Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-11-12
Home Gymnastics,

Round shoulders, STOPPING gait, and
fiat chest in women and girls can he
cured in very short time by fifteen
minutes exercise night and morning in
the open air, or . well-ventilated room.
The morning exercise had best be taken
Immediately after rising. before dress-
ing for the day, as tight clothing will
interfere with the free movements re-
quired. The first thing to be done is
to stand erect, with the heels together,
the head thrown back, the chest thrown
out, and the hands hanging loosely at
the side. Then the lungs should be
thoroughly filed with air and slowly
exhausted. perhaps half-a-dozen times.
The arms should now be brought for
ward at full length in front. on level
with the shoulders, the palms of the
hand in contact. Keeping the arms
extended. the hands should be forcibly
thrown backwards until the backs OF
the hands touch behind the shoulders.
while the palms come together before
the chest Let this motion be gone
through with rapidity some thirty
times. In the next move hold the arms
straight above the head with the palms
Of the hands forward; now, bending
the hips, bring the arms down in front,
keeping them straight all the time,
until the fingers touch the toes; then
return the hands to their original posi-
tion above the head. This motion
should be performed very slowly twenty
or thirty times. At first it will he al
most impossible to touch the floor with
the finger-tip without bending the
knees, but in the course of time il will
be performed readily. In the third
movement the lady should hold her
still forward; then return them to their
first position The arms must not be
bent at the elbows. If persisted in.
this movement will straighten ont
STOPPING shoulders.
Any lady who will vigorously prac-
tice these movements twice q day for
fifteen minutes will presently have
full chest, straight shoulders. and
sound lungs, unless her case is SO far
advanced as to be incurable. OF course
these same exercises will have the same
effects on the frames of men as we'll;
but as rule men do not need them in
anything like the same degree as
women. The man who does his duty
in this world is compelled to take q
degree OF exercise unknown to the other
sex. Every lady is ambitious to be tho
possessor Of wsll rounded muscles and
q full chest; and where she is not pos
sessed of them, she tries to dupe the pub
lie into believing that they are hers by
means of pads, or else she resorts to
guacks who advertise nostrums for the
development of the figure. Take the
biceps muscle of tho arm, for instance
--one of the most noticeable features Of
. woman in full dress. A few minutes
exercise each day for year will in
crease the girth of this muscle two in
ches-enough to make all the difference
between thin arm and Q plump one.
And the same amount Of exercise given
to the chest will increase it from four
to six inches. In addition to the beauty
given to the figure by the full chest,
the increase Of lung power will serve to
vitalise every organ in the body, and
will bring with 1t clear eye, good
blood, and its attendant, = fair COM
plexion. . springy step. high spirits,
and capacity Of enjoyment unknown
before. An addition Of three inches in
the girth Of the chest means an addi.
tion of ffty inches Of surface In the air
cells of the lungs. Anon.