Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-20
THE HOUSEHOLD.
Home GymnastIcs for Women and
Girls.

6airls.
Round shoulders, a STOPPING gait and fat
chest in women and girls can be cured in a
very short time by 10 minutes exercise night
and morning in the open air or well ventilat-
ed room. The morning exercise had best be
taken Immediately after rising, before dress
ing for the day, as tight clothing will inter
fere with the free movements required. 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 filled with air and slowly exhaust
ed, perhaps half dozen times. The arms
should now be brought forward at full length
in front on level with the shoulders, the
palms OF the hands 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 rapidly 80
times or so. 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 turn the hands to the original position
above the head. This motion should be per-
formed very slowly 20 or 80 times. At fret
it will be almost impossible to touch the floor
with'tbe fnger-tps without bending the knees,
but in the course of time it will be performed
readily. In the third movement the perform
er should hold her hands close to her side,
with the thumbs forward bring the arms up
from the sides, thumbs still forward then
return them to the first position. The arms
must not be bent at the elbows. II persisted
in, this movement will straighten out stoop.
ing shoulders. Any lady who will vigorously
Dragtine these mOvRmanta iWiaa dau fnr
minutes will presently have a full chest,
straight shoulders and sound lungs, unless her
case is SO far advanced as to be incurable OF
course these movements will have the came
effects on the frames of men as WELL but as a
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 degree of exercise unknown to the 9TH
err sex. Every lady is ambitious TO be the
possessor of well rounded muscles and full
chest, and where she is not possessed of them
she tries to dupe the public into believing
that they are hers by means of pads, or else
she resorts to quacks who advertise nostrums
for the development of the figure. Take the
biceps muscle of the arm, for nstance-one
of the most noticeable features of a woman in
full dress. few minutes exercise each day
for year will increase the girth Of this mus
Gle two inches-enough to make all the diff
ference between thin arm and 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 vitalze every organ in the body,
and will bring with it a clear eye, good blood
and its attendants-a fair complexion, springy
step, high spirits, and capacity for enjoy.
ment unknown before. An addition of three
inches in the girth of the chest means an ad.
dition of so inches of surface in the air-cells
of the lungs.