Hardening the body, basic types and principles. Hardening (methodology and types of hardening)

Hardening is a system preventive measures aimed at increasing the body's resistance to adverse factors environment. These procedures help develop immunity and improve thermoregulation. Hardening is considered one of the most reliable and available ways to keep healthy.

Principles

When hardening the body, you must adhere to several principles:

Procedures can only begin when the person is completely healthy. At the same time, it is important to get rid of accumulations of microbes in the form of inflamed tonsils, diseased teeth, festering wounds, etc.
Hardening should be done consciously. The effectiveness of any hardening procedure depends, first of all, on a positive psychological attitude and interest in it. It is important that the procedures only cause the person positive emotions. If you feel unwell after the procedure, you should immediately stop hardening and consult a doctor.
The process must be systematic and carried out without long breaks at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions and other factors. In case of a break, you need to resume the process with more gentle procedures.
It is necessary to adhere to the principle of gradualism. This applies not only to temperature conditions, but also to the time frame of procedures. The intensity and duration of procedures should be increased gradually.
It is also important to take into account individual characteristics and health status, natural and climatic conditions, time of year and other factors. Hardening has a powerful effect on the body of any person, especially a beginner. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor first. He will help you choose the right system of hardening procedures, taking into account the patient’s age and condition.
When performing hardening procedures, constant self-control is important. Don't forget to rate yours general health, blood pressure, pulse, appetite and other indicators that depend on your individual characteristics.
Maximum effectiveness is achieved by using a wide variety of procedures that reflect the entire complex of natural forces.
Hardening should be carried out using a variety of aids. All kinds physical exercise, games and sports entertainment are perfectly combined with hardening procedures. All this will help increase the body's resistance without getting used to the same stimulus.

Benefit

Hardening the body - effective remedy health promotion. It represents a kind of training of defensive forces and their preparation for rapid mobilization in critical situations. The basis of any of the hardening procedures is the systematic impact sun rays, heat or cooling. This leads to the gradual formation of adaptation to the external environment, as well as the improvement of the functioning of all body systems.

In addition to directly strengthening the body and increasing its defenses, hardening also has a positive effect on the following organs and systems:

has a beneficial effect on the nervous system;
increases muscle strength;
improves blood circulation;
normalizes blood pressure;
improves metabolism;
increases endurance and performance;
improves a person’s mood, gives him vigor and increases the tone of the whole body.

A hardened organism, even in conditions of strong fluctuations in ambient temperature, is able to maintain temperature internal organs within very narrow limits. That is why a hardened person can more easily tolerate sudden changes in weather conditions, critical changes in air and water temperatures, as well as stress and unfavorable living conditions.

The main preventive value of hardening is that it does not cure the disease, but prevents its occurrence. And at the same time, it is suitable for almost any healthy person, regardless of his age and degree of physical development.

Types of hardening

Depending on the procedures performed, hardening can be divided into several types:

Aerotherapy. It includes long walks fresh air and air baths. Fresh air acts by cooling the skin receptors and nerve endings of the mucous membranes, thereby improving the body's thermoregulation. Such hardening has a positive effect on the psycho emotional condition, improves immunity and enriches the blood with oxygen, which helps normalize the functioning of almost all organs and systems of the body.
Heliotherapy is sun hardening, that is, influencing the body with heat and sunlight. Such procedures increase stability nervous system and resistance to infections, improve blood circulation, accelerate metabolic processes, normalize the muscular system and have a tonic effect on all functions. Heliotherapy should be carried out gradually and take into account age, health status, usual climatic conditions and other factors.
Hardening with water. It activates the process of blood circulation, delivering to all organs and systems of the body the necessary nutrients and additional oxygen. There are several types of water hardening: dousing, showering, rubbing, therapeutic bathing and winter swimming.
Walking barefoot. There are many biologically active points on a person’s feet, which, when walking barefoot, are stimulated and help normalize the performance of many organs and systems. This hardening builds immunity and increases resistance to colds and other diseases.

Introduction

What is hardening

Hardening is a set of measures to increase the body's resistance to the effects of adverse weather and climatic conditions. Hardening is a kind of training of the body's defenses, preparing them for timely mobilization. Hardening procedures normalize the condition emotional sphere, make a person more restrained, balanced, they give vigor, improve mood. Hardening increases the performance and endurance of the body. A hardened person can easily tolerate not only heat and cold, but also sudden changes in external temperature, which can weaken protective forces body.

