Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-12-20
SCHOOL ROOM GYMNASTICS.
A Paper Read Before the Wayne
County Teachers Association by
Miss Mariana Cobb.
[Coachstled from Last Slenday.

108ctltttel from Last Sltfttttty.1
Tt is, at all times, Of great i'm
@portance that the air we breathe
should be pure and fresh, but
especially SO during exercise,
for there the breathing becomes
more rapid and deeper, since the
demand for oxygen becomes
greater as the tearing down and
building up of muscular cells is
going on more rapidly. The
blood must fun nish this oxygen,
which it gets through the lungs
from the air. If the air be im-
pure, if the supply of oxygen is
the exercise will be-
exhausting and harmful, rather
than healthful and invigorating.
No exercise, not even rest
movements, should be given
without first opening the WIN
dows. The children do not stand
in danger OF taking cold while
exercising. They are far more
likely to do so if they exercise in
d warm room and take their
seats in q perspiration. They
should never be allowed to do
this. The lungs, not the skins
should eliminate the waste ma
terial of the torn down cells. for
the lungs breathe it off, while the
skin must send it off in perspIra
tion-in which case there is al
ways danger of taking colds.
AL exercises, therefore. should
lclose with breathing exercise,
sufficiently prolonged to cool off
the children before 1hey resume
their seats.
The next condition Of benefi-
cial exercise is proper clothing.
| If the child is restricted by its
clothing, no exercise can be
properly performed, and what
was intended to impress may
only make permanent already
existing evils.
We now come to consider the
correct giUing of exercises. The
first thing to be considered in
preparing for or giving exercises
is proper position.
No position which is harmful
lshould be permitted in the
lschool room. Many positions
which are to all appearances in
nocent enough are in reality in
furious. Keeping the arms folded
is injurious, since such position
|contracts the chest and com
presses many vital organs. It is
| better to keep the hands in the
laps, or place them on the hips.
This position is more restful,
and if correctly taken, expands
1.-THE chest. In this position, the
fingers must be in front, other
wise the head of the upper arm
/ will be rotated inwardSS and the
position will tend to contract the
chest.
i A proper sitting position should
be insisted upon. | must confess,
| however, that in some of oul
desks a proper position is i'm
4 possible. Grave and serious are
the results of improper seating.
/ Spinal cttreiture is not infrequent
l. ly one of these results.
If the desk is too high, the
bone Just above the knee fre
lquently becomes bent-the knee
Joints become enlarged and weak
/ ened and the child is perma
neutly injured. The bones of the
child, it must be remembered
are not yet hardened, and are
very easily deformed.
A position which makes it i'm
possible for us to place our fee
firmly on the floor is a most un
comfortable one, though it can
not possibly do us the positive in
jury tEat it does the child, be
cause our bony frame work has
become hardened and can not bt
easily affected as can that of tht
child. And yet, bow often do W.
see children swinging their fee
| clear of the aoor, able only b.
much stretching to touch the
tips Of their toes. No wonder they
wriggle No wonder they benz
their feet up under them ane
take all kinds OF Objectionable
and Injurious positions.
II the bench is too low the re
suits are hardly less deplorable
A proper sitting position places
, the lower part of the back firmly
against the back of the bench
J rests the feet squarely on th,
door and expands the chest.
) A position which rests tn,
shoulders against the bencl
!, Ileaves the oack without support
throws the weight of the who'll,
J body upon the delicate spine
which is unable to bear th'
5 strain.
) Correct standing position
/ means chest well expanded, arm.
sIby side with thumbs to front
: heels together and toes turned
lout at angle of forty five degrees
j weight upon Lalls of feet. Thl
) lchild should be required to talk,
eorreetposition during exercises
) for If he exercises with stoopin,
i shoulders and depressed chest
!. he not only fails to get any goot
from such exercises, but strengh
lens and confirms his bad pos
Ifioll.
Next we come to the order O
!. 1.-THE exercises. and then to Til
:. fexercises themselYes, Of whicl
II hope to give YOU some practi
t Zeal Illustrations.
Since the ehild's body has bee