We are increasingly talking about the treatment of diseases when prevention takes an important place. Increasing the body's resistance to negative environmental factors - this is the goal preventive measures... It is necessary to strengthen the body. One of the prevention methods is hardening. What is the principle of hardening, what rules you need to adhere to, we will consider further.

A little about the history of hardening

Hardening has been known for a long time. There is a mention of him in the treatises of the great scientists of antiquity, such as Hippocrates, Democritus, Asclepiades. Much attention was paid to physical health and endurance in Sparta. From a very early age, the boys went barefoot, and in the warm season they were practically naked.

In ancient Rome, hardening and strengthening of the body were also treated positively. Baths were the only main place for the procedures. There were pools with hot and cold water, as well as rooms for massage and gymnastic exercises, mud baths were practiced. Sunbathing on the rooftops.

Ancient Chinese medicine had a positive view of disease prevention and health-promoting procedures. It was said that "the wise heal the disease that is not yet in the body." Much attention was paid to water treatments, gymnastics, massage, diet.

In Russia, hardening was massive. Bathing followed by rubbing with snow was the norm. Swimming in ponds at any time of the year is still popular.

Tempering methods

Depending on the effect on the body, there are several methods of hardening:

1. Air hardening:

• Taking air baths. Air affects the naked body.
• Sunbathing. They are practiced for the purpose of healing and prevention.
• Walking barefoot regardless of the season.

2. Water hardening:

• Cold and hot shower. Pouring one by one cold, then moderately hot water.
• Visit to the bathhouse followed by diving into cool water.
• Dousing with water.
• Swimming in the ice-hole.

What type of hardening to choose depends on the area of \u200b\u200bresidence, on the state of health and many other factors.

Hardening principles

Regardless of which method is chosen, some hardening principles must be followed. If they are not adhered to, then the procedures will be random.

Let's list the basic principles of hardening the body:

• Systematic tempering procedures. They must be carried out regularly, regardless of weather conditions and time of year. You can fix the execution of procedures in the daily routine.
• A gradual increase in loads. A sudden increase in load can be detrimental to health. The gradual transition must be carried out taking into account the responses of the organism. This is especially important when hardening children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.
• Compliance with the sequence in the implementation of procedures. Hardening begins with wiping and foot baths. According to medical rules, weak stimuli have a better effect on bodily functions, while excessive stimuli are detrimental.
• Complex effect on the body. It is necessary to use procedures with the influence of natural forces that daily affect a person - water and air. Dousing can be done outdoors. The body must experience either strong or weak impact, without getting used to a constant temperature, otherwise hardening in this case will be inappropriate.
• Taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism and the state of health. Have you decided to start hardening? Perfectly! But first it is recommended to visit a doctor. He will tell you which method to choose. Hardening under medical supervision will help to avoid undesirable consequences and make it possible to properly plan further measures to improve health.

Water hardening

This type of hardening has a more powerful effect on the body than air hardening.

Water affects the body as follows:

• At the first stage, a spasm of blood vessels and subcutaneous fat occurs.
• On the second, the skin becomes red, adaptation occurs, mast cells, leukocytes are activated, substances with interferon-like properties are released. The state of health improves. A surge of strength is felt.
• At the third stage, if the body is overcooled, vasospasm again occurs. Because the body is hypothermic, the body can no longer adapt and chills occur.

If you follow the principles of hardening, the second stage will come faster. The most important thing is not to bring it to the third stage.

Who is contraindicated for hardening with water

There are many stories of healing due to hardening procedures, but it is worth noting that in some cases such procedures need to be delayed.

1. Cold water causes vasospasm, therefore, if there are diseases of the cardiovascular system (tachycardia, coronary heart disease, heart failure), such methods are contraindicated.
2. The sudden change in temperature affects the central nervous system. It is necessary to practice hardening with caution in diseases of the central nervous system: epilepsy, psychosis, hysteria.
3. If there are any skin diseases, quenching with water must be abandoned until complete recovery. Especially in the presence of purulent, non-healing or open wounds.
4. For respiratory diseases: tuberculosis, bronchial asthma.
5. Dousing with increased eye pressure is not recommended.
6. In case of colds (ARVI, acute respiratory infections, flu), one should refrain from procedures, even if the exercises were regular before the illness.
7. Do not drench your head. This can adversely affect health.

Water quenching methods

Water hardening can be traditional and non-traditional.

Traditional methods include:

• Rubdown. Can be used at any age, even from the cradle. To do this, you need a towel that absorbs water well. We will tell you how to carry out the procedure below.
• Dousing. Can be local and general.
• Swimming in natural reservoirs. It can also be recommended from an early age, starting from a temperature of 24-26 degrees. After the procedure, be sure to move.

How the water hardening procedure begins, we will consider further.

We start water hardening

The most optimal time for hardening water procedures is morning. It is recommended to do exercises.

Water hardening should be started with wiping. To do this, moisten a sponge or towel with water of a certain temperature and wipe off. You need to start from the upper parts of the body - from the neck, then shoulders, arms, chest, back follow. The next step is to towel dry and rub the skin red-hot. It is necessary to move from the periphery to the heart.

Then you can move on to the lower body. They are also wiped with a damp sponge or towel and then rubbed dry with a dry towel. The whole process should last no more than 5 minutes.

Then you can go directly to douches.

They begin to use water a degree below body temperature. The permissible range is +34 ... +36 o C. The temperature is lowered by one degree every 3 days. After douches, it is also recommended to rub the body with a dry towel until it is red-hot. The procedure should last no more than 1 minute.

Unconventional hardening

Non-traditional hardening methods include procedures such as:

• Snow rubdown.
• Walking barefoot in the snow.
• Exposure to low temperature air.
• Sauna.
• Russian bath.

