Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-12
MAN AND HIS BODY.
Daily Exercise an Absolute Prerequisite
10 Good Health.
now BEST TO DEVELOP MUSCLES
An Excellent Treatise on the Needs
of the BODY, Together with Some
instructions a. to Modes Of E.-
ercfse.
ercfse.

the thinking puDnc' which ~ ~ W."
merits.
In the long ago when Greece, the centre
of the arts and the chief seat u the
sciences, was In It's glory, gymnastics
were accorded their proper position. Fair
Afhens. famed in story and In song
thought 1t but right TO establish schoois
of physical culture adjoining It's universi-
ties that the student might grow In body
as well as In mind.
In fact SO great was tho interest taken
that documents, State and otherwise, were
dated from the Olympian games, while
the crown OF laurel or bay leaves with
which the winner was crowned was often
proudly worn by the man whose form was
enwrapped In the senatorial toga-
The motto. mems sana in corpore sumo,
was fully appreciated by the ancients,
and partly TO This do Rome and Greece
owe their great renown. The people o.
this hustling age, engaged almost soleiy
In pursuit Of the elusive dollar, think that
the human body Is simply
machine, self-running. self-lubricating,
and needing no attention. forget
ting that every piece OF ma
chinery must need some repairs, ana
that q stop must occur TO replace worn
or weak parts. otherwise we will have
complete break down.
ALWAYS UNDERGOING REPAIRS.
Through the economy of nature mans
being iy constantly undergoing repairs.
Nature that great architect, is never sun,
and every second IL adding new material
to take the place of that worn out OF
wasted Ii should be tho aim OF every
man to assist nature In Its arduous tash'
and by a judicsous course Of exercise help
10 replace the worn-out tissue. and assist
in making himself a new man.
All men can no more be skilled athletes
than they can be poets or painters, but
every man can. unless physically disabled
bring himself far nearer bodily perfection
than he now Is. Thus having a Sound
mind in a sound body to be better able TO
follow his daily avocations because IN the
knowledge that he has body well able
10 stand the strain put upon II by the
healthy mind.
WITHSTAND DISEASE.
All doctors agree that man In good
physical condition can stand that legacy
left us by our first parents. disease with
much better chances OF recovery than one
who Is 'he opposite.
VIII. il is not possible for US all TO be
come Shadows we can. by a Juuiclous
amount Of exercise. become far stronger
and more nearer physically perfect than
we now are.
To tho average man IL is impossible 20
have a thorough course OF training sucn
az is used by the crack athletes OF to-day;
but any man or woman can develop them
selves In the privacy OF their own room
with but little expenditure OF time OF
money OF course IL is possible, II is bet
ter that one should have some apparatus
namely, a health lift, Indian clubs. Gumb-
bells, punching-bag, coarse rubbing
towels. etc, and while a great aid, they
are not absolutely necessary.
TWO chairs will make II fair set OF par
allel-bars, and we can dispense with the
clubs, bells, bag, etc. All we need Is a
few minutes Of time and a determination
to succeed.
Twenty minutes or less in tho morning
and the same time at night will make
new person OF you in less than six months.
removing that tired feeling for which
medicines are so extensively advertised.
SOME GOOD RULES.
To Law down a set of arbitrary rules or
exercises that will all all cases Is almost
an impossiblity; but the following VIII
be found quite advantageous, anu may
be made as varied as you Ike:
The first thing TO do on arising in the
morning is to stand with the body erect
and take several deep breaths, inhaiing
and exhaling slowly. This will give your
lungs some chance TO expand. and al the
same time deepen the chest.
II is a good thing while taking the deep
breaths TO pound the chest slightly, thus
kneadlng and loosenlng up the muscles OF
the chest, and assisting In their rapid de-
velopment
Now take two ordinary chairs, same
height II possible, and place them opposite
to each other, back TO back, and about
two feet apart. Stand off reasonable
distance and place the hands on the
backs of the chairs allow the BODY 10 go
forward and downward, raising ana low
ering yourself, taking care not TO go 100
deep, and thus pulling the chairs to-
gether. which might give you fall.
Then take your two chairs, turn them
around so the seats will be opposite each
other. set yourself on the floor between
them. put the palms OF your hands on the
edge OF the seat. and thus raise ana lower
your body by the muscles OF your arms,
keeping IL possible rigid from the waist
down and working parallel to the hoor.
III at first this should be too hard Tor
you make the same movements. only IN
stead Of sitting on the floor start In a
kneGllnR publliOH. AllCi SSH6
with this stand up with the arms extend
ed In front, your palms together. bring
them with quick movement In the at
tempt to make the backs OF them touch
at your back, keeping the arms as nearly
parallel to the floor as possible.
Now use the movement as IL you were
hitting each hand in succession, straight
| i'm front, to the side and straight up over
your head.
THE LOWER LIMBS
For the development OF the lower limbs.
| stand with the feet close together. Raise
up on the balls Of the feet. near the toes,
as high as you can. This movement
| develops the muscles in the calf OF the
leg.
For the upper and thigh muscles. stand
straight and carry each limb In success
sion straight before you, as near parallel
10 the floor and at right angles to the
body as possible. Next carry the limb Off
TO the side. striving to obtain the same
position. Shake your head around few
times-swing your arms around In a
circle. Then stand up, try and touch
your tees without bending your knees.
and you have exercised the main muscles
OF your body with the loss OF but little
OF your time.
OF course. before you dress you will
run over your body with wet sponge
and dry on by rubbing hard with the
towel until the flesh shows q healthy
pinkness.
The good effects of the exercise Will
become apparent in quite q short while.
and you will then. for the first time In
your life, know what II Is to be alive.
Increased vigor and power will be yours.
and you will be "a combination and o
form, where every God did seem 10 set
bis seal to give the world assurance OF