OCR Text |
Show PART I. Physical Culture. ARTlCLEI. How to Breathe. Sometlmo ago I received the following follow-ing communication: "Mr. Robert Fltzslmmons, Now York: "Dear Sir I am a teacher of boys and girls from twelve to fifteen years of ago. As an incentlvo to physical culture, I beliovo no namo could mako such an impression as that of Robert Fitzslmrnons. Could you suggest somo Oxdrciscs to bo used about fifteen fif-teen or twenty minutes daily In tho school room exorcises that would tend toward a good carrlago of tho body, with good chest and limb development? devel-opment? Very respectfully, "Mary Bruco Henderson." I was glad to reply to tho letter printed above, and suggestod sovcral Robert Fltzslmmons. exercises which, if faithfully used, would benefit not only boys and girls, but grown-up men and women as well. Beforo describing tho exercises it may bo said that their valuo In developing musclo cannot bo overrated. Thero Is an unfortunate tondoncy in theso modern nthlctic times t6 turn boys and girls looso In gymnasiums xnd allow them to oxorctsfo without any competent director, as a conso-quenco conso-quenco many a boy makes Impossible the very thing ho alms to attain a flno physique. Ho dovolops soine part of his body disproportionately to tho rest, and becomes muscle-bound beforo be-foro ho reaches manhood, or ho subjects sub-jects his Immature body to somo vlcr-lent vlcr-lent exorciso that results in a strain from which, ho may nover fully ro-cover. ro-cover. Do not think that you must have dumb-bells, Indian clubs, or pulley-weights pulley-weights to get strong. Lot ovory boy remember, for this should appeal especially es-pecially to hoys, that somo of tho strongost men In tho world havo do- volopod tholr greut physical power without tho aid ot gymnastic paraphernalia para-phernalia of any klud, but simply by such simple exercises as I will explain. ex-plain. Somo years ago such a man rode from New York to Chicago on a bicycle. bi-cycle. Ho took tho rido merely for ploasuro, and had no reputation as a cyclist, yet so great was his strength and enduranco gained by simplo exorcises ex-orcises that ho broko tho record thon existing for tho Journey. Let ovory boy who reads this try tho oxerclses here elucidated, and ho will feel that they nro doing him good. Ho will socuro an erect, easy, gracoful carrlago, cover his body with firm, Breathing Exercise, First Position-Work Position-Work Arms Forward and Back, Filling Fill-ing Lungs. pliable musclos, and preparo himself for tho hard training necessary for tho vlolont oxorcisos of boxing and most vigorous outdoor sports. How to Stand Stand up ugalnst a wall with your arms by your sides, your heels, shoulders, and head touch- i 1 i Hg tho wall. Draw In your abdomen. , Hold your head erect, with tho chin well in, so that whon you look straight ahead your glance strikes tho floor Mout fifteen or twenty feet in front of you. Tako sovcral steps forward 0 and stand with your heels togfthor. You aro now ready for tho first cxer- clso. Excrclso 1. Lift your arms until , ' thoy mako a horizontal lino .with your shouldor. Then bring them forward In front, reaching out art far as -you can so as to pull your shoulders forward, for-ward, but holding tho rest of tho body rigid. Noxt spread back your arms M with n slow, gentlo motion as far as you can do not lot thorn drop down any nt tho samo tlmo filling your W lungs ns full of nlr as possible. Do K this ton times. Then drop your arms. Mi to your sides. B - Excrclso 2. Lift' your arms outward " with an easy, gentlo motion up above- your head, reaching ns high as 'you can, but keeping' your heels on' tho' floor. Thon lower them again gonlly to tho first position. Do this ten times. In lifting your arms inhalo, and In lov&rlng exhillo. B In bothnoso exercises bo careful that you brcatho as directed, and hold H your body, except tho arms and shoul- H dors, as in tho standing position. B Theso exorcises will develop tho' mus- B clos of your back, chest and shoulders B and will increnso your lung capacity B greatly In a short time. fl Excrclso 3. Placo tho hands on tho I hips, Bend to the right as far as pos- slblo; then bond back again and to tho left as far as you can. Do this twenty I times. Do not movo by Jerks, but I Smoothly and not too fast. Exerclso 4. Bend forward as far as R you, can, and thon backward as far as "N you can, with a gentlo, ovon motion. I Do this twenty times. I Exorciso 5: Placo hands in front of B bolt lino, finger tips touching. Draw in air, pressing out abdomen nt tho samo tlmo. This excrclso fills all , parts of tho lungs. Exorciso G. Placo hands as In exerclso exer-clso S. Draw In a full breath, contract muscles of abdomen and slowly raise-Joined raise-Joined hands above tho head, pushing up as high as possible. Exerclso 7. Placo tho feet apart, "' ralso tho arms and clench tho fists, then breathing deeply, turn tho body , . from sldo to sldo, striking out vigor- I ously with alternate hands. "' This exorciso when properly car- , J rled out, namely, keeping tho same -. I H - V. Breathing Exercise, Fifth Position-Force Position-Force Air in Lungs by Pressing Out Abdomen. position with tho feet and turning only tho upper portion of tho body, will dovolgp tho back and stomach muscles groatly. In all theso oxerciscs caro must bo . taken to broatho naturally. Keep tho lower' part of tho bod U3 near as possible pos-sible In tho standing position. Theso exercises nro for tho waist muscles. Exerclso 3 dovolops tho muscles of tho sldo and loins and oxcrclso 4 Is ono of tho best exercises for tho back, A tho muscles along tho back of tho M logs, and especially tho abdominal I muscles, which aro among tho most 9 Important to an athleto and a strong man. t M Romombor particularly that tho ' j8 number of times you do tho oxorcisos is not so important as faithful regular- ity, and tho way In which you do , thom. Start easily and gradually in- 1 creaso the number you do of each. Vou will soon ncqulro a surprising j endurnnce, as you may easily provo by u getting somo companion to follow you n through tho exercises. Ho may bo strong, nnd perhaps something of nn fa nthloto, but unless ho Is exceptionally 'J woll dovolopod ho will certainly show 1 signs of fatiguo and may have to stop boforo you begin to tiro. $ You must Impress It upon your si mind, howover, that thoro must bo no & wonkenlng on tho tasks that yon havo laid down for yoursolf. H Somo cold mornings you will got up, j possibly after a hard night, feeling w languid and unrefrcshed. InBtoad of m taking your cold bath, rub-down, nnd ll'M oxorcisos, you may' bo tempted to v M Bay, "Oh, I'll Just skip it this once, and Ml Jump Into your clothos." Such weakness is fatal. m Porsovero. 9 Copyrighted. 1901, by. A. J. Droxol Bid. I me, I'hlludelpnla. Entered at Stationery M Hall, London. m |