When you need to douche with cold water. Dousing with cold water: correctly and with benefit

Hi all! Article "Hardening cold water for Beginners” about the most important thing for the health of each of us - the development of immunity.

1. Hardening of the body is a strengthening of the immune system

Today we will talk about how to start hardening with cold water. As soon as autumn comes and we start sneezing and coughing, many immediately rush to the pharmacy for antiviral drugs and vitamins. After all, everyone knows that the immune system of our body is responsible for resistance to colds and it must be strengthened.

It's no secret that the human immune system can be trained in the same way as muscles. It is only necessary to choose a working technique, which includes hardening with cold water. Many have heard about dousing and wiping, that the "walruses", swimming in the winter in the hole, almost do not get sick.

And a couple of years ago, a story about a Belarusian kindergarten was broadcast on television, where barefoot preschoolers were engaged in exercises in the snow. It seems that such stories should have reassured those who are afraid of catching a cold from similar procedures, however, there are no more people who want to be tempered.

In this article I want to talk about my own experience, which helped to improve health, as well as some basic techniques.

Hardening is the effect on our body alternately of cold and heat. The correct start of hardening is the same alternations, but with a slight difference in temperatures.

2. The benefits and harms of hardening

I remember how a friend recommended to her relative for the prevention of colds, to run every day in the snow or dew around the house. She was already afraid of catching a cold, but the authority of the person was so strong that she tried it and almost forgot about the sore throat.

Another friend told how, on the advice of a doctor, she began to harden her throat, eating a portion of ice cream every day - and cured chronic tonsillitis. Such examples suggested that it is worth gathering together information about how hardening is useful and how it can harm a person. But first I want to remind you what are the indications and contraindications for this.

Rule number 1 Most important:

To determine if you can be tempered with water, consult a doctor.

• - purulent chronic otitis media, acute inflammation upper respiratory tract;
• — serious illnesses of cardio-vascular system with symptoms of decompensation;
• - inflammation of the central and peripheral nervous system;
• — severe illness endocrine system (diabetes, thyrotoxicosis);
• active tuberculosis, pneumonia bronchial asthma;
• — venereal diseases;
• - severe post-burn scars on the skin;
• - exacerbation of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (cholecystitis, peptic ulcer).

But even a completely healthy person should not start water procedures if he has a coronary vascular spasm, there are violations of thermoregulation with vegetative manifestations, cramps in the muscles of the lower leg, cold allergies.

There are no direct indications for hardening of the body, it is carried out only at the request of a person. But in the event that you want to start pouring water on a child, you need to monitor the following indicators:

• - mood (from cheerful to depressed);
• - well-being (from cheerful to general weakness);
• fatigue (normal to constant fatigue);
• appetite (from good to total absence);

- sleep (from calm to constant arousal and sleep disturbances). If the baby does not respond well to procedures for these indicators, you need to reduce their duration or stop completely. Hardening of children can be started almost from birth and the first baths, but this must be done systematically, very slowly increase the duration of exposure to cold and it is better to turn the procedure into a game.

3. A bit of history

Since ancient times, people have been thinking about how to make their body stronger and more resistant to difficult conditions the surrounding world. Even in ancient Rome and Greece there was a cult beautiful body- all Lifestyle in these cultures was aimed at educating strong and healthy members of society.

In Sparta, newborns with defects were thrown off a cliff, and boys were forced to always walk barefoot and almost without clothes to make them more resilient.

In ancient India, the hardening of the Brahmins was part of their religious upbringing, along with the ability to completely control their bodies, and water was considered a cure for almost all diseases.

No less popular was hardening among the Jews, Chinese and Egyptians - in any culture you can find descriptions water procedures to improve health.

And in Rus' for a long time they practiced rubbing with snow or swimming in the river in summer or winter. But one more no less has come down to our days known way- a bath where hot steam is combined with bathing in cool water. The bath helps to cleanse the body, helping to remove toxins from it through sweat, stimulates the work of internal organs.

At the end of the 20th century, the Ivanov system became popular, which offered to swim twice a day in the nearest river or walk barefoot in the snow. He also told how useful for men and women is not only swimming in the cold, but also giving up bad habits and fasting one day a week. His technique found many followers at that time, but over time it was gradually forgotten.

Although it is believed that dousing according to the Ivanov system is suitable for everyone from any age, no one can swim in cold water twice a day, including in an ice hole in winter, without preparation.

4. Hardening the body with cold water for beginners

4.1 Basic rules for beginners

Beginners need to understand , how to start the procedures correctly, because you can’t just decide that tomorrow you start swimming in the hole every day - and the body will easily accept it. Best time year for beginners, when you can try to get used to the cold - summer, and start dousing better with simple washing in the morning with cold water. Before you start cold dousing, you need to remember a few simple rules:

- in order to benefit from the procedures, they can only be done by healthy people, after a flu or a cold it is better to wait 2-3 months;

• - you need to repeat them every day, because the whole positive effect can disappear from breaks;
• - the body must be accustomed to cold gradually;
• - a person must have good health if weakness or malaise appears, everything must be stopped;
• - consult your doctor in advance about your health and check if the cold will harm him;
• - It is better to engage in some kind of sport to enhance the strengthening effect.

It's better to start with contrast shower or pouring over certain parts of the body, such as the legs. And some experts believe that the correct start of water hardening is rubbing with a wet towel, followed by rubbing the skin dry. I will dwell in more detail on the main methods.

4.2 Dousing with cool water

4.2.1 Basic rules for pouring

The most popular method is pouring cool water.

But dousing with cold water is not suitable for beginners, it is better to start with wiping.

It is both general and local. For the first, not only the temperature of the water, but also the air in the room is important: it should not be lower than 23-25 ​​° C. water on the first day is heated to 36 ° C, and reduced slowly - by 1 ° C per week, bringing it to cool (18 ° C). Douches can be replaced with the same cool shower, which can be taken 2-3 minutes a day.

