# How to Get Strong and How to Stay So (1899)

Second revised edition
HOW TO GET STRONG
AND
HOW TO STAY SO
BY
WILLIAM BLAIKIE
WITH NUMEROUS PORTRAITS
New and Enlarged Edition from New Plates
LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY
LIMITED
St. Dunstan's House
Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.C.
1899
NATHAN HALE From the MacMonnies Statue in City Hall Park, N. Y. City
TO
The Memory of
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE
THE GREATEST ENGLISHMAN SINCE CROMWELL
Who, of lofty Christian character, and pre-eminent abilities developed under favoring circumstances, devoted a life of unceasing, arduous toil,—ever among matters of great moment—
not himself; not to his own interests; but to the good of others;
yet who daily so intelligently trained his body also that he was able to maintain a true equilibrium between mind and body; and so to keep both in consummate working-order far on to a ripe old age,—
THIS BOOK
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
Preface
Millions of our people pass their lives in cities and towns; and at work which keeps them nearly all day in-doors. Many hours for days and years, under careful teachers; and many millions of dollars are spent annually, in educating the mind and moral nature. But the body grows up all uneducated; indeed, often such a weak, shaky affair that it gets out of order, especially in middle and later life, and its owner is not equal to tasks which would have been easy had it had a tithe of the care given to the rest of the man. Not a few, to be sure, have in youth years of active out-door life on a farm; and so lay up a store of vigor which stands them in good stead throughout a lifetime. But many, and especially those born and reared in towns and cities, have had no such training, or any equivalent; and so never have the developed lungs and muscles; the strong heart and vigorous digestion, in short, the improved tone and strength in all their vital organs—which any sensible plan of body-culture, followed up daily, would have secured. It matters little whether we get vigor on the farm, the dock, the river, the athletic field, or in the gymnasium; if we only get it. Fortunately, if not gotten in youth, when we are plastic and easily shaped, it may still be had, even far on in middle life; by judicious and systematic exercise, aimed ​first to bring up the weak and unused parts, and then by general work daily, which shall maintain the equal development of the whole.
The aim here has been, not to write a profound treatise on gymnastics, and point out how to eventually reach great performance in this art; but rather in a way, so plain and untechnical that even any intelligent boy or girl can readily understand it, to first give the reader a nudge to take better care of his body, and so of his health; and then to point out one way to do it. That there are a hundred other ways is cheerfully conceded. If anything said here should stir up some to vigorously take hold of, and faithfully follow up, either the plan here indicated or any one of these others; it cannot fail to bring them marked benefit; and so to gratify
The Author.
New York, September, 1898.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse