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Air baths begin to be carried out with 1.5-2 month old children in a room at an air temperature of at least + 20 0.

The undressed child is placed in a crib or on a table for 2-3 minutes, with a clean diaper laid out. Air baths are carried out 2-3 times a day, starting from 1 - 2 minutes and increased to 4 times a day for 10-15 minutes.

During an air bath, the child must be turned from back to stomach and back several times. It is important to ensure that the baby does not become hypothermic.

From the age of three months in the summer, at temperatures not lower than 20-22 0, you can transfer air baths to the open air. They should be carried out in the shade, in a place well protected from the wind, first for 3-5 minutes, and then gradually increase their duration to 20-30 minutes.

Fresh air strengthens the child’s body and provides him with restful sleep and protects against various diseases. It is necessary for the baby to spend several hours outdoors every day.

It is recommended for infants all year round sleep during the day outdoors. The place to sleep should be chosen depending on the air temperature and weather. The child is put to sleep in a place protected from the wind, and in inclement weather (rain, snow) - under a roof: on a balcony, terrace, veranda, etc.

In summer, the baby is covered with a light blanket, in spring and autumn - with one or two flannelette blankets (depending on the weather). In winter, he is put to sleep in a special quilted envelope bag with a helmet. Such a bag can replace a wadded blanket and a woolen cap. The child's face should always be open.

When hardening water treatments Rubbing, dousing and bathing are used.

All hardening procedures involving the use of water have a positive effect only if the appropriate rules are followed. Thus, it is necessary to choose water hardening means taking into account the individual and age characteristics of children; hardening should begin with weak procedures and gradually move on to strong ones; the water temperature must be reduced gradually, taking into account the age and condition of the child; It is important to carry out hardening procedures systematically, at the same time of day: it is necessary to ensure good mood child during hardening.

The most gentle and simple procedure is to wipe the baby’s body with a soft mitten or sponge soaked in salt water (one teaspoon of salt per glass of boiled water) 33-35 0. Gradually, by the end of the year, the water temperature is reduced to room temperature (28 0).

Wiping begins for children 2-3 months of age and is done as follows: first they wipe their hands and immediately wipe them dry, then their legs, chest, stomach and back in the same way. In summer it is very useful to pour the baby lightly warm water from a jug.

Children under 6 months of age should be bathed daily in a lying position, and after six months - every other day in a sitting position. It is best to do this in the evening, before going to bed at night. Water temperature 35-37°; The duration of bathing is from 3-4 to 7-8 minutes.

You need to bathe your child carefully, slowly, talking to him all the time and giving him the opportunity to splash in the water, and from 8-9 months to play with toys. You need to be especially careful when dousing the child, directing the stream of water not at the head, but at the shoulders and body. Children should be dried with a soft towel or sheet, thoroughly drying the skin folds.

The water temperature when bathing children over 1 year of age is 35-36°, the duration of the bath is 10 minutes. Children over 2 years old can be bathed 2 times a week.

All water procedures must be carried out in such a way that they are pleasant for the child. If he trembles, turns blue and cries, then they should be stopped immediately.

For children 2 - 3 years old in the summer, it is useful to pour water from a watering can for 20 - 30 seconds and then wipe vigorously. The water temperature should be gradually increased from 34-36 0 to 25-27 0. The watering can should be raised only 6-8 cm from the child’s body and water should be poured onto the shoulders, chest, and back. It is not recommended to pour your head.

Sunbathing is a powerful means of strengthening the body of children. Under the influence of sunlight, most pathogenic microbes die. The sun has not only a thermal effect on a child’s body, but also a strong chemical exposure. Its ultraviolet rays improve high-quality composition blood, general metabolism, increase digestibility nutrients. As a result of sun exposure, the child’s body’s ability to resist various diseases, especially rickets, sharply increases. When hardening children with sunlight, you must follow the following rules:

• exposure to the sun should be preceded by hardening with air baths and water procedures, since the sun has a much stronger effect on the body than water and air;
• sunbathing should be done during a walk, while playing, and always end with an air bath;
• in the first year of a child’s life, only reflected and diffused sunlight (chiaroscuro) is permissible;
• the gradual increase in the hardening effect of the sun is ensured by the selection of clothing: first, the child is dressed in a shirt with short sleeves, then, after 2 - 3 days, in a T-shirt and only after another 2 - 3 days in just panties; the head should always be protected from the sun by a Panama hat or a hat with a visor;
• on a hot afternoon, when the sun is at its zenith, sunbathing cannot be done;
• When the first signs of overheating appear (redness of the face, sweating), the child should immediately be taken into the shade, washed, given boiled water and allowed to play calmly. Excessive sun exposure has a harmful effect on the health and development of children.