Before starting the douche, it is worth remembering the row important rules:

• - do not pour water on your head because of the risk of a sharp vasoconstriction;
• - do not start with a sharp dousing with cold water, you need to get used to the coolness gradually;
• - kids and old people should not lift weights with water above themselves, so they must resort to the help of outsiders;
• - any drafts in the douche room should be avoided;
• - at any temperature of the water, a person should not experience discomfort.

If there are contraindications for general douche, you can do local hardening of the legs.

It has reflex action for the whole body. Contrasting douches with a change are especially useful. warm water(36 C), to cool (20-25 ° C). You need to finish this effect by rubbing your feet with a dry towel or good massage.

4.2.2 Pouring children

In this way, it is good to harden children, once a month increasing the temperature gap by one degree, until it is 15-20 ° C. The main thing is to do the procedure regularly and do not forget - if the pause in hardening is very long, you will have to start over.

In children, it is better to turn such hardening into interesting game to evoke a positive attitude and overall good reaction. For the first time, this can be done in the bathroom with warm water from a ladle for half a minute.

Its temperature for the first time should not be lower than 36-37 ° C, and it must be reduced very slowly - by 1 degree in 1-2 weeks, gradually bringing it to 28 ° C.

You can’t start with a liquid even at room temperature, it’s easier to make a contrast shower, in which the difference between warm and cool water will be no more than 4 degrees. For example, if you have a shower comfort zone of 36-38 degrees, and make a contrast zone of 34-32 ° C.

Cold and hot shower

4.3 Wiping with a damp towel

4.3.1 How to wipe yourself

Another method is wiping with a damp towel. First you need to wet a large terry towel in water at a temperature of 35-36 ° C, and then wipe your whole body with it. After that, the skin is rubbed with a dry towel until the capillaries dilate and slightly redden. The temperature is reduced by one degree per day and brought to 10 ° C.

For wiping, in addition to a towel, a damp sponge or a soft flannelette glove, which is soaked in fairly warm water (on the first day - 32 ° C), is suitable. It is better to start by rubbing your hands, then go to your back and stomach and finish with your feet. The body is rubbed for 2 minutes, and then wiped dry to a slight reddening of the skin and a feeling of warmth to it. Subsequently, the temperature is reduced every day by 1°C, bringing to 18°C.

4.3.2 Snow wiping

If you decide to wipe yourself with snow, then you need to bring it into the room in a bucket or basin, and then wipe your body with it for 15 seconds. At the same time, the face is wiped with the first handful, the second - chest and the stomach, the third - the shoulders, the fourth - the arms. Gradually, the time can be brought up to 30 seconds. And in a couple of weeks it will be possible to rub even on the street, if the body's reaction to the procedure is good.

4.3.3 Wiping children

It is recommended to rub small children first with a dry towel so that the baby does not have further fear of the procedure. It is better to start with the legs and arms, and then rub the torso. After a couple of days, you can take a wet towel, the water temperature for which for the first time should be 36 ° C.

Then it is gradually reduced (by 1°C in 5 days), bringing to 28°C. The duration of the procedure cannot exceed 2 minutes, it is recommended to do it for babies, starting from 2-4 months. If a child has rashes, chills, diarrhea, exacerbation of colds, it is better to stop rubbing.

4.3.4 Local rubdowns

4.3.4.1 Foot rubdowns

Local rubdowns are usually hardening of the legs, it is recommended for frequent sore throats for reflex action. To do this, the legs to the knees are rubbed with a cool, damp towel for 3 minutes, and then wiped dry.

Start with a temperature of 37 ° C, then lower by a degree per week, bring to 28 ° C. This technique is used to prepare for foot baths, at which the first temperature is also 37 ° C, it is done for 6-8 minutes, and then, lowering it by a degree per week, it is brought to 14 ° C.

Rubdown

4.3.4.2 Rubbing feet

You can also start by hardening your feet, which is useful for those who often have a sore throat. I would like to explain what this method gives: cooling the legs causes a reflex constriction of the vessels of the tonsils of the pharynx, causing a violation local immunity and may contribute to inflammation.

And warming the feet gives blood flow not only to them, but also to the throat, improving its work. lymphatic system. By making our feet more resistant to stress such as cold with contrast douches, we will automatically protect ourselves from colds.

You can start pouring feet with warm water (25-28°C), lowering the temperature by 1°C per month, bringing it to 13-15°C. After each douche, rub the skin on the legs with a towel until it turns red and feels warm.

Stop hardening - pleasant with useful

4.4 What does a cool bath do?

This is a longer, and much more powerful technique, which means that it can only be started by those who have no contraindications. If you do not dare to start with a general bath, you can do a local one, for example for legs , which is useful and no less effective.

To do this, take a bucket or a basin so that you can immerse not only your feet in water, but also your shins to the knees. They start with water at 28-30 ° C, lowering it by a degree per week, for babies under 3 years old it should not be lowered below 20 ° C, for children under 5 years old - 18 ° C. The procedure in children is carried out for 15-30 seconds, adults can be in cool water for 2-4 minutes.

General baths at 38 ° C are recommended even for newborns, if warm water is added, it can be taken up to 12 minutes. With this procedure, not only the temperature is reduced by a degree in 5 days, bringing it to 30 ° C, but also the duration of stay in it is reduced to 6 minutes.

Bathing in a river or lake in the warm season can be equated to a bath. Babies under 3 should not do this, but after reaching this age they are often taken to the beach.

It is worth remembering that letting the child into the water is allowed only when the air temperature is above 25 ° C, and the water is 23 ° C. But even then, children should not be allowed to sit in the water for more than 15-20 minutes, as then they risk catching a cold.

4.5 Gargling

Not quite a traditional local douche is a gargle, which helps to make the body more resistant to many infections. First rinse with warm water - 40 ° C, gradually lowering it by 1 degree every 3 days. For children, it is brought to 15 ° C, and for adults it can be lowered to 10 ° C.

This rinsing helps to significantly reduce the number of exacerbations. chronic tonsillitis and pharyngitis. To enhance its effect, medicinal herbs with an anti-inflammatory effect (chamomile, nettle, calendula or St. John's wort) are added to the water, as well as sea ​​salt or a few drops of iodine.

