Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-12
VITAL CULTURE A FAD
AMONG SOCIETY WOMEN

Vital culture is fad that threat
ems to strike Rock Island before long,
and great many ladies both young
and old may take it up. Some take
the exercise to reduce flesh. while
others take it that they may gain
flesh. This is a case of the hair of
the dog being good for the bite.
Other ladies take the course to pre-
serve Il good figure, but a well known
authority on athletics says that all
that vital culture can insure may be
accomplished by bag punching.
lie insists that by punching Il bag
for ten minutes n day for Il week Il
woman can do more 10 reduce her
weight and preserve her figure than
by observing a rigid diet for six
months.
Bag punching develops the chest,
neck and shoulders and reduces the
waist. 1t exercises every muscle.
gives thin women curves and makes
stout women. thin.
If a woman mas a 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 bag punching does that to per
lection.
Unlike fencing. bag punching re-
quires no instructor. yet its advo-
Gates say it viii make woman just
as graceful and as light on her feet
as the other exercise. She will
learn to poise and balance herself
and this will give her a springy step
and an easy and graceful carriage
Unlike fencing. too, no antagonist is
required. That is another strong
point in favor of bag punching.
Last of all, the outfit is incNpen-
sive. Ten dollars will buy first
class light punching bag with frame
work support; a fairly good one may
pc had for even less.
The only other thing necessary is a
pair of light weight boxing gloves
which may be bought for dollar.
The exercise can be taken in any
costume just as well as the most up
to-date gymnasium garments. And
a 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 rules of the punching
contest as laid down by an authority:
Suspend the bag on level with
the shoulders and strike straight out
from the shoulder. This stroke
brings into play greater number OF
muscles than any other, tends to eN-
pand the chest and gives a good poisc
to the neck.
Always hit the bag. if possible, a
\ -.
prevent a rebound and bruised nose.
This will be best understood with
practice.
Ten minutes day is long enough
for the average woman, but twenty
minutes will be better if she wants to
reduce weight rapidly. Punch the
bag twenty-five times with the right
arm swing. rest few moments. and
then try twenty-five strokes with the
left hand.
Strike with the greatest regularity
possible. Then alternate one punch
with the left. But keep at it. Don't
exercise an hour one day and then
forget all about it for a 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
and under arm thrusts with the fists. |
Still other combinations will. sug
gest themselves. Gradually the |
punches can be made faster till the |
bag will beat n regular tattoo on the |
top of the framework overhead.
ransa.s xonr r,nusr. with ra.oar....