It should be remembered that sunbathing is only permissible with the permission of the pediatrician. They can be started with children 3-4 months of age. Children should be exposed to sunlight with caution, as their delicate skin and entire body are very sensitive.

Notes: The diagram indicates the duration limits for air and sunbathing and the lower limit of water temperature for dousing; these standards must be adhered to until the child moves to the next age group, where the number of procedural days exceeds that indicated in the scheme.

2. It is advisable to give air baths to physically strong children, especially in the hot season, twice a day.

IN middle lane It is best to sunbathe from 9 to 11 am, since at this time the thermal effect of the sun is still small, and the amount of the most useful ultraviolet rays is maximum.

To expose the child to the sun, the undressed child is placed on a soft bedding; the head is covered with a white cloth. First one part of the body and then another (back, sides, chest and stomach) are exposed to the sun.

For children 3-6 months old, sunbathing is recommended at an air temperature in the shade of at least 20-23 0; Bath duration is 2 - 10 minutes. After each bath, a douse of 30 - 35 0 water is carried out. Children 6 - 12 months old can receive sunbathing at temperatures in the shade not lower than 13 - 20 0; bath duration from 5 to 20 minutes water temperature 28-32 0.

Properly carried out hardening is one of the most important elements of the hygiene regime for children.

For orientation when carrying out various types hardening, depending on the age of the children and the days of the procedures, we present diagrams according to A.F. Tour (1974).

Thus, hardening a child’s body should be understood as a system of measures that increase the body’s endurance and resistance to harmful influences.

These activities are carried out systematically according to a specific plan. It is necessary to use a wide variety of means for hardening. The results of hardening cannot be complete if, for example, the child is wiped with cool water, but they are afraid to frequently ventilate the room or walk in cloudy weather; or they do it for children in the summer warm days sunbathing, but not allowed to walk on grass or wet sand.

It is imperative to harden children throughout the year.

Various forms of hardening, especially air baths and walks, must be combined with gymnastic exercises, a variety of games, fun and entertainment.

Isaeva E.I.

Hardening the body is useful at any age. Air baths are the simplest and most affordable way hardening for a newborn. Any baby takes them when he is in an intermediate stage between a certain event and changing clothes - after a bath, when changing a diaper, during a massage or gymnastics.

It is important that the process of air bathing is not random, but purposeful and planned.

The benefits of air baths for infants

Often, parents are frightened by the very word “harden”, associating with it “inquisitorial torture”, which they cannot subject their newborn child to - dipping into an ice hole, walking barefoot on ice, contrast showers, etc. Compassionate mothers should remember that all these “terrible procedures” are the end point of a long-term program of hardening the body, and they are performed by those who have been preparing their body for stress and changes for a long time. By the way, air baths are the first point in the winter swimming program, which all experienced ice-hole divers have overcome.

In order not to be afraid, you need to understand the very essence of hardening - training the body to develop “physical” immunity from colds. Basic immunity consists of biological processes in the body that suppress (destroy) viruses that enter the body. Physical – does not allow viruses to take hold in the body. If we take an adult as an example, a “walrus” who has stood at a bus stop in the cold for an hour and has hypothermia in his feet will not get sick, unlike the average person. This is explained by the fact that the “walrus” body is accustomed to temperature changes and does not reduce the level of biological immunity in the fight against the restoration of natural temperature, opening the door to viruses.

Returning to children's hardening training, air baths have several positive aspects:

1. Activation protective functions body.

Hardening is, of course, a primary purpose, allowing you to get stronger, develop immunity and improve blood circulation. It is very important to create the body’s protective system without holes or shortcomings in the shortest possible time. The ability to withstand external stress is very important for newborns.

