New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-19
BODIES THAT ARE BURDE Ms
A TEACHER OF PHYSICAL CULTURE
TELLS WHY THEY ARE so.
BEAUTY OF FORM AND PERFECT PROPORTIONS
THE DIRECT RESULT OF PROPER ExER-

BEAUTY OF FORM AND PERFECT PROPORTIONS
THE DIRECT RESULT OF PROPER ExER-
cIsE AND CARRIAGE OF THE BODY.
IAN the ills that flesh is heir to- is very COM
mon phrase which should be corrected into the
health that flesh is heir to- for all these ills may
be avoided by properly and fully using the bodies
which nature has given u.s." said a prominent
teacher of physical culture to her class yesterday.
The chief trouble is that the great majority
Of people do not think anything about it. They
simply exist They do not live. Their bodies are
burden to them because they do not handle them
properly.
"The health of a body depends upon the proper
exercise and carriage of that body. There is much
more to this than IS at first apparent. Few people
remember that they have muscles. or that they
are attached TO the bones and TO each other TO be
used They simply feel their flesh a burden, and, If
heavy the bones made 70 carry the entire
load. without any help from the muscles ana ac-
cordingly the poor backbone gives out yields to the
weight put upon It. and bends and curves out OF
place Then every part Of the body is displaced to
keep up the equilibrium. and trouble begins
"The muscles must be made to do their part OF
the work They must hold the body In perfectly
easy and graceful poise, with the bones simply
as the central framework. The muscles should be
studied located in the body their special function
discovered and put into practice. This will be a
great relief not only the much abused bones,
but also to great nerve centres ana blood YES
sells by taking the weight of flesh from them Soon
every particle of the body will be under perfect
muscular control
"A thorough study OF the anatomy of the body
is absolutely essential There are a few points
however which will show where to begin In the
studv Of the bones and their connections 1t Will
be discovered that there three very Important
ball and socket joints. which are the basis OF all
the movements OF the limbs body and head The
perfect control Of these Joints by the muscles
throwing the weight Of the body lightly upon them
is the secret OF graceful walking. sitting or stand
ing
Some people think they standing up straight
If they can stand up against a wall so that their
heads shoulders hips and heels all touch the wall
This is great mistake. especially II they are
heshy people That perpendicular line must pass
through these three ball and socket Joints. One
need not worry about any line. however, II the
body is perfectly poised it will simply arrange
itself :, .o,.., rnor tho hill
of the foot in walking. The heel should not touch
the ground first II it does the entire weight Of
jars the backbone clear up into the brain We feel
it the top Of the head The bones Ter d never n
The muscles must keep 1t in perteGt etb rom
The bones; carry It with the muscles.
I'm sitting one should remember that the hips
SHINE The ball and socket joints in the hips carry
the body perfectly II allowed 10 do so Perhaps
does not realize that THIS Is pan ana soche'
Joint There Is hinge at the waist. Most peo-
ple act as If there Corpulent women nave
areat dificlIIty with their corsets this account
Thev are constantly breaking the stees by bending
over from the waist. They even torture them
selves by wearing corsets made OF all steels. Ihere
Is no need of this The softer whalebones are an
that Is necessary The hip Joint is made Tor tne
purpose Of allowing the entire upper part OF me
body TO bend I'm any direction Then why try 10
make n Joint where there Is none?
Then there Is the ball and socket joint In the
neck by which the head may describe the same
circle II this joint is allowed to carry the head
perfectly controlled ny the muscles OF the neck, the
Utmost grace will be the result.
'The head being thus perfectly poised az the neck
the whole upper body at the hips and the rest or
The body at the ball of the foot, the weight of the
body is naturally distributed. H. them the whole
body is upheld by the muscles. instead OF hang
ing Ike a dead weight upon the skeleton, there IS
no pressure anywhere. Therefore there can De no
nerve disease for undue and unnatural pressure
on any vital organ, nerve centre or blood vessel Is
For Instance II instead of sitting on this hip
Joint which Is made to sit upon, we continually
Slide forward in the chair. resting the end or the
SHINE on the seat and the middle OF the spine
against the back OF the chair II Is impossible TO
hold up the head II droops forward onto the chest
the vital organs are crowded the neck IL out or
vessels OF the neck, well OF the chest; the
nerve centres are all crowded against other parts
of the body everything H. displaced and a comp-
cation OF infiammations sets In.
"Beauty OF form and perfect proportions are
the direct result OF right living and the ndica-
lions OF perfect health. This s nature and COM
mon sense II means almost perpetual youth