The rational use of water procedures in combination with physical activity and proper nutrition can keep the body in good shape. It’s not for nothing that contrast douches and baths are often included in the list of recommendations for losing weight.
How does water affect the body? Cold water reflexively causes a temporary narrowing of the peripheral skin vessels (they contain 30% of human blood), which entails the distillation of blood into the internal organs and brain, which receive additional nutrition and oxygen during this time. Therefore, it is recommended to wash your face and hands with cold water 3-4 times during the day. When we talk about hot water, we mean a temperature higher than body temperature, and when we talk about cold water, we mean lower.
Cold water is not always good for the body. Scientists have proven that if you drink
food with ice water, then its residence time in the stomach is reduced from 4-5 hours
up to 20 minutes. In this case, the body simply does not have time to get enough
and the feeling of hunger worsens again, which threatens to become overweight.
What are the types of water procedures?
Hydrotherapy procedures are divided into general and local. General ones have an effect on the entire surface of the body. These include baths, all types of showers (circular, contrast, regular, Charcot shower), rubdowns, swimming in the pool and natural reservoirs.
Local water procedures have a direct effect on a limited area of the body. These can be local medicinal baths for individual parts of the body (arms, legs), rising showers, wet compresses, vaporization and lotions. At home, the most acceptable are general and local baths, contrast and regular showers, as well as a variety of compresses and lotions.
Losing weight with water
The most affordable ways to lose weight with water are contrast showers, saunas and general baths. Cool moisture has a tonic effect on the body, which increases energy consumption for heat production, and therefore accelerates the burning of subcutaneous fat. There is also an excellent cosmetic effect - prevention of wrinkles. Hot water opens the pores, allowing them to be cleansed of impurities and the body of toxins. Metabolism is normalized, processes of lipid tissue breakdown are activated.
When applied locally, water acts exactly where it is needed, activating the breakdown of fats in problem areas. For these purposes, hydromassage and local baths are successfully used.
A diet on ice water is also dangerous because putrefactive processes can begin.
in the intestines, since food is not completely digested. To avoid unpleasant
consequences, it is necessary to avoid cold drinks before and after meals.
Their optimal temperature is room temperature
Hot or cold?
Rapid changes in water temperature cause microstress, which helps to activate all functions, improve blood circulation, metabolic processes, strengthen tissues and, in particular, skin. The short-term action of alternately cold and hot water increases the body’s tone: it relieves fatigue, lethargy, drowsiness, and clears up memory.
To cheer up, a short (2-5 seconds) cold shower is recommended, which can be used to complete the bathing procedure. However, for people with increased nervous excitability, as well as those suffering from rheumatism and radiculitis, cold water can be harmful. Most often these procedures are done in the morning. In the evening, take a warm shower so as not to provoke insomnia.
Expert: Galina Filippova, general practitioner, candidate of medical sciences
Natalia Karpova
Water procedures can be general or local.
General affect the entire skin of the body. These include various baths, wet wrapping, cold, contrast and hot showers, and wiping.
Local They only affect certain areas of the skin. These are foot baths, hand and pelvic. Rising shower, rubbing and wrapping various parts of the body, as well as compresses.
Bathing times vary depending on the temperature. Cold baths (temperature below 20°) are recommended to be taken for no more than 5 minutes. Cool ones (temperature 23-33°) are taken for up to 10 minutes. Indifferent (temperature 34-35°) can be taken for up to 40 minutes. Warm (temperature 36-37°) are taken for up to 20 minutes. Hot baths (temperature 38° and above) should be taken for a maximum of 5 minutes.
There is no need to immerse yourself in the bath up to your chin. It is enough for the water to cover only the nipples. Otherwise, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of heaviness in the chest may appear.
Application of water procedures
Contraindications
Circulatory disorders II and III degrees.
Atherosclerosis with damage to the vessels of the brain and heart, vascular embolism and fresh thrombosis.
Angina pectoris with regularly recurring attacks.
Hypertension III degree.
Malignant formations.
Benign tumors.
Active forms of tuberculosis.
Predisposition to bleeding.
Various infectious diseases.
Glaucoma.
Weeping eczema.
Second half of pregnancy.
Cachexia.
Indications
Cold procedures stimulate the cardiovascular system, have an antipyretic effect on the body, and increase the overall resistance of internal organs. They need to be carried out in the morning and afternoon. In the evening, they are contraindicated, as they have an invigorating and tonic effect on the body.