A newborn often develops “Miliating heat” - a skin disease caused by poor mobility and diaper rash in the folds of the skin. To treat it, it is not enough to use ointments; you need to eliminate the cause itself - ventilate the parts of the body that sweat and do not dry out. Air baths will help get rid of the problem and prevent the appearance of a new one.

Healthy: Taking care of folds will help prevent skin diseases in infants.

If the baby is naked more often, the umbilical wound will not get wet and will heal quickly

How to do air hardening

Any hardening should take place at a moderate pace, gradually increasing the duration and aggravation of conditions.

In cases with newborns, air hardening can be done in 3 options:

• ventilation;
• naked;
• walk.

Air hardening is carried out gradually

Ventilation is a mandatory procedure in a home with a baby. Stale air with low oxygen content adversely affects his health. Ventilation is best done through a draft, taking the child out of the room through which the air flow will pass. It is necessary to ventilate the room in which the child lives at least 2 times a day, for half an hour. Ideally, leave all the windows and room doors open, and go for a walk with the baby. In addition, ventilation helps normalize the temperature in the room to the required value of 20 degrees.

Basically, air baths are taken as follows: the baby is completely undressed and left naked for several minutes. At this time, the body will be blown with air currents, improving blood supply to the entire body, cooling the body, training thermoregulation, and the child will be able to feel the objects around him.

best done after taking regular bath and combine with gymnastics and massage. Thanks to the openness of all the skin, the process will be more beneficial for the baby.

Walking with your child outside is an important part of the daily program. Sunlight and fresh air promote the development and health of the entire body. One-year-old babies sleep best during their daytime walk. The baby should be comfortable and calm, so you need to carefully select your wardrobe and place.

To be successful in your studies, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

1. Regularity. Every day, if possible - at the same time, at any time of the year.
2. Gradually reduce the temperature and increase the duration of the procedures.
3. Good mood. Taking naked air baths is only possible if the child has a positive attitude. If the baby cries and screams, the body will not receive all the positive effects, in addition, a negative association with the process will arise, which will subsequently cause crying attacks.
4. Do not overcool the newborn. Watch your child closely, touch his arms, legs, nose and stop activities if his body becomes cold.

For the first six months, a child learns about the world through tactile sensations. The less clothing he wears that does not allow him to feel, the better he perceives the surrounding space.

Precautionary measures

Following precautions will help avoid unpleasant consequences:

• Draft. Do not allow your child to be in a draft. A draft, unlike air baths, is very dangerous for a newborn;
• Temperature outside. Weak immunity and incompletely formed organ systems make their own adjustments to walking outside. A one-month-old baby can be taken outside at a temperature not lower than -5°C for a maximum of 5 minutes. After a week, you can increase the time to 10 minutes and so on up to 1.5 - 2 hours in a row. From 4 months, a baby can be outside at a temperature of -10°C, but not lower. Up to a year, in the presence of wind, you need to cover the child’s face from direct air flow using the sides on the stroller covers. During the first 12 months, the baby is not able to breathe through the mouth, and a strong gust will knock down and make breathing through the nose difficult; in addition, a large influx of cold air can cause a cold and runny nose in the baby;
• Hypothermia. A serious threat to a tiny organism. It is difficult for mothers whose child is their firstborn to keep “ golden mean"between hypothermia and steaming the crumbs. Excessively wrapping a child is harmful - natural thermoregulation and sweating will be disrupted, which will lead to reduced immunity and skin problems. Hypothermia is fraught with inflammation of internal organs.

When packing your baby outside during the cold season, you need to remain calm and sane, because going too far in any direction will cause trouble. Although a newborn baby lies motionless, he is protected by the stroller and the “cocoon” in which he is located - it is best to get ready and stand outside without the child for 15 minutes. Thus, you can understand how the baby will feel and choose not only the right clothes, but also the place to walk.

