St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-01-28
PHYSICAL EXERCISE.
what 10 Good and Whist - ooA for the
Average nGas - Dts

] am q strong Oellever PnyStc0i
culture. but physical cultut b Is son'e-
thing entirely different frop outdoor
sports as they are carried onIht present.
Americans do not take enout III exercise.
Many patients that come the doctor
need outdoor exercise MOD than they
do medicine. As some On% has said.
the dyspepsia from which man suffers
is 0ftentimcs more in his leks than in
his stomach. The great dill lculty with
our sports is that they dew op one set
Of muscles at the expense o the others.
A man who trains for . ,ecialty is
trained only in the parts the body
brought chiefly into play that par.
ticular sport or recreation A tenni:
player trains in one way, : runner in
another. while a boatman gtes through
an entirely different course om either.
Each Of these athletes is sttbug In one
direction. but he has neglected general
muscular exercises for the bake OF de-
veloping u special locality. 1t will be
found that the man who isl physically
strong in . special sport weak in
some part Of his body. man. for
instance, who intends to b a runner
will 80 train As to develop he muscles
Of his legs; but he will cduce the
weight Of his body above lis legs in
order to carry less weight.
Pedestrianism is wholesou1e when IN.
dulgcd in for pleasure. bu Is bad in
contests. The professional pedestrian
finally becomes thoroughly broken up;
the stomach and general bystem are
exhausted by too much exereiOn.
Rowing is one Of the bestexercises il
indulged in moderately. buk an oars
man can row in contest uatil entirely
exhaust Aed and not know it until he is
taken om his boat para1ssed. 50 to
speak. !: /
Base bali is full Of DANCED especially
to Il pitcher. So true is his that the
base ball pitchers arm. as iwell rs the
tennis arm are. recognized the medi-
cal profession as special di1 bases. The
exercise in base ball is vry violent,
and sooner or later causes s0yerstrain.
Tena4s is a violent exe6pise, and ID
liable to be carried tOo far.
Running is too much Of Pm outburst
to be Of service in generbl way. and
is only good on account Of 6he previous
training necessary to follow it up. II
carries its own remedy With It in the
natural giving out Of the legs before
the rest Of the body is exhausted.
Training should bring up the general
physical status to n point that will en-.
sbie it 70 endure iss-~ssa6et audtwisa
Just q little to spare for the push Of the
urgent moment. There should he just
enough strength left to make the finish
better than the start-to break the rec
ord Of :hc individual. SO to speak. and
leave him in better physical condition
than before. The sensible and physiO.
logical way for . man to take outdoor
sport is acting on medical authority. te
develop BY special exercises the parts o.
his body that are weak. II man takes
any pride in = systematically rounded
physique he should give his whole at.
tention to the organs that are weak
1t is surprising to me that horseback
exercise is not INDUCED in more than il
ID. Many young men spend enough
money on their vices or follies 10 enable
them to buy and keep horse. l would
suggest that for those who can not OWL
= horse. riding clubs might be formed
Let the horses be used BY members u
the clubs Just IS boats are used by boat
ing clubs. The expense Of keeping thu
horses, under such conditions. whel
divided up among members, would b
small. and the horseback exercise cOu:t
be varied with the more vigorous sports
in which most young men now indulge
In that way the strength Of the bod!
would be more equalized.
l do not know Of any ort-doo
exercise so suitable for men rs tn
sports of the field. Hunting is health
iul and beneficial sport. There is jus
enough excitement about it 70 max
the exercise you take beneficial. Whil
you are walking you are thinking
about::some thing Of interest; while you
body is being exercised your brain get
y stimulus. Hunting is good for tn
well and good for many who are sick
| have known invalids, sent to tn
South with the advice that they shoul'
90 shooting. to come back restored il
health. The man who combines hunt
ing in the field with horseback riding
as is done in the South, has the bes
kind Of outdoor recreation. Fiel'
sports are for young men; the olde
ones must be content with fishing o
following the rabbit. I recall the cas-
Of the veteran writer for the sportin,
papers. Horace Smith. While yet
young man he was given up by hi
physician to die of consumption. H
was in business. and his doctor toll
him that he had better stop work an
devote the remainder Of his life 10 hi
dog and gun. Mr.. Smith acted on tn
suggestion, and am willing to admi
that possibly the doctor advised bette
than he knew, for this same young ma
died only recently At the age Of eight,
In the sporting papers, to which b
was . constant and valuable cor
tributor. he constantly made publ
the fact that he attributed his restore
health to exercises taken in the field
d.. S. F. Spiey. in Epoch
Good Miuister-..lt is rather Osl
that the collections are exactly one do
lar less than they used to be-" Mini.
i tore Wfo-ssEOfhinw <>dN ahOs,t Il