Classification of water procedures
General dousing
The body is completely doused with water. This procedure must be carried out daily, gradually lowering the water temperature by 1°. At the beginning the temperature should be 34°, at the end of the course 20°. The entire course consists of 20 procedures. After dousing, you need to rub yourself with a towel until the skin turns red. General dousing perfectly tones the skin, has a beneficial effect on metabolism and strengthens the body.
Local douche
Cold water (15-20°) is poured over individual areas of the body. With excessive sweating, vasomotor disorders, dilated veins, the hands and feet become wet. The back is poured during a neurasthenic state.
Cold compress
Take a napkin, fold it into several layers, moisten it in cold water, wring it out and apply it to a certain area of the body. When it warms up, it is replaced with another napkin. The duration of the entire procedure is from 30 to 60 minutes. It is used for headaches due to high fever, bruises, and nosebleeds.
Shower
The most effective is a contrast shower. This is alternating cold and hot water. At the same time, the capillaries either contract or expand, which has a beneficial effect on the skin. It becomes elastic and fresh. But such a shower is contraindicated for cardiovascular diseases. A warm shower has a calming effect. And a cold shower improves metabolism. After a contrast and cold shower, you need to rub yourself with a towel until your skin turns red.
Cool bath
It is best to take it in the morning before meals. The water temperature should be 28°. Duration of reception is 2 minutes. Then the body should be vigorously rubbed with a dry towel. This is an excellent hardening and tonic.
Warm bath
The water temperature should be 36°. Duration of reception is 15 minutes. After the bath, you should take a short shower with a water temperature of 33°. Then wipe off with a dry towel. A warm bath normalizes functional disorders of the nervous system.
Contrast bath
Take two containers. One is filled with hot water with a temperature of 42°, and the second is filled with cold water with a temperature of 14°. A person sits on a chair and immerses his feet first in hot water for 45 seconds, and then in cold water for 20 seconds. This operation is repeated 6 times.
Finish in a container with cold water if necessary to induce a tonic effect. If a calming effect is required, then the legs are lowered into warm water for the last time. At the end of the procedure, you need to vigorously rub your feet. A contrast bath helps with insomnia, sweaty feet, skin diseases and varicose veins.
Water procedures have an effective preventive component. Regularly using water for medicinal purposes, you can significantly increase the overall tone of the body, strengthen it and get rid of many diseases.
In most cases, the cause of many diseases is weakened immunity. Perhaps the most effective way to strengthen the immune system is hardening. We have already talked about hardening with the sun and air. Today we will talk about water hardening. Summer is the most favorable period for this, allowing you to use all types of water procedures, including swimming in open water.
Since ancient times, our ancestors used a bathhouse followed by rubbing with snow or swimming in a river or lake to improve health, regardless of the time of year and weather.
It is known that Pushkin was very fond of taking ice baths in the morning, preferring hardening to expensive medicines and consultations with the “luminaries” of medicine of that time. And the most famous “walrus” of our country was the great scientist Pavlov, who swam in the Neva in any weather.
Doctors consider hardening to be a type of physical education and advise children to be taught it from early childhood, thus preventing the occurrence of various diseases, especially the common cold among preschool children.
Constant hardening of the body with cold, in particular cold water, leads to the fact that in the event of unexpected hypothermia, a protective reflex is triggered, preventing the occurrence of colds and more serious diseases associated with them. In addition, water is an excellent stimulant for the cardiovascular, circulatory and respiratory systems.
You need to start hardening with water with the simplest procedures. First of all, you must accustom yourself to washing your face only with cold water. This seemingly simple and safe procedure has several stages. The water should not be initially icy: your body may not like it. At the first stage of hardening, let the water temperature be no lower than room temperature, that is, approximately 20-22 degrees. Gradually lower the water temperature either by 1 degree every day or by 2 degrees every 2-3 days. As a result, you should get into the habit of washing your face with cold tap water.
The second stage of water hardening is to learn how to gargle with cold water painlessly for your body. Again, start with warm water, gradually lowering its temperature.
The third stage of hardening the body using hydrotherapy is wiping the body with a sponge, mitten or towel moistened with cold water. When wiping, the water temperature should also be reduced gradually. Start with 25 degrees and, daily lowering the water temperature by 1 degree, bring it to cold. After each wipe, wipe the body dry with a terry towel. When performing this procedure, it is very important to follow the order of wiping. First you need to wipe your hands, starting with your palms, then your neck, chest and back, ending with your feet.
The next, fourth stage is hardening the legs. There are several ways to harden your legs with water. Start with the simplest things. Every day before going to bed, immerse your feet in a basin of water for 1 minute. At first, the water should not be very cold. It is best if its temperature is 25 degrees. Daily increase the duration of the procedure by 1 minute, while simultaneously lowering the water temperature by 1 degree. As a result, your feet should be in a basin of water drawn from a tap for 10 minutes without any discomfort. And do not forget to rub your feet with a terry towel after completing this procedure.
