Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-09
oUs MAIL POUCH.
How TO Maintain Good Ffsure-Thc ART Of
Walking Gracefnlly-A Simple Method
of Keeping the Shoulders In Place

How to Maintain Good Ffsure-The Art Of
wnIlsins Gracefully-A simple meihod
Of Keeping the Shoulders In Place.
To the Editor Of The Dispatch:
Mrs Jenness Miller's lecture to the ladies' Of
! Pittsburg, If taken to heart by her hearers
Should prove Of great good; her good sense il,
the matter of dress is apparent to all, and her
ideas, if carried out would be blessing to
womankind. One point made by her is worthy
OF as great praise as that directly pertaining to
| uress-the natural and proper position of the
| body in standing and walking-afd her re-
marks apply equally as well TO men as to
| women.
Standing and walking gracefully and with
ease, should be natural to healthy people, but
so little attention is paid to it that very few can
be said to be good walkers or to stand grace
fully Pass along Fifth avenue and notice those
tracted chests, bodies thrown back on the hips,
stomachs protruding, heads thrust forward.
Snln Sns up: PA; and general shamoling gait:
made for no use. They stalk along on their
heels, jolting their bodies, as If the foot were
not network of most delicately responsive
springs. This is caused by habitnally dropping
the shoulders and throwing the body back on
the hips. which cannot be done without thrust
ing out the stomach and bending the head for
ward.
How to Stand Properly.
The human body. like all other bodies, must
maintain its equilibrium, and when the center
OF gravity of the trunk is thrown back, some
other parts must come forward to preserve
the balance. The center of gravity should be
directly over line passing through the middle
OF each foot and to keep It at that point, the
proper position of the body in standing should
be about as follows: Heels together on the
same line, making an angle of about sixty de-
grees, the legs. straight without con-
straiht, the body thrown q little for
ward on the hips, stomach in.
chest out, shoulders square and well back.
arms hanging naturally, with elbows near the
body and palms of the hands q littie to the
front, the head well back and chin drawn in
toward the neck.
Let the ladies try this position standing be-
lore the glass. and see how much improved
their forms will look. They will lose that pro-
gain Development Of chest that will surprise
them, and the line of beauty so dear to artists
will appear in the contour of their figures.
They will see. as it should be, the crowning
SO much for standing. This position at
tanned, walking well is soon accomplished.
The body IS poised on an east balance, the foot
can be thrown forward without effort, the
whole Of the foot at once, instead
of digging the heel into the ground and then
as an after-thought bringing down the ball.
Notice, II you will, the man who walks with
his heels, how he pounds them down with each
step. Each pounding he gives the pavement
gives corresponding pounding to himself. For
action and reaction must be equal.
The Art of walking.
Step out with your toe pointed little down.
ward; lay your foot on the ground and don't
stamp 1t down; let your muscles do their share,
and don't lay it all ON the bones; walk as il you
had Some strength in your legs, and not as If
you were on pegs; let your body have its nat
ural motion to balance you. Balancing is
natural to all animals, and unless we use that
gl1t our walk is necessarily constrained and
awkward. Dropping shoulders and contracted
cnests are the rule, not the exception, but
can easily be cured-try the experiment.
throw your shoulders well back. till it Is
even uncomfortable; let it be the object
Of your life to keep them back without ever
letting them drooD for moment. In very
short time you will find it no effort, but on the
contrary will have attained the natural posi- |
tion of the body, and will soon wonder that |
you could have ever found it otherwise than |
comfortable. You will soon find that your |
chest IS taking in great breaths of air down to
the bottom of the lungs, it will become fuller |
and well developed; you will experience less |
fatigue in exercise, your health will improve |
with yourfgure.
Shoulder braces are delusion and snare. |
They take away the dependence on the larger |
muscles of the back that are intended to hold |
the shoulders and chest in their proper places
aud induce you. to hang your shoulders in |
straps instead of giving them their natural |
support. |
A -WIsHER OF MRS. MILLER.
PITTsBURG, September.