The herald., 1896-10-25
How Society Women Build Up
or Tone Down
INTERESTING EXERCISES
For Weak Backs, Too Much Flesh and
to Harden the Body
The Sufferer From Corpulency Lies Flat
on. Her Back and Kicks Up Her
Heels, Strengthening the Back :.

NEW YORK, Oct. 16.-The woman OF
fashion whether she be maid or matron,
takes as much care Of her physical con-
dition nowadays as does the pr1zengnt-
er who hopes to win championship.
Women are born beautiful or common
place. according to the eccentrictty or
nature, but it is possible for all to pe al
tractiVe by wholesomeness, well pro-
portioned figure and the indescrfbable
charm which surrounds the healthy,
vigorous woman.
was not an excessive beauty of feature,
but her wholesomeness. The same can
be said of Emma Eames Story. the
operatic singer, or Of Lillian Russell:
Stage women, as q rule, understand
these things and appreciate their value
more fully, perhaps, than the average
woman, for 1t is an essential of their
profession to be as attractive to the
senses as possible.
But within the past year or so the
fashionable woman has realized the full
Importance of Strengthening the frail
portions of her physical structure by
building up or toning down, as the needs
may require. If a peep could be taken
into the boudoirs ofthese favorites Of
fortune any Of these bright autumn
mornings. some curious and variety Of
exercises could be seen, as in each one
the training is different from that car
ried on in the other. The reason of this
is simple. One womans waist may be
too large to suit her fancy, so she goes
through precise form of exercise to re-
duce 1t to her ideal of the correct thing
in waists. Another wOman's waist may
be too slender to please her, SO she goes
through another set of movements to
make 1t larger. The arms of a third may
be too thin or too plump. and she exer-
cises to decrease or increase their pro-
portions.
WHERE VANITY APPEARS
1t may be asked why these women Sc
lect their boudoirs for these exercises
when there are SO many gymnasiums at
hand. Vanity is the reason. The fash
ionable woman whose life is embit-
tered by surplus of avoirdupois and
whose system of training consists solely
of lying down on the floor, fiat on her
back. and kicking her feet in the air
as hard as she can, is naturally op-
posed to the idea of exhibiting herself
in this role before the eys of many of
her friends.
Yes, and the girls whose legs are
dreadfully thin, and who dances up and
down on her toes, doesn't feel like par
aiding her shortcomings. clad in gym
rasium suit, before two score of her
sisters.
Moreover, these morning exercises
only take fifteen or twenty minutes and
the work is accomplished more quickly
at nome, as IL uOeS away WITH the jour
ney to and from the gymnasium and the
task of undressing and dressing for the
exercise. No apparatus is required. The
first lessons in the exercise are given by
one of half dozen of physical culture
women, who have built up paying
practice by visiting the homes of the
rich and planning out the particular
kind of work to be done.
FOR WEAK BACKS.
The most cornynOn cOmpIa int n, of with
is the woman with the weak back. ar 1
such woman is usually devoid OF
proper hip and leg protection. The sys-
TEN of exercise for these shortcomings
is simple. The subject places her
hands on her hips, balances herself Sc
curely on the left foot, and with her
knee Of the right leg bent and the toes