Winter swimming: benefits and harm to the body. Winter swimming: opinions for and against
Debunking myths about “walruses”
Due to the fact that many people have erroneous ideas about “walruses” ingrained in their minds, some practice winter swimming incorrectly. Therefore, before diving headlong into the ice hole, it is necessary to fill in some knowledge gaps.
Many people believe that “walruses” are not susceptible to colds, drink strong drinks before classes, and always plunge entirely into the ice hole. In fact, such people do not get sick due to intensive hardening and, as a result, excellent immunity. Alcohol negatively affects the body’s thermoregulation, so it is absolutely contraindicated before winter swimming. And it is not recommended for beginners to dive headlong into an ice hole due to the special sensitivity to hypothermia of the vessels of the head.
Contrary to popular belief, the figure of “walruses” is in excellent shape due to their general physical fitness, and not due to hardening. As a rule, such people monitor their health. exercise and eat right.
Another myth is that winter swimming can only be done in severe frost. However, in order to successfully engage in winter swimming, you can go out to the reservoirs when the temperature is above four to eight degrees. Winter swimming can also be done in the summer, provided that there are cold springs in the reservoir.
How to start winter swimming
In order to start winter swimming, you need to be a real “ace” in dousing with cold water. Simply put, winter swimming is the next step after hardening. As with hardening, you need to warm the body exclusively with non-alcoholic drinks (for example, decoction or tea), and also ensure that your feet are insulated. It is also worth going through the “intermediate stage” from hardening to winter swimming by swimming in a natural pond or river in the warm summer season. As autumn approaches, the water will begin to cool, but you can still continue swimming. Thus, by winter the body will adapt to winter swimming in natural conditions.
Don’t forget about physical exercises before diving: jumping, squats, etc. This will help you warm up and distribute oxygen through the veins and cells of the whole body. Having emerged from the ice hole, you need to move a little and wipe your body dry. If after winter swimming procedures a person feels an intense trembling that permeates the body, then the body is not yet ready and the exercise must be stopped immediately. In addition, beginners should not engage in winter swimming more than three times a week.
Main contraindications
Winter swimming is absolutely contraindicated for people with serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, who have suffered a heart attack or stroke. The restrictions also apply to people suffering from kidney disease, liver disease and other chronic ailments. Due to a sharp temperature change, vascular spasm occurs, which can provoke not only muscle cramps, but also a heart attack. People with allergies to cold in all forms (itching, redness, etc.), pulmonary insufficiency and tuberculosis should forget about winter swimming. In addition, acute gynecological diseases (cystitis, candidiasis, etc.) can serve as an obstacle to exercise. So before you take up winter swimming, you should consult your doctor.
Despite the apparent difficulties, winter swimming helps to gain not only health and strength of mind, but also arouse great interest among friends and acquaintances. Be healthy!
Hardening - many people associate this word with willpower, endurance and health. At least once in their life, every person on Earth has thought about the benefits of this method of healing. “What is it like to be in forty-degree frost in icy water from an ice hole?”, “Or maybe I should try to become a walrus?” - questions asked by people who care about their health.
If you haven’t come to a consensus, we will help you figure out whether it’s worth trying your hand at hardening.
It would seem, what can surprise a person of the 21st century? However, for many, one sentence “swimming in icy water in the cold” causes chills and goosebumps. In an era of convenience and comfort, a person is reluctant to get out from under the blanket, giving up tea and movies. But our ancestors found winter swimming an exciting and fun pastime. As an absolute opposite, later in Rus' they began to create the first baths, which were built along the banks of rivers and reservoirs: from freezing water to a hot bathhouse and vice versa.
Although representatives of science and medicine have not determined the effect of winter swimming on the human body, they advise: when deciding to plunge into icy water, first prepare yourself thoroughly. Your motto should be: “Do no harm, but increase health.” You can swim in cold water without any preparation, but don’t expect your body to thank you for your brave act.
Would you like to join the ranks of the “walruses”? Then first of all, get a medical examination. People with heart problems should unconditionally give up winter swimming. Those suffering from asthma and hypertension should do the same. Diseases of the thyroid gland and lungs are not compatible with extreme hardening.
So, the medical examination has been completed - you are healthy. Where should young “walruses” start? As in any other matter, before plunging your whole body into the frosty water, start with basic douches, gradually lowering the temperature. When you feel strong enough and resistant to low temperatures, go to the river.
