The sun., 1902-03-09
The NEW PHYSICAL CULTURE.
BREATHING THE GREAT THING
IN 1T, NOT EXERCISE.
II You Breathe Properly. Say Its Advo-
oates, Your Bodily strength VIII
Develop Naturally Tho Old GYM
nasties IAkened 10 n Mere Stimulant

nized as the same branch Of instruction
that became compulsory in most schools
! ten years ago.
1T began by meaning muscle develop
ment: now II means health. II began by
being a stimulant; now 1t Is, so TO speak,
nourishment.
THE proper word for the work is not
physical culture, but medical gymnastics.
| The graduate from course in physical
culture used to come out with abnormally
developed muscles, which we're lost SO
soon as exercise stopped.
"Now one who finishes a proper course
in medical gymnastics is n healthful hui
man being. whoso muscular development
is an incident and not an end and the es-
oellent condition Of whose body is by no
means dependent upon constant stimula-
ton by rigidly enforced exercise.
The revolution in the method Of teach
ing includes, among its most important
steps, almost the entire abolishment OF
apparatus. The day Of elaborately fitted
gymnasiums is gone. Dumbbells and
Indian clubs and chest weights are out
classed. Any living room is an excellent
gymnasium.
Strong men like Dempsey, jackson and
Prof. Dowd have done more to harm phys
ical development than to assist it. They
were abnormal; they were strong and mus
| cular because they were born SO. And in
cidentally | may say that all three died
while they were comparatively young men.
But the possibility of such development
as theirs so fascinated people that they
all set out 10 become Shadows. Now San
dow did not become Sandow; he was born
Sandov.
"The person who acquires phenomenal
muscular development is treating his
muscles just as he treats his body when
| no stimulates IL with alcohol. And the
reaction is Just as certain to come in one
| case as in tho other. The way physical
| culture used to be taught is neither more
nor less than form Of physical dissipation
| Just as harmful TO the body as any other
form.
When say this am not thinking only
Of those who went In training 10 become
professional athletes. / mean also those
in the schools and colleges where so-called
physical culture was compulsory.
an all the colleges in this country the
theory was the same. Large muscles,
strong sinews. ability TO lift and TO throw
that meant strength and strength meant
health. In the womens colleges the pupils
were striving as hard as men TO develop
biceps.
! with the new method we look less 10
muscle making apd more to making the
organs healthy and giving them proper
room The keynote Of physical culture
was in a word. 'exercise'-that is, by motion.
The KEYNOTE of medical gymnastics is
breathing The pupil who learns to
| 10 Eau u-nnAarftl va Of
disease and to ward OF disease is what we
are working for, not momentarily superior
development which shall leave the body
liable 10 weakness and ailments.
"Now, the value of breathing has always
been recognized, but it has always been
wrongly taught. II is wrongly taught now
in many schoolrooms. and several | know
Of have only this year come to understand
the inconsequent distinction between chest
and abdominal breathing which has always
been so emphasized
Tho new understanding is that chest
and abdominal breathing are alike in
adequate. The single point 70 be observed
| is TO breathe deeply and deoply-with chest
and with abdomen-all the air you can.
! That il the only correct breathing II il
| the air that purihes the blood. Well, then
| get as much Of it as you are able with both
chest and with abdomen
The instruction in breathing then
consists in training in this sort OF breathing
and in expeling the air and afterward in
| localizing the breathing for special
strengthening OF weak side or back.
! This is accomplished by assuming such
positions "a will force the air 10 a weak
| side.
Learning 20 breathe deeply and so 10
| expand the body and give due room TO
each organ sums up the whole science OF
| physical training. Accomplish that, and
the muscles will take care Of themselves.
1T Is true that they will develop; il is
| true that the chest development alone will
| be from 2 TO 2]S inches, and that the muscles
| Of the arms and Of the back and of the
whole body will be made large and healthy.
| but this ia an incident TO the process of
making room for the organs. Whereas
when the training is directed to the muscle
| development alone. the organs themselves
are often weakened
This amounts very nearly 10 a reversal
Of the old theory, and tho result IL seen in
! the fashion of fitting up a gymnasium
| II were going 10 III one up newly should
! have in II no apparatus at all, excepting a
! few benches Of various heights and breadths,
| In the gymnasium which use make use
of some Of the apparatus simply because
| IL il there. use the rings and the horizon
! tai bars, but only in connection with breath
! ing exercises.
Il have discarded altogether the dumb
! bells. Indian clubs. wands. pulleys and chest
weights-and remember that when began
! to teach, and up to within very few years
ago, made use Of all these, and fancied
il was the only way TO do. The only APP
paratus which consider very nearly neccs-
sary is the benches.
Il use two Of these. One ia rather high
and fitted with a sort of foot-brace like a
stirr,Ip The pupils sit upon this bench
as in a side-saddle, simply for the purpose
Of assuming various positions which wish
them TO take and steadily 10 keep while they
go through with the deep-breathing ex-
crcises.
The other bench Is somewhat lower,
and upon this the pupils sit astride to as.
sumo another set Of positions. But il il
were necessary, the jamb Of door could
be made TO do about as well for the PURPOSE
of steadying one while the exercise was
done.
"of course all apparatus may be used