This method of hardening your legs with water is no less effective. Pour warm water (about 35 degrees) into one basin, and cool water into the other, but not lower than 15 degrees. Alternately immerse your legs in one or the other basin. It is recommended to start the procedure by immersing your feet in a basin of hot water, and ending with immersing your feet in cold water. At the same time, keep your feet in hot water for about 1 minute, in cold water - no more than 30 seconds.
At first, the total duration of this procedure should be approximately 5 minutes. Gradually increase the temperature difference by lowering the cold water temperature. Lowering it by 1 degree every day should result in you being able to keep your feet in water with a temperature of 5 degrees without any discomfort. At the same time, increase the duration of immersing your feet in cold water to 3 minutes. At the end of the procedure, be sure to dry your feet with a towel.
Only after you have accustomed your feet to the cold can you move on to the fifth stage of hardening with water - dousing the whole body. Start by pouring cool water from a basin. This procedure will be as follows. Stand in the bathtub, fill a basin with cool water and quickly pour water from the basin onto yourself, directing the stream to the top of your head. At first, you need to limit yourself to one douche. Over time, the procedure will include an increasing number of douches.
The water you will douse yourself with should not be immediately cold. First accustom your body to dousing with warm water. A temperature of 30 degrees is fine to start with. Lower the water temperature by 1 degree every day, gradually bringing it to 5 degrees. Do not under any circumstances neglect rubbing your body with a soft terry towel after this procedure. Avoid hypothermia in the next hour after the end of the douche. The best time for the procedure is during the day or late evening.
When your body gets used to regular douches,
You can start hardening by taking a contrast shower. A contrast shower involves alternately pouring warm and cold water over the body. There are several rules, if you follow which you can be completely sure that hardening in this way will not harm your body.You need to start taking a contrast shower with warm water, the temperature of which will be equal to your body temperature. Then you have to adjust the water tap so that the water temperature drops slightly. After standing under cool water for 10 seconds, switch the tap back to warm water. The time for pouring hot water is not limited. Stand under the hot water until you are warm and feel ready to continue dousing with cold water. You need to finish the contrast shower with cool water, after which you need to rub your body dry with a towel.
Every two days, lower the temperature of the cold water by 1-2 degrees, bringing it to a minimum that will not cause discomfort to the body. Gradually increase the time you take a cold shower from 10 seconds to 2 minutes. At the same time, increase both the total duration of the procedure and the time of taking a cold shower, bringing it from 10 seconds to 2 minutes. The total duration of the procedure should also gradually increase from 5 to 20-30 minutes.
Under no circumstances should you rush to lower the water temperature and reach the lowest point in a short time, experiencing discomfort. Remember that the main principle of hardening is gradualism. Please also note that a contrast shower can only be taken by a person who is not currently suffering from a cold. You cannot start hardening if you have a cold: the body, weakened by the disease, will not withstand the additional load, which can aggravate the disease, causing various complications.
Contrast showers have a beneficial effect on the human body. However, its impact is not uniform. Firstly, taking a contrast shower relaxes the body, restores the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, stabilizes the functioning of the nervous system, and strengthens the immune system. All these processes occur due to the effect on the body of alternating cold and warm water. While taking a shower, when the drops fall on the shoulders and back, the effect of a collar massage is created, which is an excellent means of preventing and treating diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Secondly, a shower has the ability to invigorate and lift your spirits. Therefore, it is recommended to take a contrast shower in the morning to get into a working mood after sleep.
Thirdly, this procedure is an ideal treatment for abscesses and muscle tightening, which is especially important for women.After your body gets used to regularly taking a contrast shower, replace it or supplement it with a cold shower. The technique of taking a cold shower is similar to a contrast shower. Your task is to gradually lower the temperature of the water and increase your stay under its invigorating streams. Start with a water temperature of 30 degrees, lowering it by 1 degree every day and bringing it to 5 degrees. Gradually increase the time you take a cold shower from 20 seconds to 5-7 minutes.
Now you have to master cold baths. The first step in mastering this procedure will be to take a bath with warm water (the kind you take every day). Lower the water temperature by 1 degree every day. There is no point in increasing the bath time, since initially you will choose the amount of time that suits you. After taking a cold bath, you need to rub your body well with a terry towel and wipe it dry.
