OCR Text |
Show How to Walk Properly. Any woman can have a pretty figure and graceful carriage if she walks correctly, cor-rectly, but to do this she must avoid the two most common faults. One is bringing forward the shoulders until the back between the blades is curved ("Bible Backed" it is called); the other is distributing the weight so unevenly that the adbomen protrudes. The latter lat-ter will mean big hips as well as a distorted dis-torted figure. There would be no doubt of a woman having her chest well expanded when she walks if she would try to hold herself her-self as when having a dress fitted. Then she appears at her best, a full-length full-length mirror showing her precisely what she looks like. She will continue to hold herself well when first putting on a new gown. Its lines and tightness assist in the reformation, but quickly, aa she becomes accustomed to it, she slacks back into the old carelessness, and that frock becomes as the others-out others-out of shape and stretched. In standing correctly the body is thrown forward a little, so that the weight comes on the balls of the feet. This mades a perpendicular line of the spine, on which the whole frame is swung, and by balancing an erect carriage car-riage is possible. Throwing back the shoulders does not mean, as many women wom-en seem to think, that the abdomen also is to be thrust forward. On the con-trary, con-trary, this must be held in a trifle,' as It will be when the weight is balanced i between the balls of the feet, and the spine, for it is impossible then to make 1 the lower part of the torso prominent ( The tendency to lean forward in an exaggerated manner, which is sometimes some-times seen, is ridiculous and affected. It will eventually develop the hips to abnormal proportions, because they are thrown out of place and the gait will be awkward. One great advantage of all calisthenic! exercises is the supplenef? given by which one's walk becomes graceful. By j having control of all parts of the body and - keeping them limber, they work in harmony, precisely as a woman who j is a good horseback rider gives uncon- ! sciously to every move of the animal she Is on. In walking there should be uncon- . scious rhythm and unison between feet . and hips and knees and shoulders. The ankles must be flexible and spring with every step that is, in ad-' vancing, the front of the foot goes down an imperceptible second before the heel, and to do this the ankle joint must work. When the whole foot goes down at once there is the "flat" footed gait that is shuffling and stiff. Simultaneously Simultan-eously with the ankle .action the knee must be ready to all into work, bending " easily and without effort. Otherwise a , person will appear wooden in the walk. J The hips are not absolutely rigid, but I move slightly in the sockets. To exag- gerate this in any way is to have a vul- The arms, hanging free, move slightly, slight-ly, but should not be swung, and the whole upper portion of the body has a slight but perfectly unimpeded action, which might be called a sway in unison. The head is held erect and the chest well expanded. A woman who walks in this way will retain the youthfulness of her figure : long past middle age, and she will have what, for want of another word. Is i called "presence." It makes for distinc- 1 tlon as well as grace, and is worth prac- ! ticing to achieve. |