When diving for the first time, find an insurer. To make the process safer, make the ice hole as convenient as possible for diving and returning from it. The first dive should not last more than 10-20 seconds. It’s great if you find an experienced, like-minded person who will give you advice at the right time and help you get used to a new hobby.
When talking about the negative impact of winter swimming on the human body, they mention stress as a synonym for the word “harm.” Stress has a negative impact on health: depletion of the nervous system, leading to many other diseases. We will not deny this fact - we will just clarify: the definition of stress includes a prolonged state of tension, for example, at work or in personal life.
Winter swimming is short-term, minor stress. According to some experts, stress will help awaken a dormant immune system, get rid of excess weight and insomnia, get a boost of vigor and energy, perk up and increase life expectancy.
Like any physical activity, swimming in an ice hole causes our body to produce endorphins - hormones responsible for happiness. It is worth noting that “walruses,” nicknamed by some people as adrenaline junkies, get sick much less often than other people (including those leading a healthy lifestyle).
According to winter swimmers, they perceive the process of diving into icy water not as a hobby, but as an entire system with a philosophical bent. It is known that not all people can afford to go winter swimming: not only because of health problems, but also because of laziness or weak character.
When you come to a meeting of the “walruses” on a cold winter day, you will not meet a single weak person. Hardening is called more than a sport: it completely changes people, makes them look differently at the world, the environment and themselves. By joining the ice swimmers, you will learn discipline and responsibility that are significantly different from the definitions of words that we are accustomed to in everyday life.
We can safely say: among the people reading the article, there will be at least one who likes to take a steam bath, and then plunge into the snow or cold water. Of course, such procedures also refer to types of hardening. Therefore, remember: a preliminary consultation with a doctor will help prevent emergencies. You need to know moderation in everything!
Warm up in the steam room, lie down in the snow for a couple of seconds or dive into the water and get out, don’t play with your health. After completing the procedure, return to the bathhouse and warm up. Do not overuse the broom: you should be aware that activities carried out in the steam room require no less preparation than immersion in ice water.
Take care of yourself and be healthy!
If you begin to feel chronic fatigue, attacks of bad mood are becoming more and more frequent, and the slightest virus can “knock down” you with a fever... Then you simply need hardening! We will talk about how to decide on this step in the material.
Also baths - but airy. First stage.
It's better to start with jogging. This is the easiest way for beginners to toughen up.
Daily jogging - in light clothes in the morning park - is the best stimulant for metabolism. But remember: the time for taking such “baths” is no more than 30 minutes.
If running is not something you like or is contraindicated for medical reasons, then you can harden yourself at home: ventilate the room and do exercises in such cool air.
Such training strengthens muscles, normalizes metabolism and gives additional strength to your body.
Contrast dousing. Second phase.
It sounds threatening, you will agree, but there is no need to be afraid. It will not be difficult at all, because you need to get used to this procedure gradually. The first two weeks, as usual,
When newcomers come to the gym, due to their inexperience, they make many mistakes. Of course, there is a fitness instructor in the gym who will show you a number of exercises and correct any errors that appear. However, in this article we will tell you what exercises you need to do and how many approaches.
Even if you follow all the diets and proper nutrition regimens correctly, you still will not be able to achieve an increase in muscle mass. In order to achieve a certain result, there are only two options: go to a sports club or exercise at home. Of course, the fitness instructor will select the necessary set of exercises and tell you about the diet. However, in this article we will offer you a method of building mass based on several exercises.
In this article, let's look at how you can build muscles at home. The main obstacle to studying at home is our laziness. However, if you overcome it and start exercising at least an hour a day, you will notice results within a couple of weeks. And you definitely need to give yourself at least one day off.
By definition from physiology reference books, there are three main body types. Z By knowing the characteristics of each of them, you can change your body, while quickly selecting only the right sets of exercises or diets. However, on the Internet there is some scattering of concepts and terms for determining body type - we will try to eliminate this.
The article will discuss exercises that allow you to pump up important muscles - the lower abs. These exercises can be performed both at home and in the gym. This instruction is intended for those people who want to pump up beautiful abs quickly, while spending only about ten minutes a day.
This article will talk about a beautiful male figure, namely with regard to broad shoulders. Let's look at exercises to keep your muscles toned. They can be performed at home or in the gym.
“Step, second, third - and suddenly an icy cold compresses the whole body. But after just a couple of seconds, the abyss that is under the solar plexus responds with a scarlet hot fire. The flame grows, fills every cell, then slowly goes out, giving way to a thousand small needles. Immediately. you feel renewed, as if wings are growing behind your back..." These are the feelings of a person plunging into an ice hole; experienced walruses assure that you will not get these emotions anywhere else. Meanwhile, debates about the benefits and harms of winter procedures have not subsided to this day.