The point of hardening is that such procedures train the thermoregulatory apparatus of the immune system. At the same time, the body's sensitivity to the harmful effects of the sun, cold, water and other factors decreases.

The use of non-traditional hardening methods in children at an early age often leads to a reverse reaction. Doctors believe that carrying out such procedures in childhood impractical. Since the body has not yet been formed and cannot adequately respond to a sharp change in temperature.

Hardening children

For children, it is advisable to use the following hardening methods:

• Water quenching.
• Air.
• Solar.

As we indicated earlier, unconventional hardening methods are not recommended for child's body, especially for preschoolers due to the immaturity of the neural and endocrine systems. What to do? Choose something else.

The best option for children and parents is hardening in the summer. The main rule at this time:

• Avoid hypothermia or excessive overheating.
• Together with water procedures, you can do massage, gymnastic exercises.

When hardening children preschool age it is necessary to adhere to several norms:

• The child's body should be warm before starting the procedures.
• Control of body redness is necessary. If this reaction does not occur, the body should be rubbed with a dry towel.
• The lower the water temperature, the shorter contact should be with it.

In winter, the hardening of the baby must be approached carefully. If the child is sick, the procedures should be stopped for the duration of the illness.

General rules for hardening children

• You can temper a child from an early age.
• The kid must be absolutely healthy.
• Adhere to the basic principle of hardening - the systematic implementation of procedures.
• Set an example for your child. Participate, for example, in water treatments.
• Gradually increase the duration and load. This is another important principle of hardening.
• Do not start procedures if the child is not in the mood. You need to set a good mood.
• Avoid overheating or hypothermia of the baby.
• Add exercises and massage to the procedures.
• Your child's hands and feet should be warm before the procedure.
• If you didn't like the procedure and caused unexpected negative reactions in the child, then you will have to give up for a while from hardening and show the baby to the doctor.

Air hardening rules

This type of hardening has been practiced since infancy. Some rules are very natural for each of us. They are the basis of home hardening.

• The process begins with walks in the fresh air (at first, 10 minutes a day is enough). It is necessary to walk every day, increasing the time.
• Ventilate the room daily.
• Be sure to ventilate the room before and after bedtime.
• Dress your child for the weather.
• In fine weather, the child can sleep outdoors. Older children should be outdoors as long as possible in good weather.

Water hardening of the child

Hardening of preschool children begins with contrasting doused legs. You can also use the following procedures:

• Local contrasting hand and foot baths.
• Wipe off with a damp cloth or washcloth. The best option for starting hardening.
• Contrast doused legs. The main rule: do not douse your feet with cold water, without first warming them.
• Contrast shower with small water temperature difference.
• Swimming in the pool.
• Swimming in the sea / river.

It is worth remembering that bathing and hardening is not recommended for children who have had pneumonia, pleurisy, heart disease, kidney disease. A doctor's consultation is required.

General rules for hardening

Let's highlight several general rules hardening:

• If you decide to start hardening, you should first visit a therapist and together choose an alternative method.
• It is necessary to start the procedures while being healthy.
• Should not be at the time of occupation diseases in the acute or chronic stage.
• Observe one of the principles of hardening - regularity. There should not be long pauses.
• Gradually increase the intensity and load.
• It is necessary to monitor your well-being. Regularly measure temperature, pressure, pulse.
• Hardening will be more effective when combined with physical exercise.
• It is recommended to adhere to a healthy diet, this will also increase the effectiveness of the procedures.
• If you get sick or feel unwell, tempering procedures must be temporarily stopped.
• If in the process of hardening you do not feel a surge of strength, energy, but, on the contrary, there is a breakdown, depression, you must not delay the visit to the doctor and stop the procedure.

Tempering and health can be put in one row. By stimulating the body's defenses, you can forget about colds in the off-season.

Hardening is a set of measures designed to improve the body's resistance to various negative environmental conditions. The main advantage of hardening is resistance to respiratory viral diseases. Of course, there is no complete guarantee that the child will not get sick after hardening. But the treatment will be much easier, and the body can recover faster than usual.

It must be remembered that hardening of children must be approached correctly... In this case, the child will feel more energetic, as well as less tired, develop faster, and problems with skin or digestion will be minimized. Doctors also say that with proper hardening, the amount of allergic reactions... Proper tempering of the child is very useful. Where to start this process and how to temper a child correctly?

Hardening rules for children

Usually, hardening is carried out if the child has weak immunity. But it is not necessary to turn to this method only in such a situation, since hardening can very well reflect on a completely healthy child. If everything is done correctly, then the immunity will only become stronger.

There are a few rules to followto carry out the correct hardening procedure for children:

Tempering methods for children

There are several effective methods of hardening, which are divided into special and general. General methods include a precise daily routine, exercise and good nutrition. If special hardening methods are used, it is necessary to use natural sourcessuch as water, air and sun.

therefore the special hardening method is divided into three components:

• air hardening;
• hardening by the sun;
• hardening with water.

Air hardening

This is a very simple method. But few people know how to properly temper a child with air. It is suitable even for a baby.

To temper a baby with air, you will need:

Walking in the air is very useful for a child, as it will strengthen the immune system, increase activity, charge you with positive and wonderful mood. You can walk in any weather conditions, but you should choose the right length of the walk. It will depend on the weather. Of course, the colder it is, the sooner you should go home and warm up. There is also no need to spend a lot of time in heavy rain. It is recommended to walk from one hour to six hours a day. It will be useful for a baby to fall asleep outside, as the fresh air soothes. Sleep duration is 10-15 minutes in winter and up to three hours in summer.

But we must not forget that if the temperature outside is below 15 degrees Celsius, it is necessary to shorten the walk so that the child does not overcool.

It is necessary to ventilate the apartment very oftenwhere the child lives. This should be done 4 times a day. And in the summer, the windows do not need to be closed at all. The temperature inside the house should be 18 degrees Celsius or higher. The best option would be a temperature of 22 degrees.

It is very important for parents to remember that they do not need to wrap their child in too warm clothes from birth so as not to overheat him. Clothes should be light, comfortable and dry - these are the three main parameters. Fabrics must be chosen such that they are made of natural material that will allow air to circulate through it, only in this case the skin will be able to breathe.

Air baths can be used from the very birth of the child... This can be done before bed and after waking up. You just need to let the baby lie down without clothes for a few minutes. The temperature in the apartment should not be reduced immediately, but gradually over several months to 14 or 16 degrees Celsius. The duration of the procedure is added up to 15-20 minutes gradually, but you need to start with a few minutes. When a child is exercising or playing, very few clothes need to be worn.

Contrasting air baths can be used. This is done like this: one room should be well ventilated, and the next one should be completely closed. Now you need to wait for a while, and after that the child should run with you from one room to another. This will create a temperature contrast.

It is very useful for a baby to walk barefoot., since this is an immunostimulating procedure that will save a little child from flat feet. You need to walk barefoot at the beginning of the house, and then in the summer on the street. For this, grass and sand are suitable, and after shells, crushed stone or pebbles.

Water hardening

Hardening a child with water is a very effective remedy. It is necessary to proceed to such procedures only after hardening with air has been successfully mastered. The decrease in water temperature is carried out gradually, and in no case should hypothermia be allowed.

Hardening with water includes several procedures:

You can start rubbing your baby when he is two months old. First, use dry towel rubbing. You can't take a wet one right away, because the skin must get used to friction. You need to take a clean terry mitten or soft towel and gently rub the baby's skin until a slight redness appears. When the adaptation is successful, you can wet the towel. The very first time the water temperature should be 35 degrees Celsius and in no case less. Then, after three to four days, you can lower the temperature by one degree. But you should not reduce the temperature abruptly, otherwise the baby will get sick.

The procedure for the rubdown procedure:

1. we begin the movement with the arms and legs. We slowly move from the fingers up the limbs to the body;
2. go to the chest and back, moving from the middle to the side;
3. we move on to the stomach, which should be wiped clockwise with slow and gentle movements.

Washing must be done in cool water and gradually reduce its temperature. The very first washing should be done with a water temperature of 28-29 degrees Celsius... You can gradually lower the temperature to 20 degrees. When you return home from a walk, you can wash your hands with cool water. But only if the child's hands are warm. In the event that the baby is frozen, you do not need to use cold water, since this is not the best moment for hardening procedures.

It is necessary to take a shower or bath every day. This procedure is usually performed in the evening. When the bathing comes to an end, you can gradually reduce the temperature of the water. It is necessary to remember that at first the temperature must be completely comfortable for the baby.

Very effective remedy there will be a contrast shower... The greater the difference in temperature, the greater the effect can be achieved. Of course, first you need to make the difference very minimal, as in other methods.

First warm up your baby's feet, palms, back with warm water. Afterwards, pour in cool water. And then we switch back to warm water. The procedure must be performed three times, ending with a cold douche. After this, the baby must be well wrapped in a blanket or warm clothes.

Pouring cold water is the same wonderful way hardening, which will soon give remarkable results. Bathing, for example, may well end with a dousing. So you can accomplish two tasks at once - to redeem the crumb and to carry out the hardening process.

For a start, the temperature must be made at 36 degrees Celsius, and then gradually reduced by one or two degrees. At first, you can only douse your feet with cool water. This will provide a good immunostimulating effect.

Swimming in open water has a good hardening effect. The water is quite cool there, and small physical activity will also be available. Make sure the water temperature is at least 22 degrees Celsius. Of course, swimming in the reservoir is possible only in hot weather in summer, when the water warms up enough. Only in this way the child will not freeze.

You always need to keep track of the time during which the baby is in the water. In the event that goose bumps appear, as well as trembling and blue lips, you need to immediately pull the child out of the water, since this is a sign of hypothermia. It is necessary to immediately wrap the baby with a towel and give him a drink of hot water.

Hardening by the sun

"Dousing with the sun" - this procedure is called sunbathing. It is necessary to start, as in all previous cases, gradually. When a little adaptation takes place, move on to new conditions.

You can start sunbathing with a walk along the beach, but you must always be in the shade so that the baby does not heat his head. The kid should be lightly dressed. The temperature around should be 22-29 degrees Celsius. We must not forget about the headdress, which must be worn on the head. After a few days, you can bare your child's arms and legs. It is necessary to remember that the optimal time for sunbathing is from 9 to 11:00 in the morning and from 16 to 18:00 in the evening. At this time, the sun has not yet begun to actively fry. You need to stay in the sun for no more than 5 minutes, then go into the shade again.

When first tanning occurs you can undress your baby to his underpants. In this case, the walking time can be increased from 5 to 10 minutes. During and after sunbathing, you need to give your baby a sufficient amount of water, and also do not forget about what time you can take him out in the sun. When the procedure is over, the baby can be doused with cool water.

Sunbathing is a method that involves a combination of sunbathing at a time when there is little wind outside. The ambient temperature should be 19 degrees Celsius or higher. In the event that the baby is sweating, this may mean overheating. You need to immediately go into the shade and wash yourself with cold water. You should not carry out the procedure if there is a strong and piercing wind outside.

Outcome

We looked at how to temper a child correctly. You also need to know that in order to achieve maximum results from hardening, it is advisable to combine all the above methods and not forget that the child should feel absolutely comfortable... Subject to all the above rules, the child will always feel good, will be able to withstand various temperature changes, and will also acquire a strong immunity that will not fail in the most emergency situations.