Do not forget that a hot bath cannot be completely replaced by a cold one. Cold water strengthens the body's immune system, but only hot water can cleanse the body of dirt and bacteria. Therefore, ideally, you should take either a hot bath or a warm shower some time after taking a cold bath.
Once you have mastered the cold bath technique, you can eliminate rubbing, dousing, and foot baths, since these procedures are only used as the initial stages of hardening with water.
A variation of the hydrotherapy hardening method is barefoot walking. The best time to start it outside the home is, of course, in the summer. Make it a rule to regularly walk barefoot in your summer cottage. Walking barefoot in the morning dew, as well as on the grass after rain, is especially useful. In the city, you can use a square or stadium as a place to walk barefoot.
In cold weather, you can continue walking barefoot at home by making a simple exercise machine. Place small smooth pebbles in a single layer into a wooden box (you can bring sea pebbles from the south), moisten the pebbles with water and trample on them for 10-15 minutes. Perform this procedure morning and evening.
Tempering water procedures also include swimming in an open body of water in the warm season. From the very beginning, the time spent in water should not exceed 3-5 minutes to prevent hypothermia. Gradually, the duration of bathing can be increased by 2 minutes. The maximum recommended time spent in open water should not exceed 25-30 minutes.
After leaving the water, you need to rub your body with a towel and do some simple physical exercises to warm up.When hardening, you need to constantly move in the water, otherwise the body will quickly cool down and chills will appear. The best form of movement in water is swimming. If you don’t know how to swim, you can jump in the water, play some water games, and do simple gymnastic exercises.
Hardening with sea water is very useful. Studies have shown that it has greater thermal conductivity and heat capacity than fresh water. This means that when swimming, sea water absorbs much more heat from the body, thereby increasing the cooling effect many times over. Therefore, hardening of this kind is more effective. True, in order to avoid hypothermia and the appearance of chills, the duration of stay in sea water should be less than in running water.
It is recommended to start sea swimming at a water temperature of 20-25 degrees and at an air temperature of at least 20 degrees. It is best to take sea baths in the morning. Swimming in running water, like swimming in a pool, perfectly tones the nervous system, and sea bathing, in addition to everything else, has a mechanical (hydromassage with waves) and chemical (the effect of salts dissolved in sea water) effect.
Try not to stop swimming in open water until late autumn. Hardening procedures performed at home will help you with this, especially rubdowns and contrast showers. In winter, swimming in open water can be replaced by swimming in a pool. However, having received good training over the summer, you will be able to take up winter swimming.
Winter swimming is one of the best ways to increase immunity, and also prevents premature aging,
Many people ask themselves the question: “Is it possible to protect yourself and your children from colds?” "Can!" - answer people who advocate hardening the body with water and who like to swim in icy water. By exposing your body to water procedures, a person gets rid of diseases such as tonsillitis, bronchitis and various forms of ARVI.
The benefits of hardening the body with water
Hardening with water procedures not only serves as a prophylactic against colds and viral diseases, but also helps to restore all impaired functions of the body, primarily the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, and the mental state of a person.
Modern comfortable living conditions help weaken a person’s ability to adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions, reduce the body’s resistance to weather changes, hypothermia, infections, etc. And as a result, the number of people susceptible to frequent diseases, which often become chronic, increases. Therefore, doctors are increasingly recommending resorting to the most accessible way to strengthen the body. – hardening of the body.
The benefits of hardening have been well known since ancient times. And we are all, as a rule, his supporters. But, unfortunately, most often theoretically. But in practice, there is a lack of determination, everyday worries overcome, and there seems to be no time for hardening procedures. But hardening the body is one of the easiest ways to avoid many ailments, which often result in serious complications. And you can start it at any age, at any time of the year.
But it should be borne in mind that hardening procedures will only become effective if they are carried out systematically. Without constant reinforcement, the results achieved decrease. Their effectiveness increases with complex use, a combination of general and local effects. You cannot sharply increase the intensity of hardening procedures, this may have the opposite effect – cause hypothermia and cause illness. You should not start hardening the body during an illness and for some period after it. The procedure should not become a forced act; positive emotions are needed to achieve results.
The main principles of hardening the body with water
General cool and cold water procedures contribute to the release of a significant amount of heat from the body, and the loss is greater the colder the water and the longer the procedures. It has been noticed that the greatest heat loss occurs in the very first minutes of hardening, and later this process slows down. Repeated use of cold water creates suitable conditions for the development of reactions that reduce heat transfer and increase heat production in the body, that is, it helps metabolism and promotes the formation of a new portion of internal heat in the body.
The initial water temperature during hardening water procedures should be indifferent, allowing it to be tolerated without irritation. During water procedures, sudden irritations from ice water are avoided to prevent stress.
