The weather gets colder, and it makes us think again about sore throat, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, fever … What else can we associate bad weather with besides the likelihood of catching a cold?
What if we use cold weather to our advantage?
No, it's not a myth. It is rather a possibility of adapting the body to the cold and strengthening the immune system.
It is about body hardening – a set of preventive procedures that aim to increase the body's resistance to various negative effects of the environment.
Of the variety of body hardening procedures, in this article I want to focus specifically on those related to adapting to cold weather.
Before moving on to the actual procedures, I would like to mention an important rule, without which it makes no sense to start hardening your body. So, if you decide to start, do it regularly, systematically, without interruption.
It is also important to mention that colds and viral diseases (for example, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, flu), and purulent wounds on the skin will have to be healed before hardening procedures. Also, the procedure is contraindicated for those who suffer from increased eye pressure. Ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and tachycardia are diseases in which hardening of the body is strictly prohibited.
To avoid any problems, I suggest you consider the most harmless procedures, such as:
Air baths
Start with the air. Ventilate the apartment often, but do not create drafts. In summer, everything is simple – it is enough to be in the fresh air for at least two hours a day: the main thing is not to put on a lot of clothes so as not to sweat. Outdoor walks are essential at any time of the year. Of course, it will be more useful to walk in the forest, away from the city, highway and enterprises.
Sun baths
Sun baths are combined with air baths. Thus, walking on a summer day, we get a dose of purified air, train our body, get the infrared rays and vitamins necessary for the body.
Rubdowns
Soak a towel with water and rub your body for five minutes: start with your feet and work your way up. You can make the procedure contrasting by wetting the towel in hot or cold water.
Foot baths
One of the very first types of hardening to be applied. This method consists in hardening the feet. You need to do this before bedtime, throughout the year. You can start with rather pleasant temperatures – 25-27 ° C, and slowly reduce to 15-17 ° C.
Body drenching
The easiest way is partial drenching. The best time for the procedure is in the morning. Collect cold water in the evening, until the morning it will warm to room temperature. In the morning, douse your hands, feet and neck several times and rub them dry with a towel. After 2 weeks of partial drenching, you can start dousing the whole body. Reduce the water temperature by 5 ° C every 10 days.
Cold and hot shower
The contrasting effect of water strengthens the heart and blood vessels, triggers metabolic processes in the body due to the rapid flow of blood to the organs. The simplest and most understandable scheme of the procedure from the existing ones: 10-30 seconds – hot shower, 10-30 seconds – cold shower, repeat the cycle three times.
Watch how your body reacts.
If your sleep and appetite have improved, your ability to work has increased, then you are hardening correctly. If you experience symptoms of cold and irritability, it means that you are doing something wrong. Discontinue procedures and consult a doctor.