Clean water is bad for sick people
Hardening with cold water or, as people say, “winter swimming” is associated in Rus' with one of the most revered church holidays, Epiphany, which falls during the most severe January frosts. On this day, believers went to the nearest reservoirs to fill their vessels with holy water, and the bravest ones plunged into the ice hole to cleanse themselves of sins. For a long time, winter swimming was associated with the Epiphany tradition. It was only in the 19th century that bathing in cold water was called hydrotherapy in the book “My Hydrotherapy” by the Bavarian priest Sebastian Kneipe.
In his work, he told how for a long time he suffered from frequent respiratory diseases, and only by plunging into the cold waters of the Danube was he able to get rid of the disease. After analyzing the therapeutic effects of cold water, Kneipe concluded that walking barefoot through dew, snow, wet stones and swimming in cold water are the best ways to treat various diseases, from hypertension to headaches. Modern theory and practice of winter swimming originate from his works. It is believed that adherents of cold baths have good immunity, they do not get the flu, are resistant to stress and are able to maintain a clear mind and lead an active lifestyle until old age.
There are also alternative methods of cold hardening, for example, cryotherapy, the essence of which is as follows: a person is placed in a special chamber (cryosauna), liquid nitrogen is released into it, the temperature drops to a maximum of 120-140 ° C, while the person does not feel any discomfort or pain, but the effect is no less than from being in cold water. Cryotherapy has a powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Liquid nitrogen relieves muscle spasms and strengthens the immune system. The short-term effect of cold on the human body not only heals, but also makes it attractive; this is medically proven; the hardening procedure makes the skin more elastic, and therefore youthful.
Moderation is the mother of health
Why doesn't winter swimming cause a severe cold? When immersed in cold water, adrenaline (the stress hormone) is released, which is responsible for adaptation to extreme conditions. It reduces pain sensitivity, increases heart rate, improves blood flow to internal organs and the brain, activates the immune system, and triggers heat production.
Please note that “walruses” are immersed in water for only 1-2 minutes, during which they not only do not experience cold, but also feel internal heat. If the winter swimming procedure is prolonged, then within 10 minutes the person will exhaust thermal resources and dangerous hypothermia will occur.
If you don't know the ford, don't go into the water
Doctors say that all folk methods require health, patience and time, and these are values that a modern city dweller, as a rule, does not have. Unfortunately, there are not many avid walruses: most remember the “healing” properties of water only at Epiphany. And after swimming, dozens of people turn to doctors, many due to a sharp rise in blood pressure, and not only.
After all, if a person has trained only the chewing muscles all his life, and on Epiphany he runs to dive into an ice hole, this can have catastrophic consequences. You can’t just come and dive into an ice hole where an unprepared person faces prostatitis, impotence, infertility, and sometimes instant death. Chronic urological diseases are also getting worse.
Therefore, before you start winter swimming, be sure to consult your doctor. First of all, this applies to people with diseases of the cardiovascular system, bronchopulmonary diseases, diseases of the thyroid gland and genitourinary system. Even for healthy people, such hardening can become dangerous due to vascular spasm, convulsions and excessive heat loss from the body.
The water is cold, the body is vigorous
Each of us reacts differently to both high and low temperatures. This is due to the state of the endocrine system. How a person will feel after swimming in an ice hole can be checked at home. The temperature in the ice hole is from +4 to -2 degrees; if you try to douse yourself with water at this temperature at home, this will at least give a preliminary understanding of how a person will react to water in more severe conditions. Goose bumps, cyanosis, a feeling of chills are an unfavorable reaction of the body.
The process must occur gradually and systematically. If you are planning hardening, it is better to start in the summer and gradually reduce the water temperature. If you have to stop the hardening procedure for some time, then you need to start almost from scratch, since conditioned reflex activity is lost.
It is important to have a positive attitude: only in this case can you truly enjoy the procedures. Hardening leads to the production of endorphins, pleasure hormones, which influence the feeling of vitality and optimism, which is why hardened people are not afraid not only of winter cold, but also of life’s troubles.