Air baths are a type of aerotherapy (air treatment), which consists of dosed exposure to air on the naked body, protected from direct solar radiation.
Life human body can be thought of as metabolism, and metabolism is only possible in the presence of oxygen. The healing power of fresh air lies in its richness in oxygen, light ions, phytoncides and other substances beneficial to the body. In addition, one of the main factors affecting humans is air temperature. Air gap between the body and clothing usually has a constant temperature of about 27-28 ° C and, as soon as the human body is freed from clothing, heat transfer immediately becomes more intense, and the skin begins to breathe fully.
Expose your body to air baths whenever possible. This is a very simple and affordable way to expose your skin to the beneficial effects of oxygen.
At the same time, metabolism improves, as well as muscle tone and nervous systems, the body’s thermoregulation systems are trained, it calms down and normalizes emotional background, increased excitability is reduced, appetite and sleep are improved, the mood is lifted and vigor is added. Arterial pressure normalizes, accelerates blood flow, improves heart function and activity respiratory system. The protective capabilities increase and the body hardens, reducing the risk of diseases. The tone, color and structure of the skin improve. Besides everything else, breathing in clean fresh air is in itself an incomparable joy and pleasure.
Unfortunately, the specifics modern image life is such that most of us spend a huge amount of time in artificially created atmospheres, being influenced by both heating devices with their drying effect, and air conditioners. To top it all off, constantly wearing clothes does not allow the body to breathe fully, depriving the skin required quantity oxygen from outside. Therefore, whenever possible, try to get rid of clothes and take an air bath. After all, staying outdoors has practically no contraindications.
It is best to take air baths outdoors and you need to start in the warm season, in summer. During the cold season, start taking air baths at home in a pre-ventilated area. As you harden, this procedure can be transferred outside.
The optimal time for taking air baths is in the morning before or after light breakfast or in the evening before dinner. If you want to take an air bath during the day, then you need to do it an hour or two after lunch.
Take off everything you can, leave only a minimum of clothing - a swimsuit, a top with shorts. This will be a partial air bath. It will give a partial effect. It is much better, if the situation allows, to remain completely naked. You should undress quickly so that the air bath immediately affects the entire surface of the naked body and causes a quick energetic reaction from the body.
Now sit down (preferably in a sun lounger in the shade of trees or under an awning) and just relax or read. If you don’t have time, then combine taking an air bath with doing the necessary household chores.
An air bath should be enjoyable. The main thing here is not time, but well-being. Its duration depends on the air temperature and the state of human health. For a healthy person, the optimal air temperature is 15-20 degrees. Weak people should start with three minutes. For hardening, it is enough to increase the duration of the bath by 5-10 minutes from time to time. Average duration of air bath at comfortable temperature air - half an hour. Take air baths as often as possible during the day. Experts believe that a person should remain naked for at least 2 hours a day.
Regular air baths on fresh air affect the improvement of tone, color and structure skin. Whenever possible, try to take off your clothes and allow fresh air to flow over your body.
You should not allow a feeling of chilliness or the appearance of “goose bumps”. If you feel yourself getting cold, immediately get dressed and do some exercise. In order not to be afraid of freezing, it is good to combine air baths with walking, running, gymnastic exercises, and sports games. In this case, the air bath will be accompanied by muscular work and deep breathing.
Of course, the best air baths are where there are no industrial enterprises near the sea forest or in the mountains. The ionized air of green areas is enriched with phytoncides - volatile ethereal compounds produced by plants. In addition to the beneficial effect on the pulmonary system, phytoncides heal the heart and blood vessels, improve metabolism and tissue respiration, and have antimicrobial properties. Sea air, completely free of dust and saturated with negative ions, salts and ozone, enhances the absorption of ozone by the body, increases hemoglobin levels and the number of red blood cells, stimulates mental and physical performance, improves sleep and appetite, and activates the immune system.
Of course, air procedures are not limited to staying outdoors during the warm season. There are many hardening procedures that accustom a person to cold air. Don't wear clothes that are too warm and expose your skin often. Sleep with open window.
At home, try to wear clothes made from natural fibers. Fabrics made from natural fibers keep us warm in the winter and, conversely, cool the body in the hot summer, while synthetics are in disharmony with the temperature environment and has the opposite effect.
If the weather is good, it is necessary to keep the windows open around the clock. In rainy or cold weather, ventilate the room at least three times a day. If you have the opportunity to rest, sleep, eat outside, try to do so.

