Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-05-07
WHY SHOULD WE WALK2

WHY SHOULD WE WALK2
Although intelligent people admit
the fact that walking is necessary to
tho preservation of health, and is un-
doubtedly one of tho best modes of OK
ercise, few take time to consider why
walking is better than carriage or
horseback riding, than running, jump
ing or swimming, and still fewer at
tempt to study the various modes and
times of walking, in order to make
partical use of their knowledge and
gain the utmost possible benefit from it.
Ladies especially suffer from this in
difference to and ignorance of physi.
ology and the laws of health, and this
is the more to be deplored because
ladies have both leisure and opportu.
nifty TO avail themselves of the most
favorable conditions of life, and to
vastly improve their physical and
mental strength, their beauty and at.
tractiveness, and consequently their
happiness and the happiness of their
families and friends. Most gentlemen
walk as they go to business and re-
turn, and during business hours
mechanics and laborers walk every
day, and those who work out of doors
arc stronger and longer lived as rule
than those who work indoors. Wo-
men who earn living in shops and
manufactures, walk every day, per
force but ladies are neglcctful of this
privilege and duty.
They have no time, they say
Have they, then, no time TO live p
Every hour spent in judicious walking
is added to their lives, just as surely as
every day spent entirely within doors
without household exercise oven. ly.
ing on sofa reading, or STOPPING over
some fancy work, shortens their lives.
1t is better to make fashionable calls,
or Ego shopping" than to do this.
For certain amount Of thorough
exercise Is necessary to health, and
though one may, for timo, set all
physical laws at defiance, and ignore
all hygicnic conditions, yet a severe
penalty must sooner or later be paid.
Nature is inexorable, and appoints TO
every offence against her statutes a
proportionate punishment. Most per-
sons know that in walking we exer-
else certain large muscles OF the trunk
and legs which in sedentary occupa-
tions remain inactive, and that in walk.
ing out Of doors We get a much larger
an. freshcr supply Of oxygen into our
lungs, to vitalizo cur blood, than We
can find from indoor exercise. But
this is not all. Not only in natural,
unrestricted walking, one set Of muscles
urges one leg forward, while another
set pushes the other leg back, and 9th
or muscles slightly twist tho lower
part Of the trunk from one side to The
other as the body advances, but still
other muscles sway the arms slightly
in alienation with the legs, the head
keeping its proper balance and ad-
justment as the eyes look forward or
turn from side to side and up and
down, by help of great number of
muscles. In fact, nearly every muscle
of the head, trunk, and limbs partakes
in the action of walking, especially
when one has an agreeable companion,
so that the talking tongue, the smiling
face, and the gestures of the hands set
in motion vast number of other little
muscles.
When We inquire into tho effect Of
all of this, we learn that the nervous
system Of the body is closely inter.
woven with the muscular system or
apparatus that motion is life to both,
and stagnation is death. The nerves
cannot be set in motion unaided by
the muscles, and without u nervous
motion the various functions of life
cannot be carried on. Thus, we can
not breath without both nervous and
muscular motion we cannot think
without both forces combined-and
that every one may understand this, l
will state that the blood vessels, alb
sorbent and gland ducts have muscular
coats, and the skin muscular sub.
stance; and as these various parts,
with others, onter into the compost
zion Of the brain--we therefore can
not think without muscular as well as
the nervous motion.
The life of the body, which is mo.
tion, is rapidly developed and strength.
cned by walking, for the largest, most
powerful muscles in contracting and
relaxing draw to themselves large
supply Of blood, which may have been
previously accumulated in too great
quantity upon some internal organ,
as the liver, heart, or brain, causing
congestion. At the same time the
smaller muscles now set in motion by
the larger ones call for their share oi
blood, and since when that life current
"a supplied II is found to be too much
jecarbonzed from previous sluggish
action OF the lungs, or from breathing
the same air over and over, tho lungs
are now set in powerful operation by
their nervous and muscular forces tc
inbale oxygen and supply IL to the
blood rs rapidly as possible.
The stimulating effects Of fully oxy'
genized blood are manifested by or
increase Of strength, an equablo and
happy state OF mind, and great i'm
provement OF tho complexion The
forehead gets whitcr and the cheeks
and lips roster, the eyos brighter, The