Hardening is activities related to the mobilization of the internal forces of the person to increase the body’s resistance (immunity) to the harmful effects of various external factors.
The greatest effect for hardening the body is achieved by using a variety of hardening procedures.
It is important to start hardening in early childhood, when the thermoregulation is being formed and the mechanisms of immune-biological defense are being developed. It is important to begin tempering after consulting with a doctor to choose the best methods of tempering in light of certain characteristics of the body, and continue medical observation to detect possible adverse effects.
For a full hardening of the body it is necessary to use the procedures in combination, observing the principles of graduality, consistency and consideration of individual characteristics of the body. If the body is not trained to the cooling or sudden changes in temperature, its reaction to cold has the character of an unconditioned reflex. In this case there is a thermoregulation disorder and, as a consequence, there are chills, reduced immunity of internal organs, the risk of disease. The reaction of a hardened organism to temperature changes is completely different, because it has conditionally reflex nature: heat production increases due to reduction of skin vessels and increases blood flow to all organs, increases metabolism. Tempering has a pronounced seasonal character. In spring and summer hardening of the body occurs spontaneously, due to light clothing and bathing in open bodies of water. It is necessary to use tempering procedures as often as possible and for a long time to train and increase resistance to temperature changes and its decrease in the autumn-winter period. But in the cold season we use air methods of hardening, stay in the air, as well as more complex: swimming in the ice-hole (walrus bathing), steaming, followed by immersion in the snow. Hardening is carried out on the principle of gradual increase in stimulus. Therefore, for example, to start immediately contrasting procedures is categorically impossible. Healers recommend contrast showers, alternating warm and cold water, a combination of steam baths with a swimming pool or snow, depending on the season, only in the second year of the systematic hardening procedures. In the first year the treatment is limited to air and sun baths, rubbing, bathing at constant water temperature.
With insufficient consolidation of the hardening effect of the body is removed. For example, during the procedures for 2-3 months, followed by cessation of tempering the body disappears in 1-1.5 months. With long pauses hardening procedures start again with the original temperature of the air and water. It is very important to consider the individual characteristics of the body. In children it is, in particular, heart defects, anemia, asthma. Hardening should not be carried out sick to complete recovery, as well as those with chronic kidney disease. Easily excitable people need soothing procedures air baths, rubbing. Sun-air baths are excluded. People with a predominance of inhibition processes are recommended douches and contrast procedures, and the sluggish – douches immediately after bedtime, calm and balanced – after morning exercises.
Types of hardening the body, hardening procedures:
- Hydrotherapy, dousing, rubbing, contrast showers, steam rooms, etc;
- Aerotherapy (taking air baths) – tempering through prolonged exposure to fresh air;
- Solar therapy – sun therapy, hardening by taking sun baths, sunbathing;
- Walking barefoot.
All these methods are true folk, very popular and most importantly – extremely effective in terms of the therapeutic effect. The principle of hydrotherapy is based on the fact that the water, having a high heat capacity, high thermal conductivity and convection, well dissolving various salts and gases, when acting on the body through the nerve receptors of the skin causes beneficial chemical and biochemical changes in the body. There is a great variety of methods of hydrotherapy: dousing, wiping, walking barefoot, swimming in open bodies of water; wet wraps; steam baths; contrast shower. Dousing, as well as all general water procedures, should begin with a certain temperature of water.