Over time, rinsing can be replaced by dissolving ice cubes in the mouth of such a size that one cube is enough for about half a minute. For taste and greater benefits, frozen juice is used instead of ice. I already wrote about the recommendations of some doctors about ice cream, but not every mother risks paying for it regularly.

But after all, you can try with one teaspoon per day, gradually increasing its amount by half a teaspoon per day, until you get one serving. Ice cream and frozen fruit juice even adults are ready to eat all year round, however, compotes and yogurts from the refrigerator are also an option. However, it is necessary to get used to such a cold gradually and not to consume cold foods and drinks after severe overheating.

The body is strengthened not by constant cold, but by contrasts, and therefore the throat must be accustomed to changing temperature conditions so as not to get a sore throat by drinking ice water in the heat. For this, contrast rinses are well suited, in which warm and cold water are used at the same time. First, the throat is rinsed with warm, then cold, and always ends with warm, and the contrast difference is also increased gradually.

Contraindications to gargling are, first of all, the age of up to 3 years, when the child does not know how to properly exhale air through water and can choke.

If he does not want to gargle, it is better not to force him, because hardening should not cause him discomfort. You can not start procedures when a person is sick with colds or has

5. Extreme techniques

5.1 Hardening according to Grebenkin

In addition to Ivanov, many authors have proposed their own methods of hardening, which can not be recommended to everyone. For example, Grebenkin advised everyone over 3 years old to be immersed in cold water for 10-15 seconds, and then left without clothes in the open air for another 5 minutes without rubbing and warming, so that the body itself copes with the cold. After all, adrenaline is released at the same time and after a couple of minutes a person feels a surge of heat and cheerfulness.

And recently in speeches famous doctor Komarovsky, words were said that hardening of the effect would not bring if the whole lifestyle, from nutrition to walking on fresh air does not comply with generally accepted guidelines.

5.2 Hardening after sauna and bath

To not quite traditional, but quite effective is the use of a sauna or a Russian bath with a strengthening purpose. The sauna uses the contrast effect of hot steam (70-90°C) and cold water in the pool (3-20°C), or even rubbing with snow in winter.

A child can start going to the sauna with their parents from the age of 3. For the first time, you can enter the sauna with a temperature not exceeding 80 ° C for only 5 minutes, and then you should cool down, in the future there can be up to 3 such visits, and you can visit the sauna once a week.

In the bath, too, everything is based on contrasts: first, the body warms up, then cools down at approximately the same time intervals, and then rest follows, which should last as long as the first two stages.

For the first time, you should not bask in the bath for more than 3-5 minutes, and it is advisable to cool down in the form of a cold douche, and only eventually move on to a cold shower or bathing in an ice hole. After regular visits, the number of visits to the steam room is increased to 5, and the time spent in it is up to 5-10 minutes.

To get hot steam, in a Russian bath, water is poured onto hot stones, but for a healing effect, decoctions of medicinal herbs (linden, chamomile, oak, mint, birch, sage or eucalyptus) are often used instead.

Small children under 3-5 years old are rarely taken to public baths because of the risk of contracting infectious or fungal diseases, but if it is a private steam room, then they can be taken there after the first year of life.

5.3 Snow hardening

Perhaps the most unconventional method is snow hardening. This includes not only wiping with snow, but also walking barefoot on it.

The main thing is that it should be clean and cover not asphalt, but the ground. If an ice crust has appeared on the snow, or it has become colder than 10 degrees below zero, you should not start walking.

But on own experience I know that you can try without any preparation. True, for the first time I recommend running in the snow for no more than a minute, and rather quickly, and after that you need to return to a warm room, put on woolen socks and actively walk around the room in them until a feeling of heat appears in your legs.

5.4 Winter swimming

This kind winter swimming always stood apart and remained a method for the elite. A lot has been written on it - both about the benefits and the harm, the debate has not subsided so far. But for those who have weighed everything and decided to try winter swimming, it is worth learning something about him.

When swimming in cold water, the body loses a lot of energy, but releases adrenaline, which increases blood circulation, and also improves thermoregulation and immunity. However, you should not think that walruses never get sick - they just catch cold less often.

It is not at all necessary to dive with your head, although experienced "walruses" do it with ease. This technique improves the general condition of the body, but does not strengthen the muscles, unlike regular swimming, so for those who want to build muscle, it is advisable to take up some other sport.

There is a myth that “walruses” necessarily drink alcohol to keep warm, but they can cause hypothermia of the respiratory tract and a cold.

Before you plunge into the icy water, it is recommended to do intensive gymnastics to warm up, but other preparations, especially a cold shower, are not needed. In severe frosts, it is necessary that there is a warm room next to the bathing area where you can warm yourself.

You can swim in cold water from late autumn to early spring, because even in winter in the ice-hole it is not lower than + 4 ° С, however, you should not plunge into the sea - there it is -2 ° С below zero. There are many contraindications to winter swimming, which should not be neglected at all - this can only worsen your well-being.

Winter swimming contraindications: severe diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and genitourinary system with signs of decompensation.

You can climb into cold water only after a cold douche, which will accustom the body to it. It is allowed to dive into the hole no more than 3 times a week, and if symptoms of any disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

I hope my advice will be useful to those who often get colds and want to improve their health, and in the following blog articles I will talk about other hardening methods.

And now "Informative film about winter swimming and hardening":

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The content of the article:

If you decide to start hardening, then this should be done at a time when there are no health problems. Of course, dousing in winter is only permissible if your body is already sufficiently hardened, because otherwise you will simply get sick. Hardening the body, you can easily endure temperature changes, and you will not get sick with colds.

By performing various tempering procedures, you can accustom your body to calmly perceive any weather conditions. Earlier in the villages, people dived directly from the bathhouse into the hole or fell into the snow. This not only reduces the risk of disease, but also prolongs life. It was in Russia that doctors developed a hardening technique, which then began to be used in the army.

Now many people lead a passive lifestyle and it can hardly be called healthy. Physicians also connect increase in incidence of the population with it. However, many people want to strengthen their immunity, but at the same time they do not know how to do it correctly. Today we will talk about the rules of hardening and pouring cold water on the street in winter.