According to yogis, hardening leads to the merging of the body with nature.

The interpretation of hardening in relation to a person is given in the definition given by V. Dahl in the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language”. V. Dahl believed that to harden a person is “to accustom him to all hardships, needs, bad weather, to bring him up in severity.”

The author of the book “On Hardening the Human Body”, published in 1899, the famous Russian physiologist Academician I. R. Tarkhanov, defining the essence of hardening, wrote: “Russian speech resorts to the word “hardening” or “hardening” when applied to the body by analogy with the phenomena observed on iron, became when they were hardened, giving them greater hardness and durability.”

The famous Russian pediatrician, an active supporter of hardening, G. N. Speransky, considered hardening as cultivating in the body the ability to quickly and correctly adapt to changing external conditions.

The most important preventive role of hardening is that hardening does not cure, but prevents the disease. Hardening can be used by any person, regardless of the degree of physical development.

From the history of hardening

As a means of increasing the body's defenses, hardening arose in ancient times. In ancient cultures of the world, hardening was used as a preventative measure to strengthen the human spirit and body.

In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, great attention was paid to hardening and body hygiene. In these civilizations there was a cult of health and beauty of the body, therefore hardening was included in the system of physical education as an integral part.

Hardening in these countries pursued both the goal of improving health and developing a person’s ability to endure all kinds of hardships. According to Plutarch, the hardening of boys in Ancient Sparta began from a very early age. From the age of seven, they were raised in public houses in very harsh conditions: they were shaved bald, forced to walk barefoot in any weather, and naked in the warm season. When children turned 12, they were given a cloak that they had to wear all year round. They were allowed to bathe with hot water only a few times a year. And in their mature years, people had to observe these customs.

In Sparta, much attention was paid to the physical education of women. Like men, they “also practiced running, wrestling, throwing discus and javelin, so that their bodies would be strong and strong and so that the children they bore would be the same,” writes Plutarch. “Hardened by such exercises, they could more easily endure the pains of childbirth and emerge healthy.”

For the Ancient Romans, the most important hardening agent was the bath. The Roman baths, or baths, were spacious and roomy buildings, built from the best types of marble (the baths of Diocletian (505 - 506) accommodated 3,500 bathers).

The thermal baths had rooms for undressing, gymnastic exercises and massage; there was a hot bath, pools with warm and cold water, showers, and sand and mud baths were successfully used. On the roofs of many thermal baths there were platforms for sunbathing.

Hardening was recommended as a preventative measure by such prominent ancient scientists as Hippocrates, Democritus, Asklepiades, etc.

Hippocrates wrote: “As for the state of the weather for every day, cold days strengthen the body, make it elastic and flexible.”

Hardening factors include exposure to sunlight. The healing effects of the sun were well known in Ancient Egypt, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the walls of ancient temples. The first doctor to recommend the use of sunbathing for therapeutic purposes was Hippocrates.

In Ancient China, disease prevention and health promotion were of a state nature. “The wise man,” said the “Treatise on the Internal,” “heals the disease that is not yet in the human body, because using medicine when the disease has already begun is the same as starting to dig a well when a person is already thirsty, or forge a weapon when the enemy has already begun the battle. Isn't it too late? The most important means of hardening were considered physical exercise, water procedures, solar irradiation, massage, therapeutic exercises, and diet.

In ancient Indian medicine, a number of different exercises were used to increase endurance, such as yoga, aimed at maintaining and strengthening health, achieving moral and psychological balance. Based on the doctrine of three “organic liquids” (bile, mucus, air) and 5 cosmic elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether - the source of light), the ancient Hindus defined health as the result of their uniform displacement, the correct performance of vital functions of the body , normal state of the senses and clarity of mind. Therefore, the efforts of doctors were aimed at balancing the disturbed ratio of liquids and elements. The use of water in Ancient India for the purpose of strengthening human health is stated in the sacred Hindu books “Vedas”: “The flow of water is healing, water cools the heat of fever, it is healing from all diseases, the flow of water brings you healing.”

In Rus', hardening was widespread. “Russians are a strong, strong, hardy people, able to easily endure both cold and heat. In general, in Russia people are healthy, living to a ripe old age and rarely getting sick,” wrote Adam Olearius, secretary of the Holstein embassy in Moscow.

