Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-04-06
One of the discouraging features OF

One of the discOuraging features OF
exercise for exercise sake is that it
must seem futile and dul' to the busy
woman or man who does everything
else with some object in view. When Il
woman sweeps she is exercising, but she
is also accomplishing something. When
she goes out, unless she has an object for
her walk she is generally bored by it..
three miles out on the turnpike and
three miles in again in the laudabe
pursuit of exercise and we think with
superior thrill that an American woman
would find some more interesting way
OF winning to the same end. But when
we hear of stout New York women who
post so many times around the reservoir
in Central Park in the deavOur to re-
duce their flesh, we wonder if after all
we are SO much ahead of the BritOns in
enterprise and invention.
When woman is on her wheel it is a
different thing. She is taking the air
and exercising her muscles. But she
is also getting soinewhere,-t pay a
call, to do an errand, to make the ac-
quaintance of bit of road which had
been too remote to explore ON foot.
New England doctor has put himself on
record by declaring among the advant-
ages Of the bicycle that cit interests
people and keeps them out of doors, two
very important factors in healthy
happy life.'
Yet the woman makes mistake if she
takes long run on her wheel one day
and allows it to gather dust, unused,
thereafter for week or ten days. If she
is to derive full advantage from her eye
ling, she must make it an everyday mat
ter. weather permitting. Not the
amount, but the regularity, let me re-
peat it again. By this [ do not mean
that the days runs must always be of
uniform length. They may be extended
or contracted as seems advisable. But
the unyarying habit of riding must be
kept up and the body thus preserved in
condition for work or play.
This necessity for regular exercise
as winning attention more and
more. The whole problem of proper
bodily development has of late years re-
ceived serious consideration, both by the
medical fraternity and by the laity. The
popularity of the various system
of physical training is a good in
dicatiOn and many of these schools seem
to have accomplished good. One of these
that appeals to one peculiarly, by reason
of the unusual breadth and value of its
scope, is the American Institute of
Physical Culture. This is Boston en-
terprise and is endorsed by men whose
names and for much in their respective
lines. 1t is rather unusual in that the
ethical side is made of paramount i'm
portance.
Many women, young and old, would
be materially benefited in general
health, pose of body, clearness of com
pexiOn and keenness of mind by a
course of moderate physical training
under guidance which gives proper
consideration to individual needs. 1t is
this which is furnished by this Boston
school, and by it's we'll arranged CORES
pOndence system the directors are able
to keep in touch with their pupils all
over the country. These teachers too.
insist upon regularity as fundament al
part of physical training they direct.
Similar regularity is essential SO far
as sleep is concerned for those who wish
to keep their health. I do not mean by
this that fixed hour for retiring mus
be immutable in the case of adults
although it is pity they cannot sub
NIT themselves to some such standard.
While the eXigencies of life forbid this,
they permit reasonable amount of rule
and precept concerning slumber. There
are few women who cannot maintain a
tOlerably strict regimen so far as habits
OF sleep are concerned. The mothers of
little children must resign themselves
to broken nights, but the majority of
wives and mothers and still more the
the younger women, may have a fixed
time for retiring and adhere to this
with some degree of strictness. It is
very we'll to allot six hours of sleep to
a man, seven to woman and eight to a
fool as the old proyerb runs but the So
called FOOLS allowance is none too much
for the greater part of mankind and
WOmankinG.
| Besides this there are other health
considerations to be borne in mind.
Dress is among them. A well-known
physician in all English medical journal
has written recently against the evil of
tight lacing, and has laid to this much
OF woman's i'll temper. The writer, who
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