Human health begins with a careful attitude towards oneself. And the point here is not in pills, mixtures or injections, but in the culture of hardening. Its positive influence has been known since time immemorial!

Air hardening is the most affordable way to improve health and boost immunity, effective for adults and children. And here’s some advice: in order not to get sick tomorrow, you need to start taking air baths today.

Fresh air is better than medicine

The systematic “hardening” of a person should begin with taking air baths. After all, this method is the most gentle for the body. Oxygen enters not only through the lungs, but also through the pores of the skin; low temperatures promote rejuvenation.

In general, the time has come to answer the question: what effect does this type of hardening have on human health?

• immunity increases;
• thermoregulation processes are activated;
• metabolism accelerates;
• the state of the nervous system improves;
• the level of hemoglobin in the blood increases;
• skin elasticity increases.

In addition, air hardening has a positive effect on the condition of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, depression and even excess weight. It is not surprising, because this procedure helps to better withstand sudden temperature changes: extreme heat in summer, and frost in winter.

As a result, human health becomes significantly better within a year after the start of hardening. Moreover, we are dealing with a rare case where there are practically no contraindications to the procedure. The list is amazingly short, here it is: elevated temperature bodies; acute form of disease; chronic diseases in recession.

The main thing is to know some rules of “smart” hardening and strictly follow them.

Take care of your health from a young age

The ideal time for a person to discover the hardening of the body with air is infancy. This procedure is recommended for babies from birth, so parents help their children’s bodies cope with temperature changes on their own. The technique is simple: children should be left naked for a few minutes in a well-ventilated area. At first, the temperature in the room can vary between +24-26 degrees, but gradually this indicator must be reduced to +18 degrees.

In autumn and winter, the windows in the children's room must be kept open at night; Walks with parents should be daily. If it’s summer, children need to be undressed down to their diapers. However, even in the cool season, children should not be “overloaded” with clothes, so as not to disrupt the fragile thermoregulation system.

However, at a certain point, parents who actively practice hardening their children are faced with the question: do they share their point of view in kindergarten? After all, not every kindergarten is ready to ensure that children take regular air baths.

In fact, in a good kindergarten, where they pay attention to the health and development of children, hardening is a mandatory procedure. Teachers organize exercises in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated area; prerequisite windows are open during sleep; and the duration of street walks should be at least 3-4 hours a day. The rules are simple but effective. Therefore, if they are neglected in kindergarten, then your child simply should not go there.

However, both in kindergarten and beyond, the child should be as interested in hardening as possible. Therefore, the task of parents is to explain in an accessible language the need for this procedure, to interest children in joint walks and outdoor games. And the baby’s good health will be the main reward for the efforts spent.

It's never too late to toughen up

There are some hardening rules for children, and different ones for adults. In this case, “acquaintance” with cool air should begin with partial exposure of the legs, arms, and neck. Optimal temperature for beginners it is +20 degrees, but don’t relax! Very soon it will have to be lowered to +10 degrees. The duration of the bath in this case should reach 20 minutes.

But this is not the limit! The next step is hardening at +5 degrees. This temperature has the most positive effect on human health. Blood vessels dilate, blood flows to the surface of the skin, improving heat exchange processes.

However, a manifestation of “aerobatics” is hardening at temperatures below +4 degrees. This air bath belongs to the “very cold” category, but at the same time it is very effective. Its influence extends to various systems of the human body. And some supporters of this procedure claim that it helps prevent the development of cancer and slows down the aging process.

The most important thing is not to go to extremes and not try to take long air baths at excessively low temperatures.

A clear sign that it is time to stop the procedure is the appearance of chills, trembling, severe burning sensation in the skin, and clouding of consciousness. In this case, a person’s health is in serious danger, so you need to urgently run home and warm up!

If hardening occurs correctly, a person feels a surge of strength, his mood rises, and a healthy glow appears on his cheeks. This is precisely the effect fresh air has on emotional condition And appearance of people.

There are rules by following which you can achieve the maximum effect from hardening a person with air baths. Let's remember them.

