Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-13
NOTHING LIKE BAG PUNCHING

Tennis and rowing are over till next year and golf will be all but impossi- ble in a few weeks, so now the ath- letic instructors are advocating Dag punching as the ideal indoor exercise for women who have to solve the ever present problem of how to grow shin-
 \ well known writer on athletics insists that by punching the bag for ten minutes q day for a week woln- an can do more to reduce her weight and preserve a good figure than by observing q rigid diet for six months.
 Bag punching develops the chest. neck and shoulders and reduces the waist. It exercises every muscle, gives thin women curves and makes stout women thin.
 If woman has poor complexion the exercise will give her the tints of peaches and cream if anything will. The object of all exercise is to make the blood circulate rapidly and well. and the bag punching does that 10 perfection.
 Unlike fencing bag punching re- quires no instructor, yet it's advocates say it will make a woman just as graceful and as light on her feet as the other exercise. She will learn to boise and balance herself and this will give her q springy step and an easy and graceful carriage. Unlike fencing, too, no antagonist is re- quired. That is another strong point ill favor of bag punching.
 Last of all the outfit is inexpensive. Ten dollars will buy first class light punching bag with framework sup port; q fairly good one can be had for even less.
 The only other thing necessary is q pair of light weight boxing gloves. which may be bought for q dollar:
 The exercise can be taken in any costume just as well as the most up todate gymnastic garments. And q woman will derive almost as much benefit from awkward bag punching if she keeps at it, as she will from the real scientific kind.
 These are the rules of the punch ing contest as laid down by an au thority:
 Suspend the bag on a level with the shoulders and strike out from the shoulder. This stroke brings into play
 
 other. tends to expand the chest aid gives a good boise to the neck.
 Always hit the bag. if possible, , prevent rebound and sore nose. This will be best understood with practice.
 Ten minutes q day is long enough l for the average woman. but twenty ' mi will hn Inc n tS to reduce weight rapidly Punch the bag twenty-five times with the right arm swing, rest q few moments anil then try twenty-five strokes with the i left hand
 Strike with the greatest regularity possible. Then alternate one punch with the right and another with the left. But keep at it. Don't exercise about it for week.
 There are fancy strokes and these may be learned in time. as. for in stance punching the bag with the right elbow. alternating with punches from the left fist, and vice versa. [ Another little more difficult is the elbow punch with alternating upper arm and under arm with the fists.
 still other combinations will sug- | gest themselves. Gradually the l punches can be made faster and fast /! ter till the bag will beat q regular tattoo on the framework overhead. l Practice only makes perfect ill bag punching and practiced puncher en- | joys the exercise thoroughly It is very different from handling dumb bells. which. to most folks is stupll business at best. Bag punching is eX- hilarating. It is almost like having an antagonist keeping the puncher con stantly on the alert.-New York Sun.