How to prepare the body for hardening in winter?

It is quite clear that you should not immediately get under a cold shower or douse in the winter. This will only lead to the development of colds. We recommend that you first consult a doctor and find out if you can pour cold water on yourself. This is due to the fact that even with the seeming absence of health problems, dousing in winter may be contraindicated.

Moreover, with some disorders of the nervous system, high eye pressure, heart problems and other troubles, pouring even at home at room temperature is contraindicated. Cold water is an irritant that can dramatically increase the heart rate and exacerbate certain diseases.

By visiting your doctor, you will be able to find out for sure if dousing is not contraindicated for you in winter. It is necessary to start hardening at those moments when you are in calm state And you don't have to worry about stress. In addition, it should be remembered that hardening cannot be combined with bad habits. First you should give up cigarettes and alcohol, and only after that you can begin to carry out hardening procedures.

During hardening, you need to observe two very simple rules- regularity of procedures and gradualness. If you can now get sick from a window open in winter, then you will not be able to immediately become a “walrus”. You need to start small, namely, just walk around the apartment barefoot, at least ten minutes a day. And try not to walk on a warm carpet, but on a cool floor covering. Gradually increase the duration of these walks to an hour, and then you can move on to dousing your feet.

With this procedure, you should also not rush, and for starters, just dip your feet in cool water, gradually lowering its temperature, and also increasing the duration of such baths. You will quickly begin to enjoy this procedure. You can also take contrast baths by placing two baths with cold and hot water.

Start washing your face first with cool water and also gradually reduce its temperature. By doing this procedure in the morning, you will get an excellent boost of energy for the whole day. Even these not tricky activities will allow you to strengthen your immunity and you will no longer be afraid of drafts. In addition, the frequency of colds will also significantly decrease. It is very important to continue to harden further, because if you pause, then you will have to start all over again.

How to do cold water douche?

When your feet begin to tolerate cold water baths well, you can proceed to dousing, but again, you should not rush. To begin with, it will be enough to rub with a towel moistened with cool, and then cold water. Before carrying out this procedure, you must make sure that there are no problems with the skin. Such preparation for dousing in winter should last at least 14 days.

When you are ready to start pouring, fill the bucket with cold water in the evening and leave it until morning. This is enough time for the water to warm up to room temperature. In the morning you should get into the bath and start pouring over your hands and feet, gradually lowering the temperature of the water. Monitor your health and reduce the water temperature by one or two degrees weekly.

How to take a contrast shower?

This excellent tool hardening for people who have the whole day scheduled by the minute. To take a contrast shower, you must use extremely a simple circuit- stand under hot and then cold water for 10-30 minutes. Increase the duration of each phase by 10 seconds or less each week. The same should be done with the temperature of the water. Start with 30 degrees and gradually bring to 15, but hot water can be left unchanged - from 40 to 45 degrees.

Thanks to the contrast shower, blood flow increases, the work of the heart muscle and blood vessels improves, immunity increases, and the metabolic rate increases. When the body is under hot water. Blood vessels expand, and when moving under a cold one, they narrow. If these processes are short-lived, then the vessels are strengthened, which is good for health. In addition, the body becomes less susceptible to temperature changes, and you will stop getting sick. It is important not to be under cold water long time because the body can become cold.

Benefits of dousing outside in winter

Of course, with the help of dousing in winter you will not be able to cure diseases, but it will be possible to strengthen the internal capabilities of the body. When you douse yourself with cold water or dive into an ice hole, the body experiences a strong shock. As a result, thermoregulation processes are activated that do not work in normal condition. However, you should not be in cold water for more than one and a half minutes.

Hardening contributes to the normalization of metabolism, and this, in turn, leads to the utilization of adipose tissues. It should also be noted that there is a decrease in the concentration of sugar in the blood, and the normalization of the balance of cholesterol. At the same time, the rate of production of happiness hormones increases sharply and the person enjoys the procedure.

When you sufficiently harden your body, then you will not be afraid of temperature changes, a feeling of cheerfulness will appear, the nervous system will begin to work more actively, and the number of colds will drop sharply. Ask people who dived into an ice hole for the first time about their feelings. They all speak unanimously. That lightness and pleasant warmth appeared in the body, despite the low ambient temperature.

Often people are interested in whether it is possible to start hardening in poor health? The answer is very simple - not only possible, but necessary. But, as we noted above, this must be done gradually. Pouring in winter will strengthen the immune system, and health will constantly improve.

There are many examples when winter swimming allowed to get rid of hypertension. There are also known cases of improved health in people suffering from allergies, asthma, tuberculosis and other diseases. Pouring cold water, you will be able to better withstand stress, and the work of the nervous system is normalized. It is also worth remembering that this procedure has a positive effect on the condition skin. In general, thanks to hardening and dousing in winter, you can extend your life.

Types of hardening

Today there are several types of hardening, which will be discussed below. Once again, I would like to remind you that all your actions should be gradual, and hardening procedures should be carried out on a regular basis.

1. Hardening with a cold shower. This method should be used by beginners and especially by people who are afraid of cold water. We have already talked about the rules for taking a cold and contrast shower and now we will not repeat ourselves.
2. Hardening with snow. If you walk barefoot in the snow, then you can not only harden, but also massage biologically. active points located on the feet. Before starting the procedure, you should warm up the body with exercise. Using snow hardening, you cannot stand still, but you must jump or run. The duration of this procedure is a maximum of five minutes. If you feel heat in your legs, then stop the procedure. Returning to the room, massage the calf muscles and feet for about ten minutes, and then put on warm socks.
3. Hardening in the hole. There are several ways to harden in the hole, and the simplest is dipping. Start wintering at an air temperature of minus 10 to 12 degrees. Before starting the procedure, you should not dress very warmly so that the body does not have time to warm up very much.

You can also use swimming in an ice hole or marathon swims for hardening. Bathe at least two or three times a week. But marathon swimming should only be used by experienced people. It is worth conducting such swims only as part of a group. After regular classes for a month, it is worth resting for 60 days.

