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Show oo HEALTH OF AMERICAN PEOPLE America's preparedness is pulling America out of a int. Life in this great nation has become less serious than it should have been. Fast living was undermining the health of the people and frivolities were making us spendthrifts. Today America is awakening awak-ening to the great need of following tho fundamental rules of health and of devoting more time to the big problems prob-lems rather pursuing will-o'-thc-wlsps. The Sacramento Bee says the war is making young and old value daily exercise, as the revelations of the draft have disclosed the physical weaknesses of our young men. The Bee says: " "In numerous instances young men not in fit condition for service were not rejected, but were held for the requisite development, conclusion being be-ing that nothing more than judicious dally exercise was needed to bring the applicant up to the military standard. But now it Is the civilians in general, and especially those past forty, who are urged to take up physical physi-cal culture as a duty as well as a benefit. bene-fit. Professional trainers along this line are getting into print In the east through efforts they have made to induce in-duce well-known public men in Washington Wash-ington and elsewhere to form "backyard "back-yard clubs" for dally morning calisthenics calis-thenics and also regular walking exercise. exer-cise. There is some sense in all this, and it should not be suffered to become be-come merely a passing fad. "Of course It may be said that everybody every-body can do for himself and at his own convenience whatever is needful or desirable of this sort; that nothing In the way of club work or team work Is required. And this in a measure is true only In slight degree. Numbers of men and women habitually take some systematic exercise by themselves at certain times every day, from year to year. But far greater numbers will not exercise unless they are drilled at It as If they -were at school. "Tho advantago of club work or team work, also, Is that It arouses Interest In-terest and tends to keep up a sort of sociability that lightens tho effort called for. For thoBe who can find the time for out-door clubbing It Is much better than mere solitary indoor exercises of any kind. "Girls and women, of course, need physical exercise and development no less than boys and men. And habit and system are Important to get beneficial bene-ficial results, for both sexes and all ages. Particularly for those whoso occupations oc-cupations are of a confining, Indoor sort Is regular muscular exorcise needful need-ful and beneficial. It is necessary to preserve health as well as to develop strength and energy, grace and a good carriage. And there Is nothing bettor than walking." |