We will not make a discovery if we say that dousing with cold water is far from the only (and not the most effective, to be honest, though the most popular) way of hardening, especially children. And if parents really want to significantly improve the health of the baby, then they simply must know: the system of adequate hardening of children includes many more activities and procedures than banal "games" with a cold shower. And even more so! To properly temper a child, the whole family will have to reconsider their lifestyle ...

Indeed, it is foolish to assume that the older generation can actively engage in hardening of babies, without in any way changing their own style of existence. Fortunately, like a family business, living a healthy life (and hardening as part of it) involves all family members.

Hardening children: why is it needed

As a rule, caring parents have much more banal cliche answers to this question than real and correct knowledge about how exactly children should be tempered. There is nothing surprising in the fact that everyone understands that hardened, it is much easier to endure certain serious diseases or operations.

And in general - in everyday life, a child with strong immunity, formed during hardening, is usually more active, energetic and athletic, develops quickly, does not have problems with the digestive system and skin condition, and is less prone to allergic reactions.

And nevertheless, you should not flatter yourself either - hardening children does not guarantee that the child will not get sick at all. Alas, no matter how strong and "impenetrable" human immunity is, this is never an absolute guarantee against contracting one or another infection or other diseases. In other words, everyone can "catch", for example, ARVI, but a hardened organism will endure the disease more easily and recover faster.

The most correct approach: tempering as a way of life for the whole family

First of all, those parents whose children fall under the definition of "" think about hardening children. And they are absolutely right in thinking that hardening a child with a weakened immune system will make him stronger and more resilient in the face of disease. However, parents most often mean by "hardening" a certain set of manipulations and procedures (which we will definitely talk about, but a little later!), Meanwhile, in fact, the best hardening has on the child a lifestyle that is as close to natural as possible (which is consistent with our biological nature).

This means that the baby should spend a lot and often in the fresh air, move actively throughout the day, eat right and live in a room with an adequate climate - with a moderate temperature and sufficient humidity.

It's no secret that a number of external factors have a huge impact on our health and well-being:

• natural and climatic: sun, air, water (and I must say that these factors are most often conducive to health promotion, especially in children);
• household (the conditions in which we live, household chemicals that we use on a daily basis, etc.);
• our lifestyle (our food and our sleep, study or work, our leisure, etc.).

As a species, humans are made to move and live in nature. Long walks in the fresh air, holidays in the countryside or at sea, healthy meals made from fresh products and simple dishes, etc., heal and tone us up. In contrast, our immunity is “bursting at the seams” under the influence of many hours of “sitting” in front of a TV or monitor, from life “locked up”, from overeating and “heavy” food, from an obvious lack of sunlight and fresh air. And the child's body with such a lifestyle suffers doubly ...

So it turns out that hardening of children is not primarily about winter swimming, weekly fasting, running barefoot in the first snow and other "cool" health procedures that, although good in essence, hardly contribute to the health of an unprepared child.

The hardening of children is, first of all, a correction of the lifestyle of your family, its orientation towards a more natural lifestyle, in which both adults and children spend a lot of time in motion in the fresh air, eat right, create comfortable conditions for their health in the house and rationally distribute stress in the form of study and work in order to avoid constant stress.

How to temper a child: myths, misconceptions and mistakes

Before talking about the procedures and measures that help to strengthen the child's immunity, it is worth talking about the "anti-tempering" of children, whom most parents "sin" to one degree or another. There are three typical mistakes that parents (and especially grandmothers!) Make about children, and which practically negate any attempts to strengthen the child's immunity.

• 1 "Button up your jacket, or you'll catch a cold!"... Of course, the baby should be dressed appropriately for the weather, but, alas, adults are sometimes overly zealous when wrapping a child. A large amount of clothing interferes with the baby's proper heat exchange and impedes free movement. Naturally, neither one nor the other is conducive to health.

Popular children's doctor, Dr. EO Komarovskiy: “Any doctor, even with minimal practical experience, will confirm to you that sweating in children causes colds hundreds of times more often than hypothermia. Regardless of the season and climatic realities, the child should be dressed so that it is easy for him to move and does not sweat. "

• 2 "You won't get up from the table until you finish eating!"... Overeating is a huge medical problem of the modern generation, including children. The human body cannot "boast" of strong immunity if it is constantly overloaded with food. The main criterion that regulates the child's nutrition should be his own appetite and only he alone, and not the principles that the grandmother or other relatives profess. The kid should consume exactly as much food as he needs to reimburse energy costs, and not as much as you managed to cook. And, in no case should you force him to swallow food further. Set aside the plate and go for a walk with your baby, warning him that until the next meal (lunch, dinner, etc.) he will not receive any delicacies, snacks, sandwiches, etc.
• 3 “Got a deuce? You won't go for a walk today! "... Daily walks in the fresh air and physical activity are a natural physiological need of a healthy human body. Therefore, depriving a child of walks as a punishment is akin to being deprived of food or sleep. Remember, the more time the kid spends indoors, sitting at lessons or a computer monitor, the weaker his immunity becomes. And vice versa, children who run around in the yard from morning to evening in any weather, as a rule, get sick extremely rarely and almost instantly. Take a walk with your children! Ride bicycles and scooters, roller-skate and ski, play funny and active games, go out of town for picnics - in a word, literally by personal example, educate your child in the habit of living actively and harmoniously. And latently - thus strengthen his (and your own!) Immunity and "feed" a healthy appetite!

How to temper a child: activities and procedures

There are a number of special hardening procedures, time-tested and quite effective for both adults and children. The main principle of implementing these procedures in life is gradualness and regularity! And also compliance with simple general rules:

• you can start and carry out any hardening procedures only when the child is healthy;
• for the start of hardening the child, the season does not matter;
• it is extremely important that hardening procedures take their unchanging place in the daily routine (that is, they are performed at the same time);

Duration table of hardening procedures for children under 3 years old

Duration table of hardening procedures for children 3-8 years old

For children over 8-9 years old, hardening procedures either become an ordinary daily ritual (part of the family's daily life), or "develop" into a special sports regime with a special training scenario and additional strengthening procedures (depending on the type of sport and individual characteristics of the child).