Methods of water hardening of the body
If you decide to turn to hardening for the first time, then you can start with the simplest – wiping with cold water.
Rubbing usually begins with the hands, upper torso,
and after 2 weeks they begin to wipe the entire body.
In the future, the procedures are gradually brought to the point of dousing with cold water.
Rubbing is usually done in the evening before bed or immediately after waking up. Use a slightly wrung out towel, mitten or sponge.
Pouring hardening method
After several months of rubbing with cold water, you can gradually move on to dousing. To begin with, you can use water at a temperature of 20–25 °C, gradually lowering it by 1–2 °C. The procedure should be carried out before bedtime. Just like rubbing, this hardening procedure begins with the hands, moving on to dousing all the limbs completely, the torso and finally the whole body.
One of the initial procedures is dousing the feet. First, cold water is poured on the limbs, and after a month of hardening, you can stand with your feet in a basin with cold water, increasing the time of the procedures by a few seconds each session and bringing it up to 3 minutes. Then it is more effective to reduce the water temperature by 1 °C, bringing it to 14 °C, leaving the bathing time the same.
In the future, this method can be slightly complicated: to do this, you need to place a shower with strong pressure of cold water on the bottom of the bath and imitate walking in the stream of water for 2 minutes. By placing a mat with rubber spikes on the bottom, you can massage the reflex zones of the feet associated with all internal organs, which will make the procedure more effective. Pouring the feet can be combined with rubbing. This has a tonic effect on the entire body, accelerates metabolic processes, and improves blood circulation.
Rubbing is carried out with a mitten made of hard, preferably ribbed fabric (for example, a waffle towel or canvas fabric), with water at a temperature of 20–23 ° C. Wetting and squeezing the mitten, rub the body in a circular motion in the direction from the peripheral areas to the center. You can enhance the positive effects of rubbing by adding iodized salt to the water (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water), thus creating the effect of sea water. After wiping one part of the body, you must immediately rub it with a dry towel until you feel warm. The procedure is best carried out in the morning, and the air temperature should not be lower than 18 °C.
After water procedures, be sure to rub the cooled parts of the body with a warm terry towel until they turn red.
Walking on water as a way to harden the body
One of the most ancient types of hardening is barefoot walking. Its roots go back to Ancient Greece, where barefoot walking was a cult. In scientific medicine, this type of hardening with water procedures was proposed in the 19th century. hygienist Sebastian Kneipp. He said that, in combination with dousing, walking barefoot on dew, wet stones, and snow is very effective in preventing various diseases.
It is best to start this procedure in the summer, since at this time it is possible to walk barefoot on the ground and morning dew. After about 1 month, the procedure intensifies. They step into a basin of cold water with one or the other foot alternately, as if imitating walking in one place.
Subsequently, the water level is raised from the ankles to the knees, and the hardening exercise itself is done in a bathtub or river with cool water.
After walking on water, the feet are doused with water at room temperature and vigorously rubbed with a towel.
Showering is an effective method of water hardening
A contrast shower with alternating water of different temperatures is also used. Starting the procedure with water at a temperature of 35–37 °C, it should be completed with water at a lower temperature. At first, the difference should fluctuate between 2–4 °C, followed by an increase in contrast. Over time, after the body has fully adapted, the water temperature at the final stage can be reduced to 18–20 °C. This procedure energizes, stimulates the nervous system, increases the body’s resistance to hypothermia, and helps strengthen the functioning of the circulatory, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
In its action, the shower is similar to douches, except that during douches contrast of temperatures is not used, but water of the same temperature is used, with its daily decrease from the initial 33–34 °C to 20–22 °C. To carry out the procedure, a person gets into the bath, after which he is doused with water. You can douse yourself for 2–3 minutes. After dousing, you need to rub the body with a dry, rough cloth until the skin turns pink.
Cold shower as a method of hardening the body. This hardening procedure is considered very strong and effective and requires preliminary preparation. A shower with medium water pressure is used; to begin with, the temperature should not be very cold, 33-35 °C is enough. Then the temperature is gradually lowered, and the shower time is increased to 2 minutes.
If the person being hardened is sufficiently prepared, after physical exertion and to relieve stress and fatigue, take a so-called contrast shower. Its peculiarity is that cold and warm water are used alternately with a temperature difference from 5-7 to 20 ° C. In winter, the water temperature during hardening should be significantly warmer than in summer.
Swimming in open water as a way to harden the body
This is one of the most effective methods, since the temperature regime is combined with the influence of sunlight on the entire body evenly, as well as with swimming, which helps strengthen the nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular systems and form motor skills.
