Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
Training Down to a Trim
Figure.
EXERCISE AND FASTING
ONE IS JUST AS NECESSARY AS
THE OTHER.
Both Indoor and Outdoor Work is
Required, and Plenty
Of Both.

The general rule is, work hard, fast and
long to reduce weight. dress warmly while
exercising. eat little and do not sleep too
much.
To increase weight. let the rule work the
other way; that is, do the opposite in every
thing.
Plenty of exercise and little sleep-this
Is always the message to the one who
would bring her girthand beam into proper
lions of classic slenderness-to the middle
aged woman Of the embonpoint type and to
the dumpy girl
The accumulation of superfiuous flesh il
abdomen. Consequently, most of the exer-
cises should be planned to reduce those
parts of the body.
Dumbbells or Indian clubs can be used or
not as is convenient. When no apparatus
Is employed, put plenty of muscular energy
into the movements.
To Reduce the Hips.
To reduce adipose tissue about the hips,
| take the lunge forward and backward, with
the hands on the hips.
To 'lunge" place the foot in the given
direction, three times the length of the foot.
The knee must be well bent. SO that rod
placed vertically in front Of the knee would
touch the floor four inches in front of the
toe. Both feet must be placed firmly on
the ground.
A good abdominal exercise is the Ostrich
walk" Clasp the hands behind the head.
Throw the head back. Walk lightly for
| steps, at the same time pushing upward
with the chest and backward with the hips.
Throw the right foot around. Pivot, turn
| ing backward and forward.
Another exercise for training the figure
| to more sylphlike proportions Is the "Mer-
| curry posture" For this take a running
gait and then pause. with one foot up
| raised. Before becoming expert it is well
| to practice running a few steps and catch
| ing the foot with the hand.
| Stand erect, with the hands on the hips.
| Bend slowly forward as far as possible
! and then swing the body from the waist
up, using the waist as a pivot, with cir
| cular movement to the right Then bend
| back as far as possible. Repeat the move
ment to the left. Alternate back and forth
until the muscles begin to feel fatigued.
| She Must Persist.
| The simple movement, so familiar to
many, Of leaning over and touching the
floor with the finger tips without bending
the knees is excellent in obesity cases.
| OF course, a very stout woman cannot ac-
complish this feat at the first or second
trial. but she should persist until she sue
ceeds.
| Stand on tiptoe and then stoop suddenly
/ -
| again on tptoe. The back must be kept
straight during this movement.
| Kick as high as possible, aiming at a
| point about three inches above the head
| Kneel upon the floor with the balls Of
| the feet resting upon the floor, so that the
standing position can be resumed by mere
ly moving the center of gravity backward
and then extending the legs.
Try Ball Playing.
To keep down adipose there is nothing
better than ball playing, either alone or
| with companion. If playing solitaire
| there are some graceful movements, which,
however. require practice before any one
can go through with them successfully.
For example, extend the arms on line
with the shoulders, touch the hands over
the head and toss and catch the ball.
Glide forward obliquely to the right.
| throwing the whole weight on the right
foot. The left toe only should rest on the
ground At the time, holding the
ball with both hands, raise the arms slow
ly over the head In this position, toss
| the ball upward and catch 1t.
Raise the arms up and out, with a cir
| cular movement, bring to the front, on a
line with the shoulder, toss and catch the
ball.
| Lunge to the right side, with the face tc
the right, describe large circle with the
| right arm, the ball being held in the right
| hand, toss the ball and catch 1t with the
| PAIN OF the mana DOWNWARD.
Straighten the right knee and bend the
left, describe a large backward circle with
the left arm, toss the ball. which is held In
the left hand and catch with the palm OF
the hand upward.
Raise the arms upward. outward and
down to the Sides cross them in front OF
the body, and toss the ball.
The Breathing Exercises.
Athletics should always close with q
breathing exercise and inhalation and ex.
haIation should be full, deep, thorough an6
steady.
Everybody knows the inexpressible relief
| Of throwing up the arms and indulging In
real stretch and yawn after long sitting
in close room. As long as laziness ir
breathing is continued the blood will be in
sufficiently oxygenated, and the whole
health and every organ of the body suffer.
Take at least five full, deep breaths daily
| in the open air. When you come to realize
that, without weil-fllled lungs, robust health
is impossible, you will perhaps take five
times five deep breaths during the day.
The amount Of exercise to be taken /:
best left to the judgment Of the individual
but be sure to do enough. You can stand
more than you think. Most Of the talk abou
OVERRIDING is to please lazy people. Tit
danger is slight. especially with healthy
women.
Work until you feel quite tired. Worl
regularly. It is well to get into the habi
Of counting the number OF times you d.
each exercise, and then increase 1t by TIVE
| or three from week to week.
Considerable lameness Is often experienced
when one first starts out on an athletic ca
reer. but 1t will go away OF itself in a da,
| or two. Lameness Is a sign that the mus
cles are beginning to grow. II you do no
get lame you are not doing enough.
II headache and dizziness are produced
by exercising. simply rest when this comes
on and try again later In the end tht
exercise will cure a tendency to headache
az well-developed neck gives the brain 9
freer blood supply. Brain workers should
| practice all exercises which tend to de
| velop the neck.
After exercising bath should be taken
However, do not neglect the exercise Il
you cannot take the bath. It is better tG
, exercise and go without the bath than t.
| battle and not exercise.
Il Outdoor Work, Too.
Don't think because you devote twenty
minutes or a half hour to gymnastics thai
outdoor work can be neglected Womer
, should run more. Many women walk well
but the running gait Is strange and awk.
ward to them.
Tennis. golf. rowing, riding and wheeling
are all excellent adjuncts to home athletics