Ice water causes a strong shake in the body, activating the nervous, hormonal, and immune systems. Thermoregulation changes - heat production increases, spasm of skin vessels occurs, as a result, heat transfer decreases. Endorphins are released into the blood, activating brain cells, causing mild euphoria, a surge of strength and vigor. “To swim in an ice hole, you need to be healthy,” notes general practitioner Elena LEBEDEVA. - For an unprepared beginner, such extreme exercise may not only not improve health, but also aggravate chronic diseases, especially of the kidneys, genitals, ear, throat, and throat. It is strictly forbidden to dive into an ice hole if you have heart disease, hypertension during an exacerbation, cerebrovascular accident, or epilepsy. Therefore, before you “sign up” for the walrus club, consult your doctor.”
READINESS #1
Avid walruses claim that ice water is healing - as soon as you plunge into the ice hole, all ailments will go away. “We shouldn’t attribute miraculous properties to winter swimming,” says otolaryngologist Alexander ZAKHAROV. - This is not a means of treatment, but prevention. By doing winter swimming regularly, you will become less sick: the body reacts to stress with a surge of adrenaline, which triggers processes for the active production of immune bodies. But, having decided to improve your health, do not rush into the hole. Prepare the body: start by wiping the body with snow, dousing it with water, gradually lowering the temperature. Pour warm water into one basin, cold water into the other and dip your feet in them one by one. The feet have a number of nerve endings connected to internal organs. Cold water reduces the activity of organs, hot water excites. This stimulation normalizes their work.”
Doctors categorically prohibit children from swimming in the cold! Their thermoregulation system has not yet been fully formed, frostbite can occur very quickly. The consequences of such bathing are serious: the child can get pneumonia or meningitis.
RULES OF WALKING WALKING
After a couple of months of hardening, you can plunge into the ice hole. But there are some subtleties here too:
- After this, drink sweet hot tea and do a warming workout.
For your first swims, choose weather with a thaw and no wind, or windless days with a temperature not lower than -5°C. Two hours before the dive, have a hearty lunch - when you find yourself in cold water, the body will quickly begin to spend all its resources on heating
Do not drink alcohol to warm up - alcohol promotes rapid hypothermia and puts extra strain on the heart. Better eat a piece of lard with a slice of black bread and a clove of garlic
Prepare a place for swimming in advance: the ice hole should have a wooden ladder with comfortable steps and durable railings; there should be a warm changing room next to the font
Your clothes and shoes should be easy and quick to put on and take off. Choose clothes without hooks and buttons, shoes without laces
Warm up, jog, or warm up exercises before swimming. Make sure your body is at normal temperature before entering the water. If you are hot, let your body cool down; if you feel chills, increase the intensity of your warm-up
Do not enter the water gradually, but immediately plunge up to your chest or neck. You should not dive headlong - cerebral vasospasm may occur.
Beginners can stay in the water for 3-5 seconds, and experienced walruses can spend up to 1 minute. You can’t stand still - move actively, swim
After leaving the water, quickly dry yourself with a terry towel and change into dry, warm clothes. Bring a mat with you - it’s comfortable to stand on while changing clothes.
Important! You can swim in an ice hole no more than every other day, since it takes at least a day to restore a number of physiological functions. It is better to plunge into the ice hole 1-3 times a week.
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Cold SoulsChapter 6. Contraindications
Winter swimming
You have probably witnessed so-called “walruses” swimming in cold water more than once. Perhaps you yourself would not mind trying such an extreme, but not unattractive, hardening method, especially if you have already mastered all the previous methods.
Winter swimming is probably the very last stage of hardening. And as you know, hardening can bring many benefits. Basically, the beneficial effect of hardening increases the body's resistance to various external influences.
Taking water procedures in the fresh air in winter should be in accordance with the basic principles of hardening.
Firstly, these principles include gradualism. Beginners to hardening procedures should not overuse their duration. The water or air temperature should not be hazardous to the health of an untrained person. The time of procedures should be increased gradually, and the temperature affecting the person should be gradually reduced.
Secondly, it is necessary to be systematic and not take breaks in hardening even for a short time. If the hardening procedures are interrupted, the process will have to start again.
The third prerequisite for all hardening procedures, without exception, is an individual approach. It is necessary to pay great attention to your health status at the start of the procedures. An individual approach must be maintained at all times. Depending on this important principle, all the others are modified. That is, depending on the physical condition of a person, the duration of the procedures, the operating temperatures, and the forms of hardening vary.
The last principle is the integrated use of all existing forms of hardening. This dramatically increases their effectiveness.
So why does winter swimming have a huge number of fans? And why do many people not take this type of hardening seriously? At first glance, this is a very difficult question, but if you think a little, everything will fall into place.