The swimming season is usually considered open if the water temperature in the reservoir reaches 18 °C. From once a day, by the end of summer, they gradually move on to swimming at intervals of 3-4 hours (breaks for lunch and rest).
The best hardening effect from the point of view of the body is produced by swimming in sea water due to the increased content of salts, which cause a slight gentle chemical effect on the skin. A combination of thermal effects with mechanical ones (wave movement) is also useful.
When swimming, you need to focus on your health and avoid hypothermia and chills. Cooled skin no longer gives the proper reaction, and instead of warming up, freezing occurs, causing irritation of the nervous system (often accompanied by convulsions), general weakness, etc.
The feet and nasopharynx are the most sensitive to cold and are susceptible to colds. Therefore, it is necessary to devote maximum time to hardening these parts of the body with water. People who gargle with ice water and soak their feet suffer less from the flu, runny nose, and sore throat.
An effective method of hardening the body with winter swimming
And finally, the most extreme type of hardening the body with water is winter swimming in open water. But this method requires prior consultation with a doctor and long-term systematic preparation. The preparatory stage lasts 2–3 years. During the first year, procedures such as wiping, dousing, and contrast showers are practiced with increasing intensity, i.e., the temperature of cold water is brought to a minimum. The subsequent period includes cold showers, cold baths and rubbing with cold water, standing in the snow, as well as walking on soft snow.
These procedures themselves have a powerful effect, and if they are successful, you can proceed to the next stage – swimming in early spring and late autumn in open reservoirs with a water temperature of 16–18 °C. 33 This stage should last at least 2 years. And when your body is strong enough, you can begin winter swimming. Bathing time should not exceed 1 minute, since staying in low-temperature water causes sharp deviations from the norm: blood pressure rises, pulse and breathing quicken, and body temperature decreases. This method of hardening with water also affects the state of the nervous system. Therefore, only absolutely healthy people can use it.
An absolute contraindication to winter swimming is
- hypertension,
- atherosclerosis,
- chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases, etc.
In addition, this type of hardening is contraindicated for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, since winter swimming, being a strong stress for the whole body, enhances the function of the adrenal glands – the most important endocrine gland, which can result in their complete depletion and intolerance to stressful situations. Scientists have proven that people who engage in winter swimming are resistant to colds to the same extent as those who systematically harden themselves using traditional methods.
A staunch promoter of water hardening was the Austrian doctor Sebastian Kneipp. To prove the healing power of water, he decided to swim in the Danube River in winter, suffering from pneumonia. And indeed, the effect of ice water turned out to be beneficial, and S. Kneipp recovered. Although it is not recommended for anyone to repeat this procedure without preparation.
Hot water hardening method
Since you can harden with water not only cold, but also hot, let’s take a closer look at this type of hardening. Hot water is no less useful. Under the influence of increased temperature and humidity, oxygen consumption increases and, accordingly, the body gets rid of carbon dioxide. The lungs expand and begin to breathe with their entire surface. The processes of skin respiration also intensify, which manifests itself in strengthening the elasticity and turgor (hydrostatic pressure in the cells) of the skin.
For those who do not tolerate cold water well, we can recommend the hot method. In this case, the naked body is rubbed with hot water and (unlike cold rubdowns) is not dried. When drying naturally, water evaporates from the skin, cooling it. But it should be borne in mind that the hotter the water, the more intense the cooling occurs, so the water temperature should be increased gradually.
Swimming as a way to harden the body
The difference in air and water temperatures in a pool (open body of water) provokes a natural hardening of the immune system. In addition, water hardening creates a natural cooling effect that prevents overheating. The aquatic environment has a gentle effect on muscles and ligaments, preventing sprains, due to the fact that the liquid environment takes on the weight of the body. At the same time, the caloric expenditure required to cover 1 km in the pool is equivalent to 4 km of running or fast walking.
One of the most effective methods today is hardening by swimming. Not many people know that this hardening technique involves swimming treatment. It can be recommended even for people with weakened immune systems: after illnesses, pregnant and lactating women, etc.
What are the benefits of hardening by swimming?
Hardening with water while swimming prepares the body for further physical exercise on land. It trains correct breathing, uniform inhalation and exhalation. By immersing the face in water, a person necessarily breathes with all his lungs, which prevents air from stagnating in the lower part of them. Swimming trains flexibility and increases the elasticity of ligaments and tendons. Intense movements of the legs and arms develop the hip joints, which are usually inactive and do not receive proper load in a modern city dweller, as well as the triceps muscles (back surface) of the arm.
