The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-03-20
NEED OF EXERCISE.
Discussion of the Educational and Health
Giving Value of Athletics.

Discussion of the Educational ans, Health
Giving Value of Athletics.
Civilized man who will not exercise
as an average does not live out half the
term of his allotted three-score years
and ten. Lack of exercise is not the
sole cause of this degenerative ten
dency, of course, but it is one important
cause. Hence, recognizing this, it be-
comes the duty of man, in virtue of his
boasted nationality, to dispel this
cause, and by giving proper attention
to his body to prepare his mind for
further conquests. The necessity for
this forces itself upon him in way
that leaves no ground for question.
The only things to be determined are
the degree of development that is to be
desired and the methods by which it
may best be secured.
AS to the degree of development that
will tend to preserve the health of the
muscles and other organs, it is, of
course, says a writer in Harper's Week
ly, impossible to speak except in gen
eral terms. Everyone secures some
measure of exercise in the routine of
his ordinary life. But very few voca-
tions are calculated to give the vari-
Gus muscles of the body symmetrical
exercise. The rational thing, of course,
is for any individual to exercise per-
functorily those sets of muscles that
are not exercised naturally in his ordi-
nary manner of living. For the vast
majority of people under ordinary con-
ditions of living the muscles that are
most slighted are those of the chest
and upper extremities. Nearly every
one is obliged to walk enough in day
to keep his leg and thigh muscles in a
condition of reasonable tonicity. But
the average individual has chest and
upper-arm muscles that are tlabby and
undcveloped to the last degree.
Measurement of the few average
arms will at once satisfy anyone OF
this. There was time, doubtless,
when our ancestors had arms as large
as their legs, perhaps even larger. Gu,
remote tree-dwelling relatives have
such arms now. But centuries of biped
use have developed our lower extrem-
tiles disproportionately, until now the
most fully developed human arm bears
no comparison in size to the thigh OF
the same individual if normaD 1t is
held by anatomists that the fully de-
veloped upper arm at the present stage
Of our racial evolution should be of the
same size as the calflof the leg, and
this size it may be aGhed. the same as
chat of the neck.
These measurements being taken as
the critel'ia of perfectly symmetrical
development. anyone may easily find
ont FOR himself how far he falls short
of suyh development. AS rule, the
tapclnc will show at once that it is the
upper extremity which needs atten.
tion. It is not to be expected that the
pcrsoA who is merely exercising fol
health will over develop his arm till il
meets the standard of symmetrical de-
veloplncnt, nor is it necessary that hi
Ghould do so. So long as he works ir
that direction he is on the right track
and if he keeps the muscles of tht
arms, chest and shoulders in "tonc," sc
that they tend to keep him erect, and
are sufficiently firm to give support t.
the blood vessels that penetrate them
he will accomplish all that is absolutely
necessary.