Hardening children: bathing in cool water, dousing and rubbing

Water quenching with a gradual (!) decrease in temperature, you can begin to practice after the first month of a child's life. The first 6 months, the water temperature for daily bathing ranges from 36 ° C to 34 ° C. After six months, the temperature is gradually reduced to 32-31 ° C. The duration of such bathing is 5-7 minutes (most often this is just the final part). After the baby has "swam" in cool water, take it out and doused with water 1-2 degrees colder than it was before in the bath. Then wrap it in a soft cozy towel and rub it lightly.

The duration and temperature of the water when doused strongly depend on the age and condition of the child, on climatic conditions and on the personal preferences of the baby. There are children who, after several weeks of repeating this procedure (with a necessarily gradual decrease in temperature), “fall in love” with it so much that they can gladly douse themselves with cool enough water (22-20 ° C) for 1.5-2 minutes with each bath procedure ...

Water temperature for hardening drenching children

After dousing the baby, you need to rub it lightly. Trituration in essence, it resembles intensive stroking of the skin in order to warm it up a little, to tone it up. It is best to dry your baby with a soft towel. Please note that the child should not experience any discomfort from the procedure, and even less pain! A sense of proportion and tenderness are your best assistants in this matter. In addition, excessive wiping down reduces the hardening effect of a cool douche or shower, as it significantly increases skin temperature.

How to temper a child every day: air and sun baths, walks in the fresh air

Air baths useful for all children, but especially for babies. They not only have a general strengthening effect on the baby's body, but also improve the quality of the skin (which is very important for children suffering from, or of all kinds).

If climatic conditions allow, such procedures can be combined with a walk in the fresh air and sunbathing, if not, the child should be tempered indoors, strictly observing "climate control". Namely: the baby is undressed and left naked for a while: starting from 5-7 minutes and a temperature of + 22 ° C. Gradually, day after day, the temperature is reduced to 16-14 ° C of heat, and the duration of the air bath is increased to 15-20 minutes ...

In comfortable weather in the yard, the child can be worn all day in shorts alone (just ensure his skin is adequate, and put something like a panama hat on his head!), And at the same time, his body will definitely become stronger, and his immunity - stronger. It is very good if at the same time the baby will spend part of the time barefoot - this will not only become part of hardening, but also provide the child with beauty.

We cherish our hopes about walking in the fresh air, it makes no sense at all to tell you - being good and caring parents, you yourself are well aware that being in the fresh air for any human body (and for a child - twice) is many times more useful " cuckoo "indoors. You should walk with children every day, regardless of the weather, laziness and other circumstances.

Swimming in the sea, bodies of water, indoor and outdoor pools

Modern methods of hardening are advised to teach your baby to swim almost from birth.

Swimming is a great way to harden children of any age. It combines the hardening effect of cool water on the body and strengthening physical activity. It is only important to remember that what younger child - the less time he has to swim (babies up to a year - no more than a couple of minutes, but children 4-5 years old can already swim for 8-10 minutes). At the same time, the water temperature in an open reservoir should not be lower than 22 ° C.

Gymnastics and physical activity

In fact, if a child leads an active lifestyle, moves and jumps a lot during walks in the fresh air (usually compassionate grandmothers say that “he has an awl in his butt”), then there is no point in loading him with any additional physical exercises. Except, perhaps, perhaps. Which, in fact, should consist of very simple exercises for "awakening", warming up and lightly "stretching" muscles and joints.

It should be fun and easy for the baby while charging - in fact, only you know about the seriousness of your event. And the child should just jump, squat, bend over and stretch in all directions, reasonably believing that you are just playing with him early in the morning ...

And keep in mind - not a single child will do morning exercises alone. But on the other hand, being a born "monkey", he will accurately copy all your movements when you get up to exercise with him.

Resourceful and adequate parents usually come up with a simple set of exercises for practicing with their baby. It is important that charging is easy, perky, with pleasure and does not take more than 5-7 minutes. But if for some reason you are afraid to exercise on your own, you can always find a dozen good video instructions on the Web. Like this one, for example:

How to temper a child: in a nutshell

So, the traditional "rules for the refrigerator" - what you need to do to harden the child:

• Take a walk every day and in any weather (with rare exceptions);
• Do not force to eat.
• To encourage any "physical education" - any hobby and any game in which the child actively moves is suitable.
• Whenever possible, take the child out into nature, out of town.
• Minimize contact with household chemicals.
• It is reasonable to distribute mental stress (if the baby is on duty and is often sick, then perhaps 2-3 circles in which you wrote him down are actually superfluous).
• Maintain a healthy nursery climate - with a moderate temperature and sufficient humidity.
• If desired, regularly perform a simple set of hardening procedures with the children.

Any pediatrician and physiotherapist will confirm to you that the healthy lifestyle of the family as a whole (in which it is customary to spend a lot of time outdoors and in good mood, which eats correctly and moderately, in which they prefer active rest and do not cultivate laziness) strengthens the child's body dozens of times more successfully and effectively than any tempering procedures like dousing and air baths ...

Of course, the creation of such a lifestyle will require significant efforts from parents: after all, in order to once again take the child to the forest or to the river for the whole day, everyone will have to “tear the priests off the sofa” - both father and mother ... But the result is more than attractive - not only one baby will become stronger, but the whole family as a whole!

Hello! Tell me, how do you protect your child from colds and hypothermia? I know that most parents simply avoid cold weather and crowded places. Those. in the autumn-winter period they try not to let the child out of the house once again. Why?

Because the baby is simply not used to such weather fluctuations. So, maybe instead of keeping the little one at home, you need to develop a habit of cold? How do you think? If you agree with this, then I propose to study the rules of hardening for children, as well as contraindications.