You will learn more about the benefits and harms of pouring cold water on the street in winter and other ways of hardening from this story:

Benefits of cold water douche
Nowadays, both adults and children know what the benefits of dousing with cold water are. The procedure is able to strengthen not only the body, but also the very spirit of a person.

Many probably know Porfiry Korneevich Ivanov, who actively practiced dousing with cold water and himself wore shorts all year round. By the way, some called him “the Winner of nature, the Teacher of the people and even the God of the Earth.” It really was an extraordinary person who proved the full power of dousing with cold water. It would be a great honor for such a person to write a letter of thanks to the teacher of the people.

You can douse completely, or by using only some parts, such as a hand. This method is called local. There are several general rules, which must be followed when dousing with cold water. First, before starting the procedure, you should stock up on the necessary amount of cold water, comfortable utensils and a towel. Secondly, you should start gradually, carefully and most importantly, slowly, increasing the amount of water used.

How to start dousing with cold water

For a person trying the procedure for the first time, it will be a little difficult. Cold water is like a discharge electric current, and the first experiments can be given with great difficulty. Even strong-willed people may experience a semblance of shock or even pain. But remember, it's worth it. Already after the first dousing, you will feel a shake-up, a charge of a huge amount of adrenaline, refresh yourself and feel cheerful. After 8-10 procedures, your body will get used to it, and each dousing will give only joy, good mood throughout the day, a surge of strength, confidence and, accordingly, your body will be strengthened and healed. The procedure can be used not only for prevention to strengthen the tone, but also for the treatment of various kinds of diseases. Dousing with cold water warms, promotes even blood circulation and is suitable for any person.

Correct cold douche

There are some tricks and rules for dousing with cold water, and if you want to achieve good results, then you should strictly adhere to them. So, when pouring water on the back for the first time, water should be poured in such a way that it flows all over the body. Second and third - ladles should start from the area of ​​​​the seventh cervical vertebra, and only then flow down the back and spine. Beginners should simply pour over the entire back, gently wetting it all. In this case, you must strictly observe the measure and pour evenly. This will help to transfer the procedure easier and give the best effect. With some obesity, after the first dousing, it is better to rub the skin. Before and after the procedure, it is necessary to moisten the face and chest, wipe only the hands, as well as the face, and be sure to perform a couple of vigorous exercises. You also need to remember that the upper body is always poured first, and only then everything else.

Local dousing with cold water

Cold pouring of hands.
It is recommended to start the procedure of pouring cold water on the hands from the hands and move towards the shoulders. best effect is achieved if it is possible to douse both hands at the same time. The procedure hardens the hands, prevents inflammation and reduces pain threshold with rheumatism. It is worth noting that most people are advised to use douches for anemia. Good results will be for those who have a unique opportunity to regularly hold their hands for a minute in a spring or other natural source.

Cold pouring over the head.
If you suffer from diseases of the eyes or ears, you can also try the method of cold water pouring over the head. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in such a way that the jet flows behind the ears, on the cheeks and for a couple of seconds on closed eyes. To begin with, you should start with one scoop of water, gradually increasing the volume to two scoops. At the end of this useful occupation you need to dry your hair.

The body's susceptibility to frequent illnesses, leads to the fact that the immune system weakens and ceases to fight negative factors.

One of the effective ways to restore its functions is to douse with cold water.

Benefit or harm will be brought to the body - depends on the correctness of this procedure.

At the moment of dousing with cold water, the process of heat generation increases 10 times.

It is this effect that distinguishes it from swimming or dipping into cool water. When bathing, the body simply cools down.

What are the benefits of dousing cold water for women and men?

One of the most popular hardening procedures human body is dousing with cold water.

The procedure itself takes no more than 30 seconds, but it brings a considerable effect:

• promotes an increase in blood flow to internal organs;
• lymph circulation increases;
• improved contraction of muscle fibers;
• the production of monocytes increases, which prevent the penetration of infections into the body;
• vascular training is performed;
• removed nervous tension and strengthens the mind. The source of norepinephrine is activated, which plays important role in the fight against depression;
• the condition of the hair improves, they smooth out and acquire shine;
• significantly improves the structure of the nails;
• one of simple ways lose weight. Subcutaneous fat is activated under the influence of low temperature and energy production increases, as a result of which calories are burned;
• improved blood circulation helps women;
• is the prevention of tumor diseases;
• normalizes metabolism;
• has a positive effect on production male hormone testosterone, and this enhances libido;
• improves the quality of the seed material in men, which increases the likelihood of conception.

Is there any harm in dousing with cold water?

Some cautions when tempering ice water still exist:

• when douching, the body experiences great stress.
  At the same time, the adrenal glands produce a large release of hormones - glucocorticoids.
  They are very intensively distributed with the blood throughout the body and activate the energy production in the cells.
  Due to the systematic effect of low temperatures on the surface of the body, there is a decrease in the functions of the adrenal glands.
  The ability of glucocorticoids to act on their own adrenal glands can lead to their dystrophy;
• a negative moment can also concern the vessels.
  Increased amount epinephrine with glucocorticoids can lead to thrombosis and harm microvessels and capillaries;
• while swimming in ice water, you may experience sudden stop hearts.
  Therefore, you cannot dive into a reservoir with cold water, you only need to slowly enter.

• people who have had a heart attack or stroke;
• with a predisposition to cancer;
• sick open form tuberculosis;
• pregnant women - there is a risk of miscarriage;
• suffering from spasm of cerebral vessels and thrombophlebitis.

Pouring cold water - benefit or harm to the brain?

Strengthening brain cells is necessary for everyone, especially the elderly. The affected vessels that feed the brain subsequently narrow and deform.

This is due to the fact that with age they become decrepit and under the influence negative factors may break completely. This is especially true for the following categories of people:

• athletes - because their excessive physical activity constantly contributes to an increase in blood pressure;
• leading a passive lifestyle - blood flows slowly and as a result, blood clots and edema form in the tissues;
• persons subject to constant stress;
• abusers of alcohol and smoking.