Winter swimming must be taken seriously. If a person has never come into contact with hardening and suddenly decides to join the “walrus” society, he needs to go through a whole series of previous procedures and exercises. Before you become a full-fledged “walrus,” you should thoroughly prepare. Otherwise, the newly minted “walrus” may pay for his impatience and rash actions.
It should be noted that some people have such good health that they can easily plunge into an ice hole without lengthy preliminary preparations, but there are only a few of them. Due to these circumstances, anyone wishing to join the numerous ranks of winter swimming enthusiasts will have to go through the entire hardening cycle.
So why is winter swimming beneficial and what processes occurring in our body does it influence?
There are cases when people caught in icy water stopped breathing, their heart could barely be heard, their blood pressure dropped to zero, and their body temperature dropped to half normal. But despite all these deadly factors, people were saved. As you know, the human brain cannot be without oxygen for even 5 minutes, and in the cases described, people were in a breathless state much longer than this critical time.
What happened to them? How did they manage to survive? Due to the sharp drop in body temperature, chemical reactions in their bodies slowed down sharply. At the same time, as a result, it slowed down. The cells' need for oxygen decreased sharply, so the brain did not suffer from its lack.
As you know, when the temperature rises, the rate of chemical reactions increases, and therefore the metabolism accelerates. As the temperature decreases, the rate of chemical reactions decreases and, consequently, the metabolism decreases.
How can such information be useful? Let's use the following example. The speed of chemical reactions in small animals is much faster than in larger ones. Small animals lose more heat, and body temperature is mainly maintained by metabolism. Therefore, in order to maintain a constant temperature at the proper level, small animals involuntarily have to increase their metabolic rate. Along with metabolism, reactions increase that affect processes associated with aging and cell breakdown. This dramatically shortens their lifespan. Indeed, it has been observed that large animals live longer than their small counterparts.
The reduction in heat transfer can be easily changed. To do this, you just need to use some adaptive abilities. Medicine knows that heat transfer decreases when blood vessels narrow. This can be achieved using hardening procedures.
As you know, you can harden yourself with the sun, air and water.
Systematic dousing and bathing in cold water are huge stimulating procedures. The effect becomes much greater if you add physical exercise to bathing. A distinctive feature of winter swimming is the opportunity to achieve the greatest results.
Such effects of cold have a noticeable effect on the central nervous system; they can relieve any fatigue, charge you with vigor and good mood for a long time.
In addition to reducing heat transfer, vasoconstriction of the skin causes blood to move from the peripheral part to the internal organs and brain. Thus, the latter receive additional nutrients and oxygen. After vasoconstriction, the second stage begins - vasodilatation. This process is accompanied by a feeling of warmth, vigor, and muscle activity occurs. Thus, the blood vessels experience a kind of gymnastic exercise, and along with them the entire cardiovascular system undergoes gymnastics.
Such conditioned gymnastic exercises for the cardiovascular system as a whole and for small vessels separately cause an abundant supply of reserve blood masses.
Ice water can have an active effect on the diaphragm. As a result, ventilation of the lungs increases, and breathing becomes easier and deeper. Intensive breathing, in turn, increases the amount of hemoglobin, leukocytes and red blood cells in the blood. From this we can conclude that hardening can have an important effect not only on the metabolism and oxidative processes of the body, but on sexual potency, and on the nervous system as a whole.
Along with such positive and important actions, hardening with ice water primarily affects the body’s thermoregulation system. If you have been doing similar procedures for quite a long time, you will not mind any frosts, and you will simply forget about colds. The body's protective functions will be so strengthened that many cruel modern diseases will no longer threaten you.
We should not forget that too much prolonged exposure to cold on the body should be avoided in every possible way. Otherwise, a persistent narrowing of the blood vessels of the skin begins, as a result, heat loss increases, and compensation for losses is insufficient. There is a decrease in body temperature, and this is undesirable. Based on such considerations, it should be remembered that when hardening with cold water, the dosage of cold loads should be strictly observed.
For healthy people, the following time frames for cold hardening are acceptable. At a water temperature of 7-9 °C, the duration of bathing should be 45-60 seconds, at a water temperature of 3-5 °C - no more than 30-40 seconds, at a water temperature of 0-1 °C, bathing should be 20-30 seconds.
Cold loads are calculated in such a way that in all listed cases their identical values are maintained. Moreover, the numerical value of the load is selected in such a way that healthy people can tolerate it easily and without any stress.
People weakened after illness should resort to winter swimming strictly after preliminary hardening procedures. And even such procedures should be dosed.