What is hardening? This is the acquired resistance of the body to adverse weather events. Of course, cold air or water is a great danger for us. It is to these conditions that we will teach the baby.

Have you seen children who walk barefoot in the snow without fear or their parents dip them into an ice hole? Of course, these are drastic measures. To engage in such activities, you need to train your body very well! And in order for training to be only beneficial, you need to follow several rules:

1. Gradualness. You can not sharply pour ice water on a crumb. They start with comfortable temperatures, lowering them by 1 degree every 4-7 days.
2. Consistency. Once a week will not work! If you started hardening, then you need to do this every day! Not missing. Those. it should become a way of life. If there is a break, then the habit will quickly fade away. We'll have to start over.
3. The child must be completely healthy and alert. Those. if during the hardening period the child gets sick, you need to stop. And if the baby is not very sick, it is possible to continue hardening, but add a couple of degrees. How to do it exactly, your pediatrician will tell you. This is very a fine line, breaking which can cause great harm to a weakened body.
4. Mood. Remember that procedures should be fun! Some of you will be surprised what joy cold water can bring? Can. Read the first rule. You will not sharply water the crumbs. Start with comfortable temperatures.
5. You can start hardening as soon as you are discharged from the hospital. But on one condition: that the baby is healthy and was born on time. Of course, the measures should not be taken conservatively, so far only air baths. Well, I'll tell you about this later.
6. It is imperative that you consult a doctor before starting hardening activities. Only he can prescribe a list of procedures and identify contraindications.

As you can imagine, hardening is beneficial. But still, these are serious events that affect the entire body. Therefore, I cannot but tell you about the contraindications.

Contraindications

Hardening in a healthy toddler strengthens not only the immune system. It makes the heart and blood vessels stronger. Therefore, if the hardened toddler caught a cold, not even from the cold, but from a virus in the air, the disease will be more easily transferred. But even if all the rules are followed, the body gets a big shake-up. And, unfortunately, there are categories of babies who cannot undergo such procedures. Here are the contraindications:

• Chronic and infectious diseases. Better to wait. When the baby gets better. Do not take risks during an exacerbation.
• Cardiovascular diseases.
• Respiratory diseases.
• Premature pregnancy. We'll have to wait until the crumb gets stronger. Take your time.
• Diseases associated with neurology. Here only on the strict prescription of a doctor.

In general, anyone, even a seemingly healthy toddler, needs a medical examination initially. Without the appointment of a pediatrician, you should not start hardening activities. I have already spoken about this. Well, if you got the go-ahead from the doctor, there are methods that are used for hardening. I will talk about them in more detail, more precisely about the rules, when using these methods.

Air

The most affordable and easiest way. As I already wrote, air baths can be taken immediately after discharge from the hospital, if the baby is healthy and full-term. Start with a couple of minutes, gradually working up to 15-30 minutes. It's great if you can lower the room temperature yourself. If so, lower it by 1 degree every week. After a couple of months, the baby can be in the room at a temperature of +17 ° ... But not for long! And see that he is active at this time.

When you grow up, the same method can be used during morning exercises. Leave only panties on the toddler. And go ahead!

Of course, don't forget about walking! Also, starting after discharge from the hospital and so every day! For newborns, start at 5 minutes a day. And so bring up to 2-3 hours. I left my daughter in a stroller to sleep on the veranda. Controlling if she's frozen. When it was too windy or frosty, I dressed her, opened the window, and so she slept in the room.

When the child grows up, you need to take the next step - to acquaint him with the sun!

Sunbathing

When the baby is actively stomping, you can walk with him on the street in the morning and evening hours... Let him be in the shade first. Then, you can slowly withdraw into the sun. But make sure that such walks in the morning continue until 10-11 hours. And in the evening they started after 16-17 hours.

By the way, don't be afraid if the crumb gets dirty! Let him bother in the sand, tan. Then you will shake it off and bathe. Such walks only increase immunity! Do you remember that there are three basic principles for hardening: sun, air and water? Make the most of this. Speaking of water.

Water procedures

And at what age can you temper with water? I have a friend who started pouring water on her daughter before she was one year old. From about 6 months. Plus regular use of the pool. What have they achieved by this? Yes, the girl is sick. But it is extremely rare, and obviously the cause of the disease is not hypothermia, but viral infections... By the way, colds are transferred much easier than those of unhardened peers.

In general, water quenching can be of several types:

• Rubdown.
• Dousing.
• Bathing.

And what are the rules to follow during water procedures? Start hardening only at temperatures that are comfortable for the child. Usually, it is +30 ° ...+32° ... Every 4-5 days, decrease by 1 degree. Lowest wipe limit - +16 ° ... The same is for pouring.

What about swimming? You can and should swim all year round... Open reservoirs are required in summer. For the little ones, you can take the baby bath outside. In cold weather, visits to the pool will have a high effect.

Of course, it is very good to combine all these activities and observe regularity. The combination of factors will have a beneficial effect on the immune system of the baby. Make her work.

Tell us, how do you improve the health of your little one? What methods do you use? What rules do you follow? Leave comments and become blog subscribers. Until next time. Until!

It is in such a situation that parents remember about hardening and start pouring cold water on the baby. But the method does not bring the expected effect and disappoints desperate moms and dads. Doctors say that hardening the child's body is an integral part of the child's health, but it must be done correctly.

There are many myths about the methods and ways of hardening children. Parents should understand the peculiarities of the child's body and choose procedures suitable for the baby. Do not forget about the hardening rules, without which all efforts will be in vain, and the health of the crumbs may even worsen.

What is hardening

Hardening - increasing the body's resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions by targeted, dosed exposure to these conditions.

