Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-26
THE QUEST 0F=BEAUTY
Various Exercises That Will
Add Curves.
KICKING rs ONE WAY
A SYSTEM THAT Is CALLED "MAT
WORK"
Reads Easy Enough, but It's Success
Lies in Daily
KICKING IS ONE WAY

steal culture lessons by Lying on the floor
and kicking" as one Of the pupils describes
1t, Is something to be seen in western uni
versity where the physician in charge has
developed the system, which he calls mat
work.
The exercises given in this fashion are of
certain value to all the muscles in the
body, but they are intended for the especial
benefit of hips, waist and legs
Anybody who possesses mattress can
carry out this course at home, and secure
health and beauty at the same time. The
latter, you know is largely the result of the
first. If you are not particular about your
bones you may be able to do without the
mattress, but one girl who tried her first
lesson on the bare floor reports that she
counted every bone in her body next day,
although after little practice she preferred
the floor alone 1t is best for the beginner
to use the mattress and, if she intends to
do away with it later on, to grow hardened
by degrees.
There must be no corset or corset waist
taking part in these exercises. Clothing
must be as loose as possible. If you have
not gymnasium suit wear the nearest APP
proach to one that your own wardrobe Of
fers. You must be entirely free above and
below the waist line-above, for the purpose
of deep breathing; below, for the purpose
of free kicking.
Begin by lying fiat on your back on the
mattress and resting. If you don't know
how to rest it's time to learn. Extend your
legs perfectly straight. Let your arms lie
loosely beside you. Relax every muscle In
your body from top to toe. Close your eyes
as If you were going to sleep This by the
way, is an excellent thing to do in many
kinds of physical culture. Few women re-
alize that their eyes work by means of
muscles just as much as other parts of her
body, and that those muscles need rest just
as much as others. They can't get 1t While
you looking about the world.
Begin the chest brea thing. Lay the hands
lightly on the chest, inhale while you slow
ly count four and exhale for the same
count. The hands will tell you whether
the chest is doing the breathing you
order it to do. They should find them
selves raised and lowered more and more
with practice. Half dozen of these deep
breaths will do to begin with.
But You Must
Now for the first exercise. Let the arms
rest easily on the mattress. Draw up the
right knee until it touches the chest At
this point 1 can hear you squealng and
painting and gasping Il can't"
You can before long. Don't ask If you
are taken for professional contortionist.
Persevere
the left. Then alternate four times, and
wind up with lour counts for the two to-
gether. This is the order of counting for
this entire system. Be sure to extend the
legs full length after drawing them up.
One girl says she gained inch in height
by this work. Perhaps she had better say
an inch in erectneSS.
At the end of each exercise take some
breathing. 1t relaxes you and ''limbers''
you for the next. Try breathing with the
abdomen. Lay the hands on it and let
them report to you again. Do they find
themselves raised and lowered during the
jp1o To- nd bo1p
Turn upon the right side. Lie straight,
one leg extended upon the other. Don't
bother about your arms. Let them forget
themselves.
until the knee touches your chest Do this
four times. Turn upon the left side and
put the right knee through the same PAGES.
Best Way to Breathe.
For the next breathing exercise-all of
them are taken fat on the back-try
brea thing with the whole trunk, chest and
abdomen both. This is the best form of
breathing for common practice. 1t is the
form that animals teach U.S. and they know
points about physical living that we have
forgotten.
Still on your back, raise each leg and
both legs to a perpendicular Only practice
will make the muscles about the knee will
ing to extend in a straight line. Four
counts for the right, four for the left four
while they alternate and four for both to-
gether. This exercise may be taken with
the hands on the hips.
Instead of breathing, occasional neck
exercise may be thrown in between the
kickings." Lying on the back, shoulders
on the mat, raise the head as high as pos
sible by means of the neck muscles alone.
You won't be able to do this many times
at first.
Lying on the side as before, raise the up
per leg while it is extended straight. 1t
ihr in.,
knee; don't let it. Raise it until you be-
come very broad lying on your side
A Neck Movement.
While you are on your side you can take
a neck exercise by raising the head as far
from the floor as possible. This brings into
play the muscles at the side of the neck.
The strain on them while you are lying is
much greater, as you will quickly feel, than
while you are in an upright position. Con-
sequently, there is better chance for the
development of the round neck that you
want. The same exercises that round your
thin neck will reduce the over-plump one.
They tend TO symmetry of outline, no mat
ter from what condition they start.
1t will take good deal of practice for
you to learn to touch the floor above your
head with your toes while lying on your
back. This is an exercise that you may
give yourself after you become an ad-
vanced pupil in the course. 1t is the first
| stage in a backward somersault. Having
| touched, bring the legs back to their extend
| ed position. If you are not used to turning
somersaults. go gently, lest you lose your
| balance and suddenly find your whole
weight topping upon the back of your
| neck. 1t is painful incident. The strain
| should come upon the muscles that follow
the back of the leg from. the hip down. You
| will feel stout tug on them, as if they
| We're ropes I'm tug of war. "a
You will be breathless after your at
| tempts at this exercise. and you may put
| your neck to work again while you rest
your body on its back. Turn the head from
| side to side until the cheeks rest turn and
| turn about upon the mattress. The neck
muscles will rebel vigorously after dozen
| counts, and it is well to let them rest.
! They will gradually grow accustomed to
more work. 1t is best not to push any
form of exercise to the point of becoming
| tired.
On Count Of Four.
| combination of two previous exercises
| is formed by raising the bent knee to the
| chest. extending the leg to perpendicular,
| bending it to the chest again, then extend
| ing it full length on the floor. This re-
| quires count of four, and is given, or
| course on the back