Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-21
ART OF SWIMMING.
HOW TO LEARN, AND HOW TO
BENEFIT BY 1T.
Hints, by Que Who Knows, for La.
dies and gentlemen in Search
OF Health and Strength.

reference to the claims of enthusiasts il
favor OF different forms of athletic exer
else as tending to the best physical devel
opment are given in the New York Herald
He says:
/ " As fact, however, it is doubtful if am
exercise other than swimming really calll
into play every muscle of the body, ans
those who will take the trouble to care
fully consider this matter will be forced tc
admit the truth of the statement.
Take, for instance, the attitude and
general situation of the swimmer indulg-
ing in easy bzeast-stroke exercise. He re-
clines almost at full length upon the water
exposed to the nerye-stringing influence of
the brine, each sinew bearing an equal
share of the strain. Imagine the swimmer
with hands forward as in cutting the
water} placed upright on dry land in the
same position, and you can see how the
limbs are well gathered under the BODY.
chest thrown out back curved in, stomach
drawn inward, lungs extended, back, arms
and leg muscles drawn.
AT the concentration or drawing I'D of
the body, arms and legs preparatory to the
propelling movements of swimming, the
attitude referred to is almost entirely re-
versed arms and legs are gathered to-
gether as if for spring motion; a concen-
tration of powers, to be followed by the
cleaving forward movements, is the result.
and thus every nerve, sinew and muscle in
the body is brought into play at each
stroke, all the while subjected to the brac-
ing, building up influence of the water.
HOW TO LEARN QUICKLY.
To learn swimming quickly and thor
oughly, hold that the first lessons in
swimming should be given on dry land.
That is to say, that the swimmer should
be placed chest downward on a form of
two stools, leaving the pupils arms and
legs free. The beginner should then be
taught how to gather his or her hands under
the chin, elbows well in to the sides, to
dart the hands forward to the full extent
of the arms, keeping them level with the
chin, and at the same moment draw up
the legs beneath the body, as if for push
backward, but instead of pushing the feet
backward, the beginner should be shown
how to throw the feet outward and then
bring them together in sweeping motion,
as if the pupil was trying to see how
much water he or she could squeeze to-
gether between the legs and feet, which
should finally be joined together, leaving
the arms in the extended position. While
this motion of the legs has been taking
place the palms of the hands should have
been opened outward, swept to the right
~, Loft - Il
the body, and then sharply turned inward
and brought back to the first position
under the chin.
"Once let the beginner learn these
motions and be able to 60 through them
mechanically on dry land, and the rest is
comparatively easy work, depending en-
tirely upon self-confdence and natural
health.
HOW TO GAIN COURAGE
"Self-contidence, or courage, is the great
requisite in swimming, and can be learned,
strange as this statement may seem. Let
the beginner at first battle in smooth water
about up to his or her waist or chest. and
induce the aspirant to throw himself or
herself backward forward and sideways on
the water and try to swim and lay at the
bottom of the water. Such efforts will
show the pupil that it is almost an impossi-
/ bility for him or her to sink, and will
demonstrate that the slightest sweeping
| motions of the arms with bring him to the
surface.
"When The beginner commences to pad
die around freely and has been forced to
! admit that it requires very little effort to
! keep person floating, let the mechanical
motion be tried, the teacher lightly sup
porting the pupil by a loose belt fastened
around the lattei'S chest. The pupil, if
possible, should pause slightly at the
| termination of each stroke and learn by in
stinct and practice that the natural buoy
ancy of salt water requires very little effort
upon the swimmers part to enable it to
float healthy person. Thus, by swim
ming very slowly at first the pupil will
gain the confidence necessary TO swim long
! distances
There seems to be no reason why a
strong, healthy, tieshy man should not swim
twenty-four hours or more under favorable
circumstances, if supplied with plenty of
food and drink. Captain Webb, the English
swimmer, | believe swan ever that number
of hours in his swim across the English
| 1iloliiiCl, iithSiI w iiOt lGIIlCl4ipCi INK
exact figures. 1t was 10 hours.
FOOD BEFORE BATHING.
.'In regard to food, there seems 20 he a
notion, backed up by the opinion of physi.
clans, that person bathing or swimming
should enter the water on an empty stom-
ach. | hold that this is mistaken idea,
and one not borne out by common sense
and practice. Though do not for 4 mo-
ment advise people to eat 4 hearty meal
before entering the water, claim that il
is decidedly injurious, devitalzing and
weakening to battle on an empty stomach
especially if the bather stays any length OF
time in the water.
"True, it is most pleasant to take dip
in the briny' before breakfast, and the said
plunge will do you a great deal of good
but the same would not hold good if you
were to stay long time in the water On
the other hand, have noticed that the
late Captain Webb and Ernst Won Schoe-
ming, two great endurance or long-d:s,
lance swimmers, invariably eat a meal
while preparing to enter the water, and
disposed OF a considerable amount Of solid
food while 'on the SWIM
True, there are persons who invariably
eat too heartily, and just as invariably suf
fer for so doing. Such people should moi
venture into the water Immediately after
a meal, but | think that the average per
son can enter the water with perfect safety
half an hour after an ordinary meal o.
wholesome food.
HOW TO ENTER THE WATER.
Some people like to enter the water
with sudden plunge, others object to the
shock, preferring to walk slowly into deer
water. The best mode of entering the
water, according to my theories, particu
larly the ocean, when the temperature O
the water is low, depends entirely upon {
persons constitution. Some people vii
suffer from headache after quick plunge
into the water; others feel the same symp
toms after slow and gradual dip. Such
being the case, it is best to try both these
methods, and stick to the one which suits
your constitution best.
1.-THE length of time which person car
with benefit to themselves remain in the
water also depends entirely upon the per
sons constitution. One man may derive
benefit from a ten minutes roll in the
breakers, but may feel weak and ex
I : IL