The Slavic peoples of Ancient Rus' used a bathhouse followed by rubbing with snow or swimming in a river or lake at any time of the year to improve health. The bathhouse performed therapeutic and health-improving functions. Particular attention was paid to hardening in the Russian army, where the Russian bath was also widely used for “strength and health of the body.”

The views of Russian doctors, writers, and scientists on the role of hardening in strengthening human health were based on the recognition of the determining role of environmental factors in the life of the body, its dependence on the conditions in which it exists and develops. They played a leading role in the development of the hardening technique and its scientific basis. Thus, A. N. Radishchev, in his work “About Man, His Mortality and Immortality,” published in the 18th century, wrote: “Everything affects a person. Its food and nourishment, external cold and warmth, air and even light itself.”

Principles of hardening

Hardening is the skillful use of perfect physiological mechanisms of protection and adaptation of the body created by thousands of years of evolution. It allows you to use the hidden capabilities of the body, mobilize protective forces at the right time and thereby eliminate the dangerous influence of unfavorable factors on it. external environment. Hardening must be carried out using the following mechanisms.

Systematic use of hardening procedures

Hardening of the body should be carried out systematically, day after day, throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions and without long breaks. It is best if the use of hardening procedures is clearly fixed in the daily routine. Then the body develops a certain stereotypical reaction to the applied stimulus: changes in the body’s reaction to the effects of cold, which develop as a result of repeated cooling, are fixed and preserved only under a strict regime of repeated cooling. Breaks in hardening reduce the body's acquired resistance to temperature influences. In this case, there is no rapid adaptive response. Thus, carrying out hardening procedures for 2 - 3 months, and then stopping them leads to the fact that the hardening of the body disappears after 3 - 4 weeks, and in children after 5 - 7 days. If signs of the disease appear, hardening is temporarily stopped; after recovery, it should be resumed from the initial period.

Air is the environment that constantly surrounds a person. It comes into contact with the skin - directly or through the fabric of clothing and with the mucous membrane respiratory tract.

An important and exclusive feature of air procedures as a hardening agent is that they are available to people of all ages and can be widely used not only healthy people, but also suffering from certain diseases. Moreover, in a number of diseases (neurasthenia, hypertonic disease, angina) these procedures are prescribed as remedy. This type of hardening must begin with developing the habit of fresh air. Walking is of great importance for improving health.

The hardening effect of air on the body helps to increase the tone of the nervous and endocrine systems. Under the influence of air baths, digestion processes improve, the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems improves, and the morphological composition of the blood changes (the number of red blood cells and the level of hemoglobin increases). Staying in the fresh air improves the overall well-being of the body, influencing the emotional state, causing a feeling of vigor and freshness.

The hardening effect of air on the body is the result of the complex effect of a number of physical factors: temperature, humidity, direction and speed of movement. In addition, especially on the seashore, a person is influenced by chemical composition air, which is saturated with salts contained in sea water.

Based on temperature sensations, the following types of air baths are distinguished: hot(over 30C), warm(over 22C), indifferent(21-22C), cool(17-21C), moderately cold(13-17C), cold(4-13C), very cold(below 4C).

It must be borne in mind that the irritating effect of air has an effect on skin receptors the more sharply, the greater the difference in temperature between the skin and air.

Cool and moderately cold air baths have a more pronounced effect. By taking increasingly cooler air baths for the purpose of hardening, we thereby train the body to low temperatures external environment by activating compensatory mechanisms that provide thermoregulatory processes. As a result of hardening, first of all, the mobility of vascular reactions is trained, acting as a protective barrier that protects the body from sudden changes in external temperature.

Warm baths, while not providing hardening, nevertheless have a positive effect on the body, improving oxidative processes.

Air humidity, combined with fluctuations in its temperature, can have different effects on the body's thermoregulation processes. The intensity of moisture evaporation from the surface of the skin and lungs depends on the relative humidity of the air. In dry air, a person can easily tolerate a much higher temperature than in humid air. Dry air causes the body to lose moisture.

Air mobility (wind) is also important when taking air baths. The wind affects the hardening organism due to its strength and speed, and its direction also matters. It, by helping to enhance heat transfer by the body, increases the cooling power of the air.