It is recommended to start hardening by swimming once a week for 15-20 minutes and, in the absence of contraindications, gradually increase the training time to 30 minutes 3 times a week. It is recommended to precede exercise in water with a very light warm-up on land. It can last no more than 1-2 minutes and include light squats, swinging legs to the sides and back and forth, and bending. Too intense preliminary exercises before hardening by swimming can provoke a sharp increase in body temperature, which can lead to a weakening of cardiac activity when suddenly immersed in water.
How is the body hardened by swimming?
When hardening by swimming, it is necessary to ensure that the upper and lower parts of the body receive the same load. Swimming therapy will help strengthen your leg muscles. To do this, it is recommended to swim on a board from time to time, turning off your hands from the swimming process. Those who are more prepared can wear fins.
Special exercises performed in the part of the pool where the water reaches from the waist to the neck will also help.
Stand up straight with your arms extended in front of you. Raise your legs alternately, trying to reach your toes 10-15 times with each leg.
March in the water, raising your knees high, for 5-10 minutes.
To train the upper body, you should try to keep your legs in a state of relative rest; you do not need to make fast and sudden movements with them. Hardening by swimming will be much more effective if you additionally use physical exercises. The following physical exercises can be recommended.
Bend your elbows, spread your knees. Make vigorous movements with your arms, as if swimming, while maintaining balance. Perform 2 sets of 15 - 20 times.
Holding the support, make circular movements with your body left and right. Perform 2 sets of 20 - 30 times.
To properly distribute the load when hardening by swimming and to prevent monotony, you can enroll in a water aerobics or water dancing group.
Water procedures- These are hygienic and health procedures that are associated with the external use of water. Water has a very high heat capacity. By comparison, the heat capacity of water is 28 times higher than the heat capacity of air. To better compare these indicators, it should be said that at the same temperature of air and water, our body in water will lose 30 times more heat than in the open air.
Due to the fact that water has a high heat capacity, is capable of exerting a mechanical effect on our body, and also dissolving various mineral salts that enhance its beneficial effects, it is used for medicinal purposes.
Before moving on to the main fundamental features of water procedures, let’s briefly get acquainted with some of their types.
THERAPEUTIC POOL
There are two types of therapeutic pool: open (outdoors) and indoor (indoors). It is filled with either sea water or water with mineral salts dissolved in it. The purpose of the pool is to conduct various types of therapeutic gymnastic exercises (aqua fitness), underwater spinal traction (traction therapy), etc.
HYDRATERATURE BATHS
The action of a hydrotherapy bath is based on the chemical composition and temperature of the bath water. Mechanisms can be used to create artificial water movement. Hydrotherapy baths are:
- mineral
There are also hydrotherapy baths for skin care (cosmetic), with the addition of essential oils (aromatic), etc. One way or another, all hydrotherapy baths are classified depending on the desired result.
THERMES
In other words, baths or thermal (hot) baths. The therapeutic effect is based on the effect of heat on the body, which stimulates sweating processes. This cleanses the skin pores and improves blood flow. In addition, inhaling hot air has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system. Thermal baths can be combined with aromatherapy and a contrast shower or swimming pool. Changing exposure to heat to exposure to cold pool water has a positive effect on the human nervous system and increases tone.
SHOWER
There are many types of shower. Among them it is worth noting Charcot's shower– from a distance of 3-5 meters, a hot stream of water is first directed at a person, and then a cold stream of water. Scottish shower- similar to a Charcot shower, but two hoses are used: one with cold water, the other with hot water. The jets are alternately directed at a person from different directions, thus creating a constant contrast of hot and cold water. This type of shower is only suitable for trained people. Steam shower– a steam generator turns water into steam, which is scattered onto the human body. Shower Vichy– creates the effect of natural rain due to a large number of thin streams of water, which create zones of high ionization on the body. Rising shower– water jets are directed from bottom to top; used in the treatment of gynecological diseases. As can be seen from the above, the therapeutic effect of the shower is achieved mainly due to the contrast in the temperatures of the water jets, due to their strength and frequency.
It's also worth noting wraps, compresses, bathing, dousing, hardening.
Wraps and compresses are based on thermal effects (hot and cold compress, hot and cold wrap), as well as on the property of moist skin to better absorb healing ointments and medicinal substances.
Bathing combines the thermal effects of water (swimming in hot and cold waters), physical activity (swimming movements), and the mechanical effect of water on the body.
Pouring is based on a gradual decrease in the temperature of the water used for dousing. The main purpose of dousing is to prepare the body for water procedures that are more irritating.