Cold water has a positive effect on the cerebral cortex, improving the functioning of all its departments. Stimulation of the hypothalamus, through irritation of skin receptors, makes it work at full strength. Thinking is activated, a person begins to think better and make decisions faster.

To produce such cold healing procedures, should be poured over the head.

With a normal douche, you should start with the face, head, then move on to the back, chest and shoulders. It is important to perform the procedure in the morning, when new cells are born more resilient.

Dousing with cold water for hypertension - good or bad?

An unambiguous decision whether it is worth using dousing with ice water for hypertensive patients has not been reached by specialists. Nevertheless, this method has many advantages that confirm its usefulness.

• the level of high blood pressure, which corresponds to the III degree of hypertension (180/110);
• arterial hypertension of very high or high risk;
• III stage of hypertension.

It will not be superfluous to consult a doctor in order to obtain a real assessment of the current state of the body. Only after officially received approval can you start pouring.

The systematic conduct of such douches will help:

• improve overall health;
• prevent the development and complications of the disease;
• launch adaptive responses;
• normalize pressure;
• improve metabolic processes in the body.

This procedure should not be considered as a way to cure hypertension. She is treated exclusively by medication, and hardening is considered as a preventive measure.

Dousing with cold water - benefit or harm in osteochondrosis?

In conditions of such a disease, exposure to low temperature water can help reduce pain syndrome. The main thing is to conduct hardening sessions correctly.

Choosing the optimal water temperature for the patient, you need to be guided by his current condition. After the procedure, you should warm the body either with warm jets of water or rubbing.

In the case when osteochondrosis is accompanied by acute pain, the presence of intervertebral hernias, then dousing should be replaced with rubdowns.

With osteochondrosis, it is advisable to pour over the back area so that the water spreads in a wide and even strip. It is better if the water pours over the head. As the body gets used to such sessions, their number needs to be increased from 1 to 7 times a week.

Application is allowed. To do this, the body is first warmed up with warm water (for 1 minute), after which cold water is poured out (30 seconds). The temperature drop is increased little by little, but even at the first session, it should be felt by the body.

Warm water has limits of 40º - 45ºС, and cold water 15º - 20ºС. Should be done at least 5 times.

Such a dousing with cool water ends, after which the body is rubbed well with a towel and warm clothes are put on.

After a course of procedures, the symptoms are significantly reduced for the following reasons:

• The effect of cold on the receptors is not long, but very strong.
  This contributes to the suppression of pain impulses from the focus of inflammation and the person simply forgets about the pain;
• short-term stress leads to the release of endorphins and enkephalins into the blood.
  They are natural pain relievers and antidepressants;
• the nervous system is trained, which leads to stabilization general condition and calm comes.

With the constant use of this method, headaches and pain in the spine stop in patients, and exacerbations of the disease are extremely rare.

Dousing with cold water for children - good or bad?

For children, rubdown is used. Every five days the water temperature is lowered by a couple of degrees.

Only after that do they start pouring.

For this technique to bring only benefit, you need to follow some rules:

• the child must be completely healthy;
• pouring should begin only in the summer;
• you need a preliminary consultation with a pediatrician;
• observe regularity;
• stop douching for the period of colds;
• for children under 13 years old, warm the water up to 20º.

How to start dousing with cold water?

Procedures aimed at hardening the body should become systematic. Only when this condition is met can visible results be achieved.

1. This process begins with rubbing. It will help restore blood supply to tissues, as well as tighten the walls of blood vessels.
   Rubbing is done with cool water.
   This operation is carried out with the help of circular movements of the hands in a clockwise direction.
2. First wipe the hands, neck, chest, stomach and back, then the ribs from the center to the sides.
   Moving on to the legs, they are wiped down from the bottom up.
3. Be sure to pay attention to the temperature of the air in the room.
   A person should not freeze during wiping.
   Otherwise, the room needs to be warmed up, or the water temperature must be increased by several degrees.
4. Rubdowns are carried out for 2 to 4 weeks.
5. The next stage of hardening will be pouring.
   Initially, only foot with a gradual decrease in water temperature.
   As the discomfort decreases, you can start douching.
6. Better to use a bucket than a shower.
   This is because the flow of water must be sudden and plentiful.
   They begin to pour over the legs from the knees, then each time higher.
7. There is no definite answer whether it is worth pouring over your head - no.
   Therefore, everyone chooses his own option.
8. For those who live in an apartment, the best place there will be a bath for this, and for residents of private houses, the option of pouring on the street is allowed.
9. The water temperature must be maintained between 15°C and 20°C.
10. At the end of the procedure, you will definitely need to rub the whole body with a towel.
    Then you can drink tea with honey and lie down for a little rest.

Dousing with cold water: reviews

Anna, Omsk

I was never interested in hardening issues, and I considered people involved in such issues to be eccentrics. However, life puts everything in its place, and when the doctor diagnosed her daughter with bronchial asthma, she decided to try everything that could save the child from this disease. It was then that I decided to try to temper it. My daughter was already 7 years old, so I was able to explain to her the need this event. We acted gradually, we were not stopped not by SARS, nor by other factors (grandparents). After throwing cold water on her for a year, I got a lot positive results. The child not only easily endures viral infections She doesn't even need antipyretics. The fight against asthma attacks is now much more effective. Drugs that didn't work before are now working again. Such results inspire me to further fight for the health of the child.

Ekaterina, Nizhny Novgorod

I suffer hypertension quite a long time ago. In this regard, my doctor prescribed whole mountains of various pills that I used daily. One day I met my old friend and didn't recognize her right away. She lost weight and looked 15 years younger. Stopping near her and having difficulty catching my breath (walking caused me terrible shortness of breath), I asked what was the reason for such dramatic changes. A friend told me about her methods of dousing with ordinary cold water. Without delay, I went to my doctor for a consultation. He gave me a positive answer, and I began to pour myself. I started from the legs, then from the waist, and as a result came to dousing with the head. In six months, I lost weight from 130 kg to 95 kg. My sugar levels have dropped to normal, and in general I feel light and alive. I haven't taken blood pressure pills every day for a long time, but only as needed. I can finally breathe and not suffocate.