At the mention of the word "hardening" in the memory immediately pops up pouring cold water, but water treatments - not the only method to strengthen the child's immunity

Where to start hardening a child

You need to start hardening by changing the lifestyle of the whole family. After all, the strengthening of the protective functions of the immune system will not occur when doused with cold water. To effectively strengthen the health of the child, hardening procedures should include other simple activities.

To do this, it is enough to bring the baby's lifestyle closer to natural, natural.

• Regular walks

The child should be outside every day, actively play in the fresh air. This significantly strengthens the baby's immunity. When choosing between walking and watching TV, parents should give preference to spending time together on the street.

• Do not wrap up!

Pay attention to how many layers of clothing your child is wearing. Dr. Komarovsky claims that at temperatures above 23 degrees, one thin layer of clothing, dress or sleeveless T-shirt is sufficient.

The child is constantly in motion and he freezes much less often than his parents. Dressed warmly, in several layers, babies sweat quickly, which causes the development of diseases.

• Weather in the house

Too dry indoor air is considered one of the reasons for frequent colds. Overdried mucous membranes lose their protective properties and cease to resist viruses and bacteria. This is especially true for rooms with additional heaters and underfloor heating.

In houses where underfloor heating is constantly working, air humidity is reduced to 20%, while normal values \u200b\u200bare 40-60%.

If the air in your apartment is too dry, you should consider additional humidification methods.

The temperature in the room should be 20-22 degrees. Observance of sufficient humidity and temperature conditions in the house will protect the baby from many problems.

The correct balance of stress, outdoor walks and relaxation forms the basis of the baby's health. It is important to prevent overloading the baby with an excess of sections and increased psycho-emotional stress.

• Proper nutrition

A healthy diet is about getting enough nutrients in your diet to help build your body's defenses against infection. It is undesirable to eat heavy food, overeating and feeding the child through force. It is necessary to follow the feeding regime, eat simple and healthy food.

• Hardening procedures

The rational use of hardening procedures has a positive effect on the baby's body, improves blood circulation, metabolism, and the work of the nervous system. The child gradually adapts to the effects of hardening factors, the ability to resist infections increases.

Hardening procedures are divided depending on the environmental factor that affects the body. The most common and effective hardening systems for children are water and air procedures, sun hardening.

Hardening rules

Under no circumstances should hardening be unpleasant for the baby. A child should not cry, scream, take hardening as a test. If the child does not like the method you have chosen, choose another option that will bring benefits and positive emotions to the child.

• We harden ourselves gradually

There is no need to rush to temper the baby, let the body of the crumbs adapt gradually. Increase the procedure time little by little, gradually lower the temperature.

• We carry out procedures systematically

Hardening procedures will have excellent results if done regularly. It is best to find the right moment when the baby is full and in a good mood. The procedures should be carried out at the same time every day.

• Combining hardening factors

It is necessary to periodically change and combine hardening factors. The most useful and accessible of them are sun, air and water. A combination of hardening procedures and gymnastics is very effective.

• We prevent hypothermia and overheating of the child

Monitor the condition and mood of the baby during hardening. Too intense activities can negatively affect the health of the child.

• Do not temper during illness

Before starting hardening, you should consult a doctor. If a hardened child is feeling unwell, has a fever or has been vaccinated, hardening should be skipped.

• Harden together

If traditions healthy way the whole family adheres to life and hardening, the child quickly adapts and supports the parents.

• Start at any age

Although the effectiveness of hardening is higher with the correct organization of the baby's life from the cradle, you can start hardening at any age.

Types of hardening procedures

Air hardening

Air hardening is one of the easiest and safest methods to improve baby health. It is with him that it is worth starting hardening of newborns and babies up to a year.

Airing

From the first days of a baby's life, you need to create the right environmental conditions. For newborns, a comfortable room temperature is 22 degrees. Ventilate the room in winter time it is necessary at least 4-5 times a day, and the air temperature after airing should decrease by 1 degree.

When carrying out the procedure, it is worth taking it to another room. Older children can gradually be taught to open a window for a short time. In the warm season, the oxygen supply should be constant, you can leave the window open even in the presence of the baby. But if the ventilation of the apartment is through, the child should be taken to another room.

Walking

The first can be done within a few days after discharge from the hospital, provided the baby is in a satisfactory condition. The duration of the walk depends on the season and temperature conditions in the region. On average, the first time you go outside should last about 20 minutes, and the duration of the walk should gradually increase to 1-2 hours.

You should refuse to walk with a baby if the temperature outside the window dropped below 15 degrees or rose above 30 degrees. This will prevent possible hypothermia and overheating of the child.

To determine the minimum temperature for walking a baby, Dr. Komarovsky suggests a rule: for each month of the baby we add -5 degrees, but in the end the temperature outside should not be lower than 15 degrees.

Air baths

The easiest way to harden babies in the first month of life is to air baths during swaddling. It doesn't take long, the baby is left undressed on the changing table for a few minutes.

When the baby is six months old, the duration of the procedure increases to 15 minutes, and by the age of one year - up to 30 minutes. Nice results bring air baths in the summer outside. To do this, you need to place the stroller with the baby in the shade of the trees.

If the child has not hardened before, air baths should be started gradually. To begin with, it is enough to bare the arms and legs, then to the waist, and then leave the child completely undressed. The duration of the first air baths should not exceed 5 minutes. This is how the child learns to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Tempering children with water

There are various ways of hardening children with water, you can choose suitable procedures for any age.

Hardening in the bathroom

Even healthy newborns can be tempered with water after consulting a pediatrician. To do this, the usual bath with a temperature of 37 degrees should be finished with a cool pouring with pre-prepared water from a jug. It is important that the water from the jug is 1-2 degrees cooler than in the bathroom.

Then the temperature of the water in the jug should be gradually lowered by 1 degree every 3-5 days. But you should not pour cold water on the crumbs below 20-26 degrees.