Swimming in open water in the winter is truly wonderful in terms of the accompanying sensations and is the most valuable of all procedures that improve health. Remember that it simply needs to be done systematically - at least twice a week. You must be on the move when taking procedures. Physical activity not only eliminates chills, but also perfectly massages the skin and has a mild effect on muscle tissue, subcutaneous capillaries and nerve endings. After the procedure, you should wipe your head dry, do a self-massage, or take a massage, and finally dry yourself and quickly get dressed.
If you suddenly experience an unpleasant feeling of cold or chills, immediately perform warm-up physical exercises. These may include short runs, vigorous walking and a variety of gymnastics. If such measures are not enough, drink hot drinks. The best option for a drink is tea.
Winter swimming, in addition to the strongest hardening, has physiotherapeutic and physioprophylactic effects. But inept use of its basic principles can lead to undesirable, and in some cases even very serious negative consequences. Because of this, preparation for winter swimming should be given great attention.
Psychological training should be a special part of the preparation. It is necessary to remove self-doubt, because not every person can easily plunge into an ice hole. To do this you need to have enormous willpower and a strong, tempered character. Overcoming the cold barrier from the psychological side plays a very important role. It is even possible that this role far exceeds the physical effects of ice water.
Many people struggle to overcome this barrier, and if you are one of them, hopefully you will eventually find the strength to do something that you will be proud of.
A person who overcomes the fear of ice water is charged with enormous confidence in his own abilities. Having overcome an obstacle of this kind, he thinks about his capabilities and draws some conclusions in a favorable direction.
Winter swimming has long been especially revered in Rus'. It more than once aroused surprise and admiration of foreigners who witnessed such spectacles. There are many known cases when our compatriots amazed overseas people with their abilities.
This method of hardening became developed and became widely known only in the recent past. Before this, prosperous Europe could not even imagine that swimming in ice water under certain conditions was not only safe for health, but also beneficial.
It is a known fact that, having occupied Paris, our troops began to feast and celebrate the successful completion of the military campaign. The soldiers were allowed to have fun as they pleased (within reasonable limits, of course), which they successfully took advantage of. There was no limit to the fun and celebration on the occasion of the victory; the Russians did everything they were used to in their homeland.
The inhabitants of the glorious French city saw a lot in their lifetime, they saw a lot that day for the first time, but what they witnessed in the end, they could not even imagine.
According to the old Russian custom, the soldiers cut down many bathhouses, flooded them to their hearts and began to wait for the right hour. This already interested the French, because most of them saw Russian baths for the first time. When the baths were in full readiness, and the soldiers were fully willing, the park gained full momentum. Then, before the eyes of the French spectator, inexperienced in such spectacles, the most mysterious and incomprehensible things began to happen: naked people ran out of the baths and threw themselves into the Seine with all their might.
The weather was cold and the water in the river was icy, but this did not stop the swimmers, but only added vigor and enthusiasm to them. More than once or twice, the amazed French witnessed such a spectacle, and over time they got used to it and even began to praise the fortitude and good health of the Russian soldiers, and rumors about the amazing abilities of the Russian man spread far beyond the borders of France.
We hope this story will add courage and desire to you to join the team called “walruses”. But just never forget that you should start swimming in ice water under the supervision of an experienced specialist, after you have consulted with your doctor.
Often people involved in winter swimming unite in large groups and conduct classes for the entire huge group. As a last resort, you must be under the constant supervision of an instructor. But before you begin the procedures, get acquainted with all the subtleties and distinctive features of this type of hardening.
First, consult your doctor. Secondly, make a firm and irrevocable decision to begin the procedures. After this, proceed to preparatory hardening.
If you have never resorted to hardening procedures, you will have to make considerable efforts. However, they will pay off in full.
The first step is rubbing and dousing. Considerable attention has been paid to these issues in this chapter, so we will not return to them again.
If you made the decision to transform into a “walrus” in the summer, you should begin preparations immediately. If it’s winter, don’t despair, all the preliminary stages can be successfully completed at home.
After completing the entire complex of rubbing and dousing, proceed to winter swimming. The chapter shows the time a person spends in water of a certain temperature. You can completely trust this. But for the first time, limit yourself to half the allotted time. Gradually increase the time spent in water to the required amount.
Becoming a “walrus” will make you feel like life is starting over again. There will be no limit to your emotions, and your body will acquire such a margin of safety that various diseases will be avoided.
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Cold SoulsChapter 6. Contraindications
