you should lower the temperature by 1 ° C in 3-5 days of daily procedures.

The first stage of hardening is wiping with a damp towel. The water must be warm at the same time, the temperature of the air is not lower than 20-25 ° C, and the duration of the procedure should not exceed 5 minutes.

After 2-3 weeks you can proceed to dousing. But keep in mind that people who have cardiovascular diseases, as well as people older than 60 years, this procedure is contraindicated. Beginning of douche follows from a water temperature of about 30 ° C for 3-5 minutes. Then you need to rub the skin with a hard towel until light redness. By the way, it improves microcirculation of blood in the skin, which leads to the destruction of cellulite, stretch marks and subcutaneous fat, and also plays the role of quality peeling. When the body gets used to the action of cool water, try to move to fresh air and continue dousing there.

In winter, with a significant decrease in the temperature of the air on the street, go to the water procedures in the shower. Start again with a temperature of about 30 ° C, the exposure period of 1-2 minutes.

Another popular type of hardening is a contrast shower. He removes both physical and moral fatigue, invigorates. Depending on the total body hardening, the temperature range can be from 5 to 20 ° C.

The principles of hardening also include combination and moderation. So, you can combine tempering with water, air and sun, plunging into open water. But, of course, one should not forget about hygiene: the reservoir must meet sanitary standards.

Winter swimming as a method of hardening

This type of hardening is associated with the largest number of myths and complexities, as well as failures and colds. However, the devil is not so terrible as he is painted! With the right and systematic winter swimming, you will strengthen immunity and nervous system, increase efficiency. But remember that such hardening also has a number of serious contraindications:

• Acute and chronic infectious diseases;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• Diseases of the nervous system;
• All forms of tuberculosis.

If you carefully observe all the principles of hardening, no problems arise. First, we need to start not in the Epiphany frost, but in October. Before dipping, do a light workout, warm up. Stay in the water should be reduced to a minimum - plunged and immediately go out. Then they rubbed the body with a towel, quickly dressed and again an easy warm-up.

Winter swimming is contraindicated to combine with alcohol, but the perfect hot tea. If you have already become a guru in the sphere of winter swimming, go to the next step - rubbing with snow. After picking up a handful of snow, you only rub (!) The upper half of the body with energetic movements.

Hardening by heat

Not only low temperatures are stressors for the body. To heat also need to be able to adapt, as well as to cold. The main and practical only means of hardening to heat is a sauna or a bath. The principles, means and methods of hardening by cold are analogous to hardening by heat.

But the effect of quenching bath procedures is much more diverse: elimination of toxins, rejuvenation of the body as a whole and skin in particular, treatment of joint diseases, strengthening immunity, treating chronic respiratory diseases, eliminating cardiovascular pathologies, normalizing blood pressure, increasing the tone of the nervous system and Much more. And another bath is an excellent assistant in reducing weight.

The healing and quenching effect depends on the type of bath that you choose. Russian (wet) bath is a combination of high humidity and low temperature. The optimal time of presence in the steam room is 10 minutes. The effect will increase the traditional bath massage with a broom. But remember, this procedure is contraindicated for people with endocrine diseases and heart and vascular diseases.

A Finnish sauna is a higher temperature, but a low humidity. Its effect on the body is much softer, there are fewer contraindications, and the health effect, in particular, hardening, is almost equal to the Russian bath.

Helpful advice:

• After the steam room, take a cold shower or dip into the pool with cool water - your body will say thank you.

Tempering by the sun

The principles of tempering the body include the complexity of factors, one of which is ultraviolet solar radiation. Sunny baths always start with reflected light, then go to scattered light and only after that you can take direct sun baths. The optimal time is the morning hours: 7-10 hours in the subtropics, 8 - 11 hours in the temperate latitudes. Start the procedure in early spring with 10-15 minutes, gradually increasing their duration. In addition, try to refrain from sunbathing in the range of 2-3 hours from eating. Given the gas contamination of the atmosphere in large modern cities, solar hardening within the city does not do any good - you will have to move out of the city or at least retire to a strip of green spaces (park, square, etc.).

Helpful Hints:

• When tempering the sun, do not forget to cover your head - be sure to use a hat or other headdress.
• It is useful to combine sunbathing with light physical exercises.

Note!

• None of the types of hardening can not combine alcohol.
• Refrain from smoking in the range 1-2 hours from the hardening procedure.
• Having chronic diseases, consult your doctor about quenching.
• Intensive physical exercises will reduce the effect and benefit of the hardening procedures.
• Coffee creates additional stress on the cardiovascular and nervous systems during hardening.
• You can begin tempering from the first days of your child's life, but after consulting with a pediatrician.
• Hardening gives a greater effect on your health, if you combine it with a healthy lifestyle.
• If for any reason you have suspended the tempering procedures, they should be renewed from an earlier stage.
• The basic principles of tempering are gradualness and consistency - start with small - winding, walk in the fresh air and contrast shower.

And a little about the shortcomings

People engaged in tempering, boast at every corner of their excellent health and immunity. However, after a few years the situation changes - and now they are again in the ranks of ordinary mortals with a permanent cold all winter. So what's the matter, you ask? It's simple - in everything you need to know the measure! It's one thing - a second dive into the ice hole from time to time (this really increases immunity), and quite another - a winter swimming for several minutes and a photo session in swimming trunks against the background of drifts. Overcooling reduces immunity, contributes to the activation of chronic diseases and the acquisition of new ones.

In that case, is it so useful for hardening? The types, principles and methods of the chosen procedures fully determine the effect for the organism. Choose species based on your health and physical abilities. You should not sit with hypertension for hours in the steam room or dive into the hole, it will be more reasonable to pour, sunny and air baths.

In addition, systematic is very important - do not wait for an instant result. Only after a few months of hard work you will notice that you have become less likely to get sick and feel better. And trying to speed up the effect, you most likely will only harm yourself and will be disappointed in hardening altogether.

Principles of tempering children are no different from adults, except for the fear of a newly mum. Your kid is not afraid of drafts and cold water until you start to wrap it up and thereby kill his immunity. But you also need to know the extent: considering that children have a thermoregulation system that is not yet developed, it is not worth dipping a two-week-old crumb into an ice hole. And of course, before you begin to temper the child, consult a specialist (it is not always your district pediatrician - not all doctors are supportive of tempering).

Medical specialists agree that hardening is a complex, undoubtedly, useful for health procedures, but it is necessary to approach them judiciously and without fanaticism.

Be young and healthy!