Air procedures for the purpose of hardening can be used either in the form of a clothed person staying in the open air (walks, sports activities), or in the form of air baths, in which a short-term effect of air of a certain temperature occurs on the naked surface of the human body.

a) Walking in the air.

They are held at any time of the year, regardless of the weather. The duration of walks is set individually for each person depending on their state of health and age. An increase in walking time should be carried out gradually, taking into account both the listed factors and the degree of fitness of the body, as well as air temperature.

It is advisable to combine time in the air with active movements: in winter - skating, skiing, and in summer - playing ball and other outdoor games.

b) Air baths.

They prepare the body for subsequent hardening procedures, for example, hardening with water.

The dosage of air baths is carried out in two ways: a gradual decrease in air temperature and an increase in the duration of the procedure at the same temperature.

You should start taking air baths in a room, regardless of the time of year, at a temperature not lower than 15-16 C, and only after some time you can move to the open air. They are taken in a well-ventilated area. Having exposed your body, you should remain in this state at the beginning of the hardening course for no more than 3-5 minutes (further increasing the time). When taking cool and especially cold baths, it is recommended to perform active movements: gymnastic exercises, walking, running in place.

After appropriate preliminary preparation, you can proceed to taking air baths in the open air. They should be taken in places protected from direct sunlight and strong winds. It is necessary to start taking air baths in the open air at an indifferent air temperature, i.e. 20-22 C. The first air bath should last no more than 15 minutes, each subsequent one should be 10-15 minutes longer.

Only seasoned people can take cold baths. Their duration is no more than 1-2 minutes, with a gradual increase to 8-10 minutes.

Taking air baths in the open air should begin no earlier than 1.5 - 2 hours after meals and finish hardening 30 minutes before meals.

An important condition for the effectiveness of outdoor hardening is wearing clothing appropriate to weather conditions. Clothing should allow free air circulation.

Hardening is a system of measures that increase the body’s resistance to sudden changes in meteorological conditions. It is achieved through rational influence on the body of cold, heat and radiant energy through the use of natural factors: air, water, solar radiation.

Modern performance about the physiological essence of hardening is based on the teachings of I.P. Pavlov about conditioned reflexes. As a result of the systematic influence of cold and thermal stimuli on receptors embedded in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and in the skin, the body gradually adapts to sharp fluctuations in meteorological conditions due to the formation of temporary connections that contribute to the development of the most appropriate response.

The basic principles of hardening are gradualism, systematicity and complexity.

The principle of gradualism consists of influencing the body with loads of increasing intensity, for example, gradually lowering the water temperature and increasing the duration of the procedure.

Systematic principle provides for the need to carry out hardening activities daily. Typically, the effect of the measures taken is clearly visible after 1.5-2 months. With long breaks between hardening activities, the developed temporary connections fade away.

The principle of complexity consists of training the body with a complex of various means, using all the variety of water and air procedures.

Hardening the body should begin from early childhood, cultivating the habit of hardening procedures and a fearless attitude towards low and high temperature air, different types cooling. However, it is never too late to start hardening. It is necessary to take into account the age of the body, its physiological abilities and individual reaction.

The least intense stimulus is air. Air baths tone the nervous system, train the thermoregulatory apparatus, increase metabolism, improve sleep and appetite. Air hardening is carried out in an open area in summer, and in a well-ventilated area in winter. Hardening begins at a temperature of 20ºC. The first baths take 10-15 minutes, the subsequent ones are extended by 5-10 minutes, bringing them to 1.5-2 hours. The duration of the air bath is adjusted depending on the body’s reaction. The appearance of chills indicates excessive duration. Air baths are best taken in combination with games, walking, and physical education. The use of air for hardening should also be done by wearing light clothing, good ventilation of the room throughout the entire ode, sleeping with an open window, etc.

Hardening water is performed by applying cold rubdowns with a wet towel, pouring cool water up to the waist or the entire body for 1-2 minutes, or taking a shower (mechanical irritation of the nerve endings of the skin with water is added).

Each type of water procedure begins with warmer ones. Rubbing begins with a water temperature of 20-22ºС and gradually reduces it. When the temperature reaches 16-18ºС, they move on to douches and showers. After water procedures, you should wipe your body dry and rub it with a towel until it becomes slightly red. When swimming in reservoirs, a complex of factors influences: temperature and water pressure, air, solar radiation and increased movements of the bather. You can start the swimming season with a water temperature of at least 18-20ºС.

