The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-03-15
EXERCISE FOR WOMEN.


Herald of Health
There are women who exhibit with pride, in
sleeveless ball gowns, arms so very plump above
the eldow and so very taspering at the wrist
| that they look like legs of mutton. In such
arms there is no beauty save in the posses sor's
own fond imagination. Many very graceful
women have the thinnest limbs. Visible muscu-
larity in woman is certainly never to be de-
! sired. 1t may be noticed that there is in the
arm of even the plumpest women almost inva-
riably sinking in midway between shoulder and
elbow due to the fact that the lateral and
posterior muscles of the upper arm are so
very rarely brought into use in any of the COM
mon functions of the ordinary woman's life.
To obviate this depression, which mars the un-
broken curves the arm should possess, the fol-
lowing exercise is recommended: Stand erect,
with chest well out and shoulders thrown back;
bring the elbows firmly and squarey down at
the sides and hold them there, never changing
the position of the upper arm. While keeping
this position move the forearm up and down,
crooking the elbow and then strengthening it
again with slow, regular, forceful movements
Practice this until o slight aching of the back
muscles of the arm indicates that they have
been sufficiently exercised for the time being.
To develop the forearm, on the other hand,
practice the following movement: Extend the
dTulS bJllly III ITOUU, Uu6D open ana SDuU J06
fingers number of times running on two rub
Der balls soft enough to yield to the pressure of
the palm yet sufficiently hard withal to offer
certain resistance in doing SO. 1t is this resis-
tance to be overcome which causes the muscles
to develop rapidly. Therefore, with the exer-
else just described for the upper arm, some
thing akin to the trapeze cordage of gymna-
sium is great assistance If quick results are
desired. The handles of the ropes can be firmly
grasped and the forearms then moved up and
down as specified. The same remark applies to
the following exercise for the chest muscles,
which constitutes the only reliable and sure
means of enlargng the circumference of the
bust. If the resistance afforded by any sort
of rope firmly attached to the wall and pro-
vided with handle at one end can be secured
then the development will be twice as rapid as
If the movement were practiced without this
appurtenance Stand erect, shoulders back
and chest forward. Extend the arm horizontally
from the shoulder as stiff and straight as it can
be held Then, without bending the elbow in
the smallest degre, bring the arm down and
carry it across the body as far as it will GO.
Return, always without bending the elbow, to
the horizontal position out from the shoulder.
Bring the arm down again, and then up, and so
on number of times in succession.
A supplementary exercise to this, and one
whicn serves the end of Strengthening the
shoulders as well as of aiding in the develop
ment Of the bust and of filling out the de-
pressions just below the collar-bones, if there
are such depressions, consists in standing about
a foot from the wall with the back turned to
it, and while the chest is held well out and the
head well up extending the arms to their full
length in front on line with the shoulders,
bringing the hands together, then drawing the
arms slowly back, always on a level with the
| shoulders and held very stiff and taut until
they touch the wall behind Move the arms
| forward again until the hands touch, then back
| as before. Regular and systematic practice of
these two exercises, persevered in a reasonable
| length Of time, will do more toward producing
afull, round yet deep chest for woman than
| all the creams and balms ever advertised for
| developing the figure. To pass to the lower
limbs, the best exercise is in appearance an
| easy one, yet its whole success consists in it's
being properly carried out. Stand in front of
table, rest the hands lightly on it, plant the
feet squarely on the floor, then raise the heels
4 slowly, keeping the figure from swaying as
much as possible while SO doing, until the
| whole figure rests on the toes and the
light touch on the table. Then sink on the
| heels again, and thus continue rising and sink
ing from heels to toes until sensation of
fatigue in the muscles of the calves warns you
| that they are being worked as effectually as
| they ought to be. This exercise must be done
| with expenditure of force If it is to do good,
and swaying forward on the ball of the foot
| alone is of no avail. The farther one gets
toward actually standing on the very tips of the
toes the better and the more rapid the results.
Round shoulders are frequently result of
leaning back customarily in straight backed
chairs without first by an unconscious imper-i
ceptible movement Strengthening the shoulder
4 blades TO q corresponding fatness. 1t Is
mistake that reasonably easier chairs, with in
clined backs, warp the shoulders. If young
| girls, while they are growing, were allowed to
lounge little more in their sitting postures
than the pedantry of the ancient order of
schoolma'am allowed there would be many more
erectly elastic figures among women. Warped
shoulders, on the other hand, also come from
sleeping on high, sloping pillows. form of
lounging this time not to be recommended.
One of the most healthful methods of straight
ening the shoulders and spine is, precisely,
| TO discard all but a low bolster and to sleep as
much as possible fiat on the back, drawing the
shoulder-blades together before lying down.
| With regard to muscular exercises let it be said
that they are always most effectual when prac-
ticed in light undress that gives free play to
| every motion of the figure.
| A specialist puts the necessary length of time
at ten or twenty minutes, morning and even
| ing. These are light exercises, causing no vio-
lent wrench to any muscle, and therefore with
out the danger that frequently overhangs
women of delicate physique who attempt the
developing to be gained by regular course in
gymnasium. That more harm than good ac-
crues from such vigorous exercise as the latter
to the majority of women seems beyond dispute.