Vladimir, Tver

I am 28 years old and I have been living with prostatitis for more than a year, which was the result of an infection. I went through many different courses of treatment: prostate massages, injections, physiotherapy. Each time, relief came for a short time. So I decided to strengthen my immunity by dousing with cold water. He began to douse himself in the morning with water with a temperature of 11˚. To make it so icy, I added specially prepared ice from the freezer. After a month of douching, I stopped running to the toilet, I was able to have sex without pain. So in my situation, hardening gave only a positive result.

The human body likes dousing with cold water. Benefit or harm will be received from such an impact for a particular case, only a specialist can determine by performing a preliminary examination.

Human vitality is associated with water, because our body consists of it on average by 65%. Everyone knows that you need to drink water every day and as often as possible - its benefits have been said many times. But this amazing liquid can improve the body not only from the inside.

Hardening procedures, known to mankind since ancient times, are also very effective, allowing you to get rid of many, even incurable medicine, ailments. Many centenarians believe that the secret of their longevity, physical and moral health lies precisely in dousing with cold water. It is about him that we will talk today, since it is necessary to carry out the procedures of cold dousing correctly - then the miraculous healing and healing properties of water will be revealed to you in full, and harm and aggravation of the disease will be avoided.

Why is it necessary to temper the body? What processes are launched in it at the moment of dousing with cold water?

Through hardening, the body learns to adapt without severe consequences tolerate extremely low or extremely high temperatures. Tempering is important, because usually to cope with low temperatures an unhardened person cannot and dies from hypothermia, even if he had life-saving equipment. To avoid this outcome, it is important to develop the natural ability of thermoregulation. This enhances the body's anti-cold and anti-stress resistance, mobilizes its protective capabilities, strengthens the nerves and improves blood flow in the tissues.

Hardened people are much less likely to get sick, and if they get sick, the recovery process is significantly accelerated. In the event of a life threat, a hardened organism is able to begin to reproduce heat through thermogenesis.

You can harden in different ways, but the simplest and most accessible way is the implementation of daily dousing with low temperature water.

Under the influence of cold water, skin receptors are irritated, which instantly transmit impulses to the brain and nervous system. As a result, stimulation of the hypothalamus begins. This tiny part of the brain is responsible for a number of important life processes - the work of blood vessels, the heart, the gastrointestinal tract, the course of metabolic reactions, the full value of sleep, maintaining body temperature, emotional condition. Activation of these processes through dousing is one of the most effective ways removing the body from a state of chronic drowsiness and fatigue.

How does the body react to temperature changes?

At the moment of direct dousing with cold water, the body suffers a shock - adrenaline begins to be actively produced, and the skin vessels narrow sharply. At the moment of their short-term contraction, blood is forced out of the skin into the body, saturating the internal capillaries, which gradually begin to die off after thirty years, especially if a person neglects physical activity. Dead blood vessels impair blood supply to organs and accelerate the aging of the body. That is why it is so important that they are periodically filled with blood, restored and renewed. Then the vessels dilate again. These manipulations with blood vessels lead to an increase in blood flow and blood supply to organs and tissues (as evidenced by reddening of the skin), their supply with oxygen and useful substances. Dousing with cold water is a kind of gymnastics for blood vessels.

one more positive moment dousing is to increase the production of glucocorticoids by the adrenal glands - hormones due to which energy and vivacity appear in the body. After all, it is not in vain that after the dousing procedure, people begin to smile more often!

Is there an optimal water temperature for pouring?

For dousing, water with a temperature below + 11 ° C is best suited. From more high temperatures there will be no benefit.

The greatest effect will be achieved when dipping or dousing with water from +6°C and below. The duration of exposure should be at least half a minute, and ideally a minute or two. During this time there will be sudden jump body temperature, heated from the inside, up to 42 °. And then she'll be back to normal. A person will hardly feel the temperature difference, but all pathogenic microbes will be destroyed during this time.

How to dare douche?

We promise ourselves that from next week we will definitely start pouring, but as the deadline comes up, we come up with more and more excuses, we refer to household chores, being busy at work, bad feeling or just a lack of proper attitude. How do you get started anyway?

Perhaps someone you know will want to join the douche with you. And together it will be much easier to start, and not so scary.

You can motivate yourself by visiting a hardware store by purchasing a bucket for dousing. Then looking at it every time, you will remember this promise. This will also be a great incentive.

Dousing techniques

There are several ways to harden by dousing with cold water:

Lowering degrees.

You should not immediately jump into ice water (especially for beginners). Just start pouring from a comfortable water temperature, and then gradually bring it up to the required 10-11 °. More often this method is used when they begin to harden children. Although experienced "drinkers" do not recognize this method of hardening, because, in their opinion, it is not so effective and can complicate some diseases. For them, the following method is more acceptable.

Partial cold exposure.

Immediately begin to pour cold water over, but not completely the body, but its individual sections. You need to start from the feet, after a week, pour over your legs up to the knee, after another week - up to the hips, etc. After 5-6 weeks, you will already be able to pour over from head to toe.

Contrast douche and contrast shower.

The essence of these techniques is simple - first we pour ourselves warm water, and then - water, which will be about 15 ° colder than the first.

Dipping in a cold bath or ice hole.

At home, you can plunge into a bath filled with cold water. The duration of a complete immersion is 3-4 seconds. But diving into the ice hole better people with an impressive winter swimming experience.

Hardening in the bath

And finally, one cannot fail to mention the notorious Russian baths. After all, the question of whether contrast procedures are useful during a visit to the bath is raised very often. Our ancestors immediately after the steam room loved to dive into the hole. Now it has been replaced by a contrast shower or the same dousing with cold water.

The answer is simple: in the absence of contraindications for visiting the bathhouse and for cold dousing, such a hardening technique will only benefit! On the one hand, increased sweating in the steam room perfectly cleanses the body. And the subsequent cold dousing is a good shake for the whole body. Temperature contrasts are effective in the fight against cellulite and extra centimeters at the waist (women, take note!).