Research by K.M. Smirnov showed that increased heat generation during muscle work changes the functional state of the central nervous system so much that the reaction to external cooling is, as it were, suppressed. Therefore, for greater effectiveness, hardening water procedures should either precede physical exercise or be carried out 15-20 minutes after it.

It is advisable to use local water procedures: mouth rinse tap water and washing your feet with water every day before going to bed. They start with a temperature of 16-18ºС, which is gradually raised to 5ºС.

The best time for hardening sun rays The morning hours are considered to be from 8-9 to 11-12. At this time, the air is less heated, cleaner, and contains less water vapor. The side overheating effect during these hours is the least. Sunbathing should be taken no earlier than 1-1.5 hours after breakfast. The first irradiation should last 5-10 minutes, then increase each time by 5 minutes, bringing the period of exposure to the sun to 1-1.5 hours. The head should be protected with a straw hat or umbrella. You should not tie a scarf or towel around your head, as it makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate and cool your head. After sunbathing, rest in the shade, and then water procedures: dousing, showering or swimming.

When hardening with sunlight is carried out correctly, you feel good, normal sleep, cheerful state, high performance.

Under the influence of hardening using cold irritants, thermal well-being improves, the degree of drop in skin temperature decreases and the time for restoration of the original temperature of the skin area subjected to cooling is reduced; decreases vascular reaction from the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and the level of gas exchange slightly increases.

Hygienic requirements for clothing and footwear. Comparative characteristics natural and artificial materials (porosity, thermal conductivity, air permeability, moisture capacity, electrification, chemical stability).

The main purpose of clothing is to provide thermal comfort for a person in any environmental conditions, it also protects against mechanical influences, bites, protects the skin from dust and microbial contamination, excessive solar radiation, etc.

There are household clothes for children and adults, professional (working clothes), military, sports, hospital, etc.

Physiological and hygienic requirements:

1. Provide maximum underwear microclimate, create a state of thermal comfort;

2. Do not impede breathing, blood circulation and the range of movements performed by a person;

3. Do not have physical and physical properties harmful to humans chemical properties, do not contain toxic chemical impurities released into the environment;

4. Be durable and easy to clean;

5. Have a small mass (up to 8-10% of a person’s body weight).

The air layer adjacent to the surface of the skin is called the subclothing space. Measuring the parameters of the underwear space is a characteristic of the quality of clothing and its hygienic properties.

At an ambient temperature of 18-22ºС, the temperature of the air underneath is 32.5-34.5ºС, relative humidity – 55-60%, carbon monoxide concentration – 1-1.5%.

Natural or chemical fibers are used to make fabrics.

Natural organic fibers are of plant (cotton, flax, jute) and animal (silk, wool) origin. The advantages of cotton and linen fabrics are their high hygroscopicity and good air conductivity. Wool fabrics have high porosity and hygroscopicity, which ensures their low thermal conductivity and good thermal insulation properties. Inorganic (mineral-asbestos) fibers can be used to make workwear.

Chemical fibers are widely used to produce fabrics. They are divided into 2 groups: artificial and synthetic.

Artificial fibers (viscose, acetate) are obtained by chemical processing of cellulose and other materials of natural origin. Viscose fabrics have high moisture absorption. High long-term evaporation of moistened fabric can lead to significant heat loss from the surface of the skin. The hygroscopicity and moisture-holding capacity of acetate fabrics is lower, they can also cause the formation of electrostatic charges when rubbing against the skin.

Synthetic fibers (nylon, nylon, nitron, orlon) have mechanical strength, resistance to abrasion and biological and chemical factors, and antibacterial properties. Disadvantages: low hygroscopicity, as a result of which sweat and other skin secretions are almost not absorbed by the fibers of the fabric, but accumulate in the air pores, disrupting air exchange and reducing the thermal insulation properties of clothing. As a result, at high ambient temperatures conditions are created that promote overheating of people, and in conditions of low temperature influences - hypothermia. In addition, the chemical components of synthetic fabrics can have an irritating and allergenic effect.

Currently, the concept of a set of clothes includes: underwear (layer I), suits and dresses (layer II), outerwear (layer III).

