The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-13
WOMAN CHANGING FORM
STRONGER THAN III MS And 10
BE STRONGER YET.
Its Development Under Physical Trains
ing-Dr. Shrady's Views of What the
American Woman Needs.

! Is she growing stronger! - Il question
often heard.
DR. Savage. the head OF the Physical
Development Institute. gives tho answer
that woman IS growing stronger. and
that the next generation will give fun
evidence Of the fact.
Heath is the essential part OF a wo-
mans life as well as OF a mans he
said.
Women are taking up many forms OF
exercise and are playing many games
that long were crroneously thought 10
! belong exclusively to men. Ten years
/ ago or even later. il was regarded as
most unladylike Tor IA woman 10 go in
for any physical development.
To-day she moves better and walks
more freely, as If she had some life and
vim I'm her. A generation will show a
vast difference in the development OF
tho sex.
/ Recently I saw an exhibition given by
/ "A crowd Of girls in Boston. and ! was
/ delighted by the strength and freedom
| Of motion demonstrated.
"Vbat those girls did hundred and hun
dreds Of girls and women are doing and
/ II Is a hopeful sign. Take the matter
Of games. Women play golf and lawn
tennis with as much enthusiasm and
benefit as 90 men.
"rhey wheel though 7 don't think much
Of bicycling for women. and everywhere
they are playing basketball. They GER
! tainly could not do all that unless they
were strong and healthy.
"The girls and women who come here
want TO 90 everything that the men DO.
They can't yet. however, for they nave
lost too much time
NV experience is that the difference
that has been made IN the physical train
ing Of men and women Is far greater
than necessary. Boys and girls should
be brought up alike as TO active life.
1--WE find that the healthiest girls arc
those who have followed their broth
crs.
a great improvement I'm dress has
done much 10 uetter womans physical
condition. Tho wasp waist is thing OF
the past looked on with contempt rather
than admiration. Soon people will come
10 admire the healthy form Of Venus de
Milo.
The cards of examination in the load
ing female colleges and schools show
that womdn's form IS approaching that
type To NY mind there is no doubt
that women ass class arc growing stron-
ger individually
Miss Gencyicve Stcbbins. one OF the
principals Of the New York School of tx
preston. has given the best years or
her life 20 the study of the physical Gull
ture of woman. Her pet scheme has
been 10 combine the various systems Of
gymnastics from the Swedish movements
az 4.ng" 10 the aesthetic exercises Of
Dolsaftc so as f. rive the highest posi-
BILE results I'M health, strength. and grace
When asked whether she thought wo-
man was growing stronger or weaker
physically Miss Stchbins replied.
I've nad pupils from every state In
the Union. they go out and secure pu-
pills for themselves. and ! keep in con-
start touch with thCm so ] feel prepar-
ed 10 make Il sweeping answer 10 this
question.
Tim not speaking now Of my pupils
alone. nor even cOnhning myself 10 New
DIRK women. I'm speaking Of the wo-
men of every ono OF the United States
when / say that the middle class and
tho higher class are growing stronger, but
there is a class between these two that
IS growing weaker and more nervous.
Physical development is a fad with
the rich and fashionable; the middle
class have found il "a necessity. and both
are stronger for IL. The class between,
the women who live ia boarding houses
and family hotels and have nothing 10
do but sit around and envy the rich and
strive 10 De fashionable. are degeuerating.
1--WE teach society work and normal
work for teachers and platform readers,
and in this way have opportunity To
watch tho development of the two classes.
For five years I've taught an immense
class Of society women from forty-hve
TO sixty years Of age. and the first thing
that ] teach them 10 do is to lie Hat on
the floor and learn how 70 breathe
"An Of orr pupils are taught how 10
breathe. walk talk. and sleep. and when
they know how 10 do those four things
they know how TO DO great deal Now
the fact that the feet and waists Of the
women of these two classes are much
larger shows that they are taking more
exercise and doing mo breathing.
Emotional breathing is done In the
upper chest but ordinary breathing comes
from below the bust line; therefore wo-
man must BE- properly clothed 10 breathe
properly.
AS [ went through the art galleries
Of Europe ! wondered what the statues
did to get into such positions. ] made
up my mind after initiating them and
taking the statue poses that their mas
nifcent poses an came from the trunk
Of the body and that they could not pos
sibly Dee assumed without proper breath
ing. So. ever since. I've gone on in
croasing my chest work. for. after all,
the chest is the real storehouse of vital
ity.
I'VE think as we breathe and breathe
as we think. Women are breathing bet
ter and they are thinking better. There
fore. they al" growing stronger. not only
physically. but mentally. Every woman
who Increases her lung capacity making
the lungs hungry for air, will reach bet
ter habits Of thinking. Fear anxiety,
and nervousness have very little breath.
Courage. hope. ambition. heroism. phi
lanthropy. and altruism are full-breath-
ed.
In thinking there Is hardly any breath
should be breathed even II II Is no more
than lifting the leg. She would be as
tonishcd at the wonderful amount OF chest
development that follows the softest mo-
ton If il s. FIRST hrcatted.
AS l said before. women Of the higher
class and the middle class are giving
heed 10 their physical well being, and
the ideas given them by teachers who
have the subject at heart are founded on
physiology and Psychology. Life is he
ing made real 70 them. they are looking
AT everything from its real aspect.
"Thc trouble with tho class between IS
that life Is artificial with them. There
can be no physical or mental growth un-