Modern saunas even have a special bucket into which cold water is automatically supplied. When you're ready, just pull the lever and you'll be splashed with cool water. Although this method of contrast hardening is better suited for experienced pourers.

For beginners, it is better to follow these rules when dousing in the bath:

1. pouring should be carried out not after the first entry into the steam room, but at the end bath procedures when the body is warm and sweaty;
2. it is better to pour water from a basin with a scoop;
3. the water temperature should also be reduced gradually;
4. cold dousing should be short-term;
5. pour over the head carefully so as not to cause an attack of jumps in intracranial pressure;
6. after dousing, you need to wipe yourself with a towel or allow the body to dry naturally.

A few tips for beginners to temper

The best period for familiarization with hardening is summer-early autumn. In winter, the body already spends a lot of energy on warming, and in the summer-autumn period it will be much easier for it to endure cold douches.

You need to start pouring yourself not with aggressive forms. The technique of lowering degrees, a short contrast shower or partial cold exposure is well suited.

The initial temperature of water procedures for hardening should be about 20 °.

Before dousing, you need to tune in positively, drive away bad thoughts - then the water will be "charged" with positive, and its healing power will increase.

You need to shower in the morning. This will give you strength and vigor, which is enough for the whole working day. In the evening, you can put your feet in cool water - to relax, relieve fatigue, calm the nerves.

In winter, you can practice barefoot walking in the snow - this is both hardening and foot massage with simultaneous action on many biologically active points concentrated in this area.

Douche rules

phasing. Decreasing the temperature and increasing the dousing area should be carried out gradually.

Systematic. It is important to carry out a pouring session with a certain regularity.

Moderation. You need to pour yourself with preservation common sense- you should not immediately climb into ice water through force, delay the dousing procedure or douse yourself during an exacerbation of illnesses. At the time of dousing, the skin should turn pink, and not acquire a bluish tint.

It is better to leave the beginning of water procedures for the summer.

Make sure that the room is not drafty - otherwise you can get sick.

The room temperature should be maintained at 20°.

It is better to pour water from a bucket or scoop so that the water is smoothly distributed throughout the body. The duration of dousing is from half a minute to two minutes.

At the end of the dousing procedure, warm the body - rub yourself with a towel, and then put on dry clothes, drink tea. Douche should be enjoyed, and freezing will not contribute to this in any way.

Remember to think positively before pouring. A positive attitude, not the fear of catching a cold, is what matters.

Benefits of cold soaks

What is the secret of the benefits of dousing with cold water? Why is it that he is credited with the cause of longevity and the preservation of youth and human health?

As already mentioned, the benefit is primarily that a sharp short-term increase in body temperature kills many diseased cells and pathogens.

Thanks to the stimulation of the hypothalamus, the body begins to work more smoothly - it literally “restarts” takes place.

Increased blood flow leads to effective elimination"unnecessities" - toxins, slags, pesticides, radionuclides, nitrates. The tone of the veins increases, swelling disappears. That is why dousing with cold water is indicated for varicose veins.

launch metabolic processes and fat burning processes help weight loss.

Elimination of congestion.

At the moment of cold exposure, the positive charge of the body is weakened, which creates conditions for the reproduction of certain bacteria. And dousing with cold water helps to neutralize them, charging the body with negative ions.

As a result of dousing, the heart is strengthened, arrhythmia disappears.

Changes also occur in the composition of the blood - the number of red blood cells and leukocytes increases.

The resistance of the organism to radioactive irradiation is also strengthened, its radiation immunity is mobilized and activated.

Cold douches serve as a prevention of cancer, and in the presence of an illness, they help increase the chances of recovery.

How to start pouring on children?

It is best to introduce children to hardening procedures from the very beginning. early age before they go to kindergarten. After all, it is there that they begin to constantly pick up all sorts of sores.

When bathing a newborn baby every day, start gradually lowering the water temperature - from 36 ° by only half a degree every 6-7 days. Watch how the child reacts - it is important that he, too, be comfortable in such water.

As they grow up, teach your children to wipe themselves with cool water (starting at 36 degrees and lowering the temperature by a degree every five days), and you can start pouring directly at preschool age. It is important to control emotions here - do not scare him and do not freeze him.

Follow these rules:

1. Children should be taught to bathe in the summer.
2. Preliminary consultation with a pediatrician is required.
3. Dousing children should also be carried out regularly.
4. The child should not be afraid of pouring - inspire him, study with him the benefits of dousing, reinforce the words with personal examples.
5. It is not necessary to pour water over children during the period of illness.
6. The temperature for dousing children under 8 years of age is most optimal at 20 °. Upon reaching the age of 13, you can reduce the water temperature to 16 °.

Contraindications for cold douches

Not everyone can use such a hardening technique without harm to health. If you think sensibly, then pouring is only suitable for healthy people- for the purpose of prevention and improvement of well-being.

But the list of contraindications for dousing with cold water is very large:

1. epilepsy;
2. thrombophlebitis;
3. atrial fibrillation;
4. increased intraocular pressure;
5. hypertension and hypotension;
6. tachycardia;
7. open form of tuberculosis;
8. chronic infections;
9. thyroid disease;
10. impaired blood flow to the brain;
11. post-stroke or post-infarction condition;
12. diabetes;
13. severe kidney disease;
14. SARS, colds and flu;
15. wounds or ulcers on the skin;
16. oncology.

At strong desire you can replace the cold douche with wiping - but with the permission of the doctor.

Instantaneous immersion in ice water often causes cardiac arrest. A spasm of the vessels of the skin, muscles and the whole body can occur. A sharp increase in blood flow can create an excessive load on an unprepared heart. As a result - an attack of angina pectoris, a stroke, a heart attack, up to a cardiac arrest.

A man thousands of years ago was accustomed to endure the cold, so pouring and being in cold water was the norm for him. Modern people are very different - the slightest differences atmospheric pressure or temperatures are not affecting their health in the best way. Follow the rules of dousing, observe moderation, avoid hypothermia (with cold exposure for more than 2 minutes, vascular destruction and oppression begin immune system). And 5 minutes in twelve-degree water can be extremely life-threatening.