Hygienic requirements for shoes are to protect feet from mechanical influences, shocks and uneven soil, from cold and getting wet. Shoes should not contribute to overheating and excessive sweating of the feet, disrupt their functions, or restrict freedom of movement. Shoes should be soft, light, comfortable to wear, and suitable for weather and working conditions. Narrow and tight shoes lead to foot deformation: first, thickening and abrasion of the skin appear, then the soft parts and bones of the foot are deformed. Tight shoes contribute to ingrown nails, increase foot sweating, lead to the development of flat feet, impair blood circulation, which contributes to faster cooling of the feet, leading to colds.

The best material for sewing shoes is genuine leather. It is elastic, moderately breathable, has low thermal conductivity, does not release harmful chemicals into the shoe space, and does not irritate the skin. Patent leather is completely airtight, so these shoes are not suitable for everyday wear.

The optimal temperature for maintaining thermal balance is considered to be a temperature inside the shoe space of 18-22ºС, with a relative air humidity of 40-60%. Preference as a material for the sole is given to microporous rubber, which provides good thermal protection at any air humidity. To make shoe uppers, artificial materials coated with protective plasticized PVC films are used. In many respects, porous artificial leather is close to natural leather. However, at temperatures below 10 and above 35, PVC shoes do not provide thermal comfort.

In the summer, you should wear well-ventilated types of shoes: sandals, sandals.

Shoes should be selected according to the size and configuration of the foot. It is important to take into account that while walking, the volume of the foot increases due to the flattening of the arch, as well as due to an increase in blood supply. Properly selected shoes should be 1-1.5 cm longer than the foot in a standing position.

A small heel (2-4 cm), moderately increasing the arch of the foot, promotes walking and reduces muscle fatigue. Excessively high heels lead to the body's center of gravity moving forward, which causes excessive stress on the ligaments of the foot and lower leg muscles, leading to excessive fatigue and injuries in the ankle joint.

Hardening is a set of special training that is aimed at strengthening the body's defenses. Such procedures help increase adaptation to environmental conditions. In addition, hardening increases endurance human body, improves the functioning of the nervous system, increases immunity. Let's consider the basic principles and types of hardening.

The benefits of hardening the body

Hardening procedures are generally aimed at improving health. They are based on periodic exposure to sunlight, cooling and heat. In addition to directly strengthening immune system, hardening has a positive effect on other systems and organs:

normalizes the functioning of the nervous system;
makes muscles stronger and more resilient;
improves blood circulation;
normalizes blood pressure;
accelerates metabolic processes;
increases performance;
gives vigor, improves mood;
tones.

It is important to know! The main function of hardening is not to cure a certain disease, but to prevent its occurrence.

Main principles of hardening

No.	Principle	Meaning
1.	Regularity	Hardening the body should be carried out daily, and not occasionally. Regardless of weather conditions, mood, etc. There should be no long breaks.
2.	Gradualism	The body should not be immediately exposed to excessive stress. The strength of hardening procedures and their duration should be increased gradually. You should not start training your body by swimming in an ice hole or actively rubbing it with snow. This will only harm your health.
3.	Subsequence	Health-improving procedures should not be chaotic. Preliminary preparation consisting of more gentle manipulations is needed. Just like in sports - first warm-up, then the actual training.
4.	Individual approach	Before you start hardening your body, you need to consult a doctor. Not all procedures are universal. Individual characteristics of a person should be taken into account.
5.	Complexity	Hardening should be carried out in combination with moderate physical activity, proper nutrition, adherence to the daily routine. Then it will give a positive result.

Important! The most important thing in hardening is the psychological attitude. Procedures should bring pleasure and evoke positive emotions.

Basic methods of gradual hardening

There are several means of promoting health. Let's consider all possible hardening options.

Air baths

Aerotherapy increases the body's resistance to sudden changes temperature. Air baths should begin with regular and thorough ventilation of the room. In cold weather, it is necessary to open the window, do not close it until the temperature in the room drops by 2 degrees. Gradually this indicator should be reduced to 5.

Regardless of weather conditions, you should ventilate the room for 15 minutes before going to bed. Gradually you will get used to sleeping with the window open, but only if there are no drafts.

Daily walks in the fresh air should be an integral part of every person's daily routine. This factor does not depend on age. This helps improve health in the following aspects:

Increased tone of the nervous and endocrine systems.
Improvement of the digestive process.
Improving the functioning of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. During walks, the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood normalizes.

