St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-10
QUESTIONS FOR WOMEN,
Which Concern Physical Culture
and Massage.

! Which Concern Physical Culture
and Massage.
Two questions have been asked me so
frequently of late that / will endeavOr
TO answer as satisfactorily as possible
| The first, why do not use apparatus
and the second, why l use massage so
| continually. The aim of movements is
to cultivate and control the muscles.
that one part of the body can be used
| independently of the other; one set of
! muscles energiZed while the others are
| devitaliZed, thus securing health and
, beauty to the whole structure. Energy
is the capacity for dong work"
"If work be done upon system of
energy communicated TO 1t from with
out, the energy of the system will be
increased by the equivalent of the work
! done by the energy so communicated,
while if the system be allowed to do
work upon external bodies, or TO COM
! municate energy to them, the energy of
! the system will be diminished by the
| work So done or energy so communi
| cated.'
Thus is necessary force spent upon
| unnecessary weights and measures.
Nerve force is indIscriminately spent,
| causing much harm in cases of delicate
persons or inyalidS.
Massage represents the energy COM
mUnicated from without. and 10 system
of physical culture can be complete
without practical knowledge of this
important branch Of the study. As a
cure for rheumatism, neuralgia and
chronic constipation its properties are
well known. But. to return to the sub
ject or weights. such as dumb bells and
Indian clubs, bars, health lifts and so
on. While enlarged muscles NAV be
desirable in the strong man or boy, they
are not admired liz a woman or girl.
Heavy apparatus destroys the symmetry
OF the members most used, the arms.
a round, firm, beautiful arm can be
: produced only by slow and continuous
/ movements. \ tieshy arm can be re-
duced by quick jerkings and much
shaking, pounding and rubbing.
| Heavy apparatus has also tendency
! to enlarge shoulder blades and wrists;
moreover. most exercises done with
| apparatus can be performed without.
! while some of the very best work, such
as breathing exercises, diSpenses with it
entirely.
Results have been gained by the
proper use of the exercises that are
really astonishing.
While visiting in another city eX-
perlenced 4 months training in a
Swedish gymnasium. There all the
pupils in the class (there were twenty
OF them, little girls, big girls and mar
rled women), were put through the
same course of training, such swinging
and jumping, running and leaping, with
out time for rest that the thought of it
is weariSOme still. We then hung bv
the hands through iron rings; again we
hung by the arms until the upper yerte-
bra Of my spine prOtruded far beyond
its former position. One month was
sufficient.
then visited German gymnasium,
where much the same apparatus was
visible, exercises differing but little.
"What provision do you make or care
do you take of the feeble and delicate
Ones?' l asked.
1--WE do not take such cases here, as
they could not stand the strain" he an
Swered very frankly.
SO | concluded that the safest course
was the beSt-a system of exercise with
ont apparatus, carefully superintendent,
which could be performed by all.
whether old or young, weak or strong,
must be gOod-and the results have
Justified the selection.
BESSIE MYERS,
$685. Selby avenue, st. Paul.