1. Morning hardening should occur immediately after a person wakes up.
2. The ideal option is to combine the procedure with physical exercise, dancing, jogging.
3. During the day, baths are taken no earlier than an hour and a half after meals.
4. The optimal place for hardening with fresh air is parks, green areas, private personal plots. The presence of coniferous trees and bodies of water nearby. But in the absence of these green “oases,” a balcony may be suitable.
5. An excellent final point would be to take a contrast shower - it will only enhance the positive effect of air baths.

The most important rule for everyone - both adults and children: hardening should become a way of life, and not a temporary hobby.

On the other hand, there are situations in which air hardening is not recommended. This list includes damp, windy weather, as well as an atmosphere polluted with harmful emissions. It is not recommended to improve your health near highways, factories and garbage dumps. Otherwise, the procedure will cause more harm than good.

...Air hardening is an excellent “prelude” to starting a new, more complex stage of working on yourself: water hardening. Together, these procedures improve your health and are an integral part of a happy and long life!

Air hardening - the most accessible and most common form of hardening the body. Almost everyone can do these procedures: children and adults, healthy and sick. There are even diseases (hypertension, angina pectoris, neurasthenia, etc.) for which air hardening is prescribed as one of the additional treatment methods. Yes, there are other ways to harden the body, for example, with the help of the sun or water, but it is best to start health procedures with air hardening.

There are several methods of air hardening:

1. Stay outside in light clothing;
2. Sleeping in the fresh air;
3. Air baths.

But what should you choose first?

Staying outside in light clothing is the first method of air hardening.

The first type of hardening is useful when you have a good route through a forest, field, seashore or river. But avoid rotting swamps and stagnant bodies of water contaminated with industrial waste, especially runoff from chemical plants. Air saturated with vehicle exhaust gases and significant amounts of dust is also harmful to health (so stay away from major highways or railways).

Some people may experience complications even from the scent blooming gardens or meadows, an allergic runny nose, skin rashes, bronchitis, etc. may appear. In this case, you should consult a doctor and find out the cause of the allergy, and change your walking route accordingly.

Sleeping in the fresh air - II method of air hardening.

Sleeping in the fresh air is also good for health. Let's say that the majority of long-livers in the Caucasus rest this way. However, even in temperate latitudes in warm weather it is very useful to sleep on a balcony or veranda.

Air baths - III method of air hardening.

Hardening with the help of air baths is done by undressing completely or to the waist. Baths can be cold (air temperature does not exceed 6-14 0 C), cool (14-20 0 C), indifferent (20-22 0 C), warm (22-30 0 C), hot (over 30 0 C) .

When taking air baths, you need to take into account the effect of the wind. It not only changes the air temperature at any moment, but also excites the skin receptors of open parts of the body (as if massaging them, therefore, activating the formation of heat in the body). It is best to start hardening with air baths in summer period at a temperature of about 20-22 0 C, gradually accustoming the body to colder air.

The first procedures should be performed in the room, but after 2-3 days you can already go outside.

The first time for 5 minutes, and then daily increase the duration of the baths by the same amount, bringing the stay in the air to 40-60 minutes. First, it is best to go outside when there is no wind or find a secluded place. In the future, once you get used to it, you can do exercises even in worse weather.

When hardening with air, it is important to learn how to accurately determine weather, seasonal and meteorological environmental factors. This will help you choose the right clothes and hardening products. For example, it is useful to know that in a calm wind the leaves on the trees are motionless, in a light wind individual leaves sway, in a fresh wind small branches tremble, in a strong wind dust rises and large branches sway.

If you feel unwell, do not take air baths without your doctor’s permission.

There are many subtleties in air healing. For example, it is not recommended to perform even light procedures on an empty stomach or immediately after eating. It is important to choose the right position in which you will take air baths: moving, lying down or reclining. In cool weather, it is best to perform gymnastic exercises in the air, and then move on to water procedures.

In winter, the safest temperature for outdoor exercise is from 18 0 C to -20 0 C, and if there is no wind, even -25 0 C. If you are tempered by air in a light sports suit, you feel normal at temperatures from -5 0 C to - 10 0 C, then consider that you have achieved good results.