Daytime naps in the fresh air are also very beneficial. You can set up a sleeping place on the balcony, in the garden, or in a room with a wide open window.

Note! For infants, air baths are a mandatory daily procedure. You should completely undress the baby for 20-30 minutes.

Cold water swimming for adults

It is better to start water hardening in the summer with contrast shower. You should pour your feet first, gradually moving upward. The procedure must be completed by pouring cold water over the body. And swimming in reservoirs should be combined with physical exercise.

The highest type of water hardening is winter swimming. You need to start preparing for swimming in an ice hole in the summer, and don’t stop swimming in the fall. Then the body will gradually get used to low temperatures - you will be able to swim in an ice hole in winter without any problems. .when winter swimming you must adhere to the following rules:

before swimming in an ice hole, you need to warm up your body by jogging;
enter the water with pleasant thoughts about good health;
do not try to set a record for the duration of stay in the ice hole; you should be comfortable while swimming;
You need to swim at least once a week;
if your fingers are too sensitive to cold, it is better to hold your hands above your head while diving;
After the procedure, you need to get dressed, then warm up by jogging.

Walking barefoot

Located on human feet a large number of biologically active points. While walking without shoes, they help stimulate and normalize the functioning of many organs and systems. In addition, walking barefoot increases resistance to colds.

Note! You can walk barefoot at any time of the year: on sand, grass, dew, snow.

Ivanov method

Porfiry Ivanov is a famous philosopher who created his own vision of health and immortality, which he adhered to throughout his life. His technique was extremely popular in the Soviet Union. The essence of hardening according to Ivanov is to comply with the following rules:

You should bathe in cool water 2 times a day. This can be done in a pond, bathtub, or by dousing. Each warm bath should be finished with a douche of cold water.
Before and after cold dousing, you need to stand with your bare feet on cool ground or snow.
Completely stop drinking alcohol and smoking - they kill the body, making hardening procedures ineffective.
Avoid eating food from Friday evening until noon on Sunday in favor of spiritual health. If you can’t stand it for such a long time, you should hold out for at least 24 hours.
After fasting on Sunday, you need to go outside barefoot. Inhaling clean air, you need to thank nature for your health, then you can start eating.
You need to treat everything around you with love, greet people you meet along the way, wish them well-being and health.
Always help those in need. And this must be done from the heart. Good always comes back.
Eradicate from yourself such negative traits as greed, anger, hypocrisy, fear, pride.
Forget about thoughts of death and illness.

Porfiry Ivanov made a whole philosophy out of hardening; he was convinced that the hardening process consists not only of physical actions, but also of putting thoughts in order.

Rubdowns for beginners to avoid freezing in winter

Rubbing can begin at childhood. First, the procedure consists of rubbing the entire body with a damp towel - it should be soaked in water at 37 degrees. Then you should reduce it weekly by 1 degree. The wiping procedure itself should not exceed 5 minutes. After wet wiping, you need to wipe the body dry until slight redness appears on the skin. Rubbing, like swimming with dousing, is best started in the summer.

Rice. 1 – scheme for using a contrast shower

Sunbathing for the body

When exposed to direct sunlight, the body receives the necessary portion of vitamin D. Sunbathing should be taken from 9 to 11 in the morning or from 17 to 19 in the evening. This will help avoid sunstroke and burns.

Proper hardening in a bath

The bathhouse is an excellent hygienic, therapeutic and preventive remedy. The popularity of couples is growing every year. Bath procedures help relieve emotional stress, increase defenses against colds and infectious diseases, improve blood circulation, remove toxic and other harmful substances from the body.

The optimal stay in the steam room is no more than 10 minutes. A traditional broom massage can enhance the effect. After the steam room, be sure to take a hot shower or plunge into the pool.

Contraindications to hardening procedures

You cannot begin hardening procedures in the following cases:

During illness or immediately after recovery. A weakened body is still vulnerable and can hardly bear any load.
Sunbathing is contraindicated for people with dermatitis, low hemoglobin, and increased nervous excitability. Also, you should not be in the sun if you have an open form of tuberculosis, diseases of cardio-vascular system, malaria. If you have such illnesses, you should also not go to the bathhouse.
It is forbidden to start hardening a child during the period when the baby has just begun to walk. kindergarten or school. In this period children's body adapts to new conditions, may be vulnerable, weakened.