Hardening in itself has a beneficial effect on our health. However, you should know that to achieve maximum effect (especially when it comes to longevity), you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. There is no point in hardening yourself if the principles of proper nutrition are not followed, there is no physical activity, and smoking and alcohol are an integral part of our lives. By the way, maintaining a healthy lifestyle concerns not only hardening, but also all other water procedures.
Principles of water procedures
As we already know, there are many different types of water procedures. But in order for all of them to really benefit health, it is necessary to know their basic principles of their implementation. It should be added that all of them are common and universal for any type of water procedures.
- Any water procedure is prescribed as a course
To get results from water procedures, you need to carry them out regularly or in courses, depending on the type of procedure and the desired result. If you carry out water procedures with so-called “swoops”, then there will be no benefit from them, but there may be harm. One water procedure by itself will not have a strong effect and will not immediately bring the desired healing effect, while a course of water procedures has a therapeutic effect due to its systematic effect on the body and its response to the influence. It is important to understand here that even skipping one procedure can negate previously performed ones. Also, you cannot stop water treatments early without good reason. You must be confident in yourself and that you can complete the started course of water procedures to the end.
- The water procedure is carried out at the appointed time
Water procedures are different. For example, water procedures can have both a tonic and relaxing effect. It is better to carry out relaxing water procedures shortly before bedtime, so that your sleep becomes deeper and more sound, and tonic ones - in the morning to get a charge of vigor for the coming day. A hot bath, for example, should not be taken after a meal, especially if the meal was heavy. In general, it is better to carry out any water procedure 45 – 60 minutes after eating. It is not recommended to carry out water procedures after severe emotional overload. Physical overload is also undesirable before water procedures. On the other hand, it is useful to combine hardening water procedures with moderate physical activity.
- Duration of the water procedure
The water procedure, like any other, has its own duration, during which a positive effect on the body is created. Going beyond these limits to a lesser or greater extent reduces the positive effect to zero. But going beyond the limits can also have a negative impact on the body.
For example, let's take the effect of entering cold water. With the external influence of cold water on the body, we may notice that our skin turns pale. At this time, the vessels narrow, and blood from the periphery goes to the internal organs. This state of the body is called primary chills. This is a short-term phenomenon that soon passes. The blood returns to the periphery again, the vessels dilate, and the skin turns red. However, if you remain in the water after this, secondary chills. Unlike the primary chill, which had a positive effect on our body, the second one has already had a negative impact on it. If we often allow secondary chills, we risk acquiring chronic fatigue.
- Water procedures and emotional state
A state of rest is recommended during most procedures. In order for the body to concentrate all its forces on the response to the effects of the water procedure, it is necessary to try to exclude other irritants. Nothing should interfere, distract or cause discomfort during the procedure. After completing the water procedure, you should give yourself some time to rest. It is important to understand that any water procedure is stress for the body, to which it must respond accordingly. Therefore, keeping the body in a calm state during and after the procedure will allow you to achieve a greater therapeutic effect.
- Water procedures and sequence
When practicing water procedures, you should have patience and do everything gradually, consistently. This means that you should not immediately organize a shake-up. Do not think that the faster you start water procedures, the more effective they will be for your body.
For example, you decide to start hardening by dousing with cold water. To do this, you filled a bucket with cold water, went outside into the cold and tipped the entire bucket over yourself. After such a procedure, the average adult, accustomed to “greenhouse” conditions, will, at best, end up with a runny nose; at worst, he will suffer from pneumonia.
It is better to start with rubbing with a wet towel, and then move on to dousing, gradually reducing the temperature of the water. After this, you can start taking a shower, gradually lowering its temperature and increasing the time taken.
Getting the body used to certain water procedures is a long-term process, not a momentary one.
And one more thing: in order to achieve maximum effect, it is advisable to cleanse the skin before starting any water procedure, using, for example, a scrub or peeling.
Warnings and contraindications
When carrying out one or another water procedure, you always need to monitor your condition. The water procedure has a beneficial effect if after it (depending on the type of procedure) you are cheerful and cheerful or calm and relaxed, pain is reduced or completely eliminated.
If headaches, pain in the heart area, insomnia, loss of appetite, fatigue occur, the inflammatory process is activated, pain intensifies - this is a reason to take a number of measures. Firstly, you should reduce the time of the water procedure. Secondly, the interval between water procedures should be increased. If these measures do not lead to the elimination of unpleasant sensations, then you should cancel the water procedures and contact a specialist.
Water procedures also have their contraindications. They can only be determined by a doctor in each specific situation, but by default the general contraindications are: heart attack, stroke, hypertensive crises, infectious diseases, thrombophlebitis.
