Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-12-05
PHYSICAL CULTURE
Some Valuable Suggestions in Regard
to Breathing.


Some OF our readers who may be fan
removed from any opportunity of gym
nastic work IN regular gymnasiums,
may feel that there is little use In their
trying to undertake such work, how
ever much they Inay need physical de-
velopment. But they are mistaken.
II one really is in earnest, much can be
done. IL may be something like taking
medicine, for certainly there is less fun
in home exercise than in the gym
esting and enjoyable.
One of the first and most important
things for any one to do is to put into
your lungs, several times a day, as
large an amount of pure air as possible.
On this depends so much the absolute
oXygeniZing of the blood, which carries
nutriment to every part OF the body.
The amount of impure air which people
are willing to take into their lungs Is
perfectly marvellous. Half a dozen
people Will slt in an ordinary sized
room, with one or two kerosene lamps,
perhaps, which are eating the same
vital principle from the air that the
lungs need, a whole evening, with win
dows and doors tightly closed, and
wonder why they feel so sleepy or head
acheyI Could they be required to meas
ure the air capacity of the room, and
compare it with the amount of air
yitiated by one person in a given time,
they would be surprised to find, per-
haps, that, during the first hour, SO
much oxygen has been taken from the
air, and SO much carbonic acid and so
many Impurities thrown into it, that,
from that time they had been breath
ing and rebreathing vitIated air, which
each respiration renders more and more
impure.
A PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION.
Could they only watch the change in
the ilow Of blood, they would not only
not wonder they did not feel brilliant,
but they would be astonIshed that the
brain worked ut all, with such insuficl-
eut nourIshment. The blood that flow
ed freely at first. and of a bright scarlet
color, would gradually grow more slug
gish in its action, and the color would
change slowly TO n more and more
purple hue, indicating that 1t carried
less and less oxygen, the life giving
principle, and more and more OF the
cloggiug and poisonous elements IL Is
unfortunate this process cannot lie
watched, but, if you really want TO be
strong, see to it that YOU give your
lungs plenty of good air, sleeping and
waking.
Another point you may not have
thought of. IL is one thing, and the
first one, 10 have the air you want to
breathe pure and abundant; the next
thing is to know how To take 1t prop
erly.
'Why, we breathe all the time" ="
you say.
Very true; but most people breathe
very badly, giving only the upper cells
of their lungs any refreshment, while
the lower cells are painting, so TO speak,
or. rather, it is the middle cells which
get the most nutriment, while the upper
and lower lack it.
In ordinary inspiration the lower part
of the lungs should be inflated first,
and the upper chest should move little
or not at all While this process is GO
ing on, a certain set of muscles is con-
stantly at work. There is another set |
that is not needed except in case Of |
forced Inhalation and eNhalatIOn. The !
lungs need this extra feeding, and |
forced inhalation and eXhalation
should be INDUCED in two or three |
times day.
Unless you are sure you are Il good |
breather, you Will best accomplish the !
desired end by lying fiat on your back. !
IN this position the back muscles are /
Iept stationary and the shoulders held I
iOwn, while the diaphragm Will more
surely be depressed. When your forced
Inspiration is taken rs it should be, the
over chest Will rise strongly first;
hen the side muscles will swell, caus-
ng at the same time slight depression
again in front; then the muscles of the
upper chest. Many people suck the
up, apparently, actually |
making the lower chest smaller. Raise l
the lower chest muscularly first, ii you |
have this habit, and then force the |
breath in.
EXERCISES FOR THE LUNGS.
Here are few movements:
Take a strong, full breath, as nearly |
right rs may be, through the nostrils,
hold 4 second, and expel the same way.
Repeat several times.
Now, inhale strongly, hold, then,
making small aperture with the lips,
As though you were going to whistle,
blow 1t out vigorously, Inhaling again
the second it is out. Repeat several
times, and you will probably find, by
the time you have taken the third or
fourth breath, YOU are breathing prop
erly; the lower part OF the chest Will
move normally at first, while the upper
chest Will move later without thought
ON your part.
Next, take a long breath, and hold
1t while you count twenty, then gradu-
ally increase the count to forty or fifty.
Do not repeat this more than twice.
Again, take full breath and exhaust
very slowly. Then initiate as slowly rs
possible. Count while you are at
work, thus divertIng your mind and
giving YOU an opportunity of testing
your gam. After working ON your
back long enough to know you are
working in the right way, try the same
movements standing, raising the arms
AT the same time slowly over the head.
When the blood is circulating freely
by this process, rise vigorously on the
toes twenty or thirty times, increasing
us you can; then lift the toes strongly,
keeping the heels firmly down; then
stoop very low, separating the heels,
throwing the knees we'll apart and out,
and keeping the back rs straight rs pos
slble. This will keep up the circula
tlOn and develop the legs.