Watering the baby should be kept in the palm of your hand with your back up, starting from the feet and heels and ending with the back along the spine and the back of the head. After the procedure, dry your child with a towel and warm it up.

You can harden the crumb without getting out of the bath. To do this, transplant the baby to the side and turn on the tap with cold water. When the water temperature in one part of the bath is a degree lower than in the other, move the baby from side to side. Thus, swimming in cool water alternates with a dip in warm water. After the procedure, dry and warm the baby.

Rubdown

After the child reaches two months of age, the following hardening method can be introduced - wet wiping. A rubdown is carried out after the baby wakes up, given that 60-90 minutes should pass after eating. The room temperature should be kept within 20-22 degrees. In the summertime, rubdown is good to do outside.

A hardening procedure is carried out using a terry mitt or towel soaked in cool water of 33-35 degrees. If the child is happy to accept the procedure, you can make the water 1 degree colder.

The procedure itself consists in rubbing the baby's skin with massage movements. It is better to follow this sequence: first, they wipe the arms and legs of the crumbs, then they are taken for the belly, chest and back of the baby. It is better to finish the procedure by wiping the child's skin with a dry towel.

For one and a half year old children, the ideal temperature for wiping is considered to be 28-30 degrees. At the age of over 2 years, it is permissible to cool the water to 24-26 degrees. For an older baby over 4 years old, with regular hardening, water cooled to 22-23 degrees is suitable. Hardening of older children, adolescents is carried out with water below 20 degrees.

Dousing

After adaptation of the child to wet wiping, you can start hardening by pouring cool water. The procedure is carried out both while bathing in the bathroom and taking hygiene procedures, or separately.

Pouring over baby's arms and legs

If the child has not received hardening procedures before, it is necessary to pour over 2-3 weeks after the baby has adapted to rubdown. First, start pouring 30-32 degrees water over the baby's arms and legs. After the procedure, rub the skin of the crumbs until light redness. The water temperature is reduced by one degree every week until it reaches 20 degrees.

Important. When pouring water, the child should be warmed. If the baby's hands and feet are cooled, hardening with cool water does not make sense, the body does not perceive the change in the environmental factor.

Contrast dousing

You can apply a contrasting drenching of the legs and feet of the crumbs. To do this, the child's legs are alternately watered with warm and cold water. Please note that the temperature of warm water should be 30-32 degrees, and the temperature of cold water should fluctuate within 24-25 degrees and gradually decrease.

One of the types of contrast procedures is the use of foot basins with warm and cold water. The immersion of the feet in water is carried out 3-6 times.

Weakened children should end the procedure by dipping their feet into a basin of warm water, and hardened children into cold water.

Pouring the whole baby

After the baby has adapted to partial drenching, you can start pouring the whole crumbs. For this, a container with water or a shower is used. If the child has been hardening well and for a long time, then a contrast shower can be used.

Do not forget that hardening must take place in game form and not cause negative emotions in the baby. In hot summer weather, it is good to carry out any method of dousing outside.

Hardening by the sun

The sun's rays strongly affect the activity of the crumbs' immune system. In small doses, ultraviolet light stimulates the protective properties of the child's body. But increased sun exposure, especially in children under 3 years of age, can be dangerous.

It is unacceptable to stay in the open sun and even more so the sunbathing of children under 1 year old. The skin of the baby is not able to produce a sufficient amount of protective pigment - melanin.

You can temper babies with the sun only in the shade of trees. In this case, the sun's rays are scattered and do not have a harmful effect on the baby's skin. Make sure that during hardening the child can move, play with toys, and do not forget to put a panama hat on the baby's head.

At an air temperature of 25-26 degrees and there is no wind, you can leave the crumbs in shorts and a T-shirt made of thin fabric. After half an hour on the street, with good health, the child is exposed for a few minutes. Every day, the time spent without clothes is increased by a minute until reaching 10 minutes.

Starting from 3 years old, you can gradually take your baby out into the sun. For hardening by sunbathing, the time before noon and after 4 pm is better. It is important that at this time the child plays quiet games and does not overwork. The duration of the first sun hardening procedure should not exceed 5 minutes. The maximum duration of sunbathing for children should not exceed 50 minutes.

Sun hardening is unacceptable if the air temperature has risen above 30 degrees.

Very efficient way hardening - swimming in reservoirs in the open air. In this case, all the hardening factors are combined - the sun, air and water. This hardening method is suitable for children over 3 years old.

To start the procedures, preference should be given to the morning and evening periods. The air temperature should be at least 25 degrees, and the water should be at least 23. Be sure to take care of the presence of a beach umbrella, shade where the baby can rest. You need to start hardening from 15 minutes in water.

Hardening and age of the child

Each mother is interested in the question of what needs to be done so that the baby grows healthy and active, whether the early hardening method will harm the baby. In fact, many of the fears of parents are groundless, competent tempering will strengthen the immune system and help avoid frequent illnesses.

For children under one year old, air hardening is ideal, which can be carried out while changing the child's clothes. Then include a douche of cool water or wet wipes in your daily baths. Do not forget about walks, you should choose the right clothes for your baby.

For children over 3 years old, in addition to the above, you can use contrasting procedures and start applying sun hardening. Good results at this age are obtained by a combination and change of hardening methods. Hardening children and adolescents can include a full range of immune-boosting activities.

Conclusion

• Hardening a child's body is a simple and effective way to train a child's defenses.
• It is best to start accustoming your child to hardening from the first year of life. But if you missed this period, do not despair - it is never too late to start hardening. Guided by simple rules, you can easily and safely increase the body's resistance.
• For each period of a child's life, the influence of a certain environmental factor is suitable.
• Strengthening the baby's immunity should include not only the impact of physical factors, but also the correction of the lifestyle of the whole family. This will bring good and long lasting results.