Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-11

is taller in the morning than at night.
| That does not mean that you actually
sprout and grow during your sleeping
| hours. but the relaxation that sleep brings
allows the body to stretch out to its full
| size. At night, when you are tired the
! body Says. and for this reason it actually
measures less than in the brisk, fresh
elastic morning.
Stretching exercises are nowadays being
| recommended to increase the height. What
| they really do is to give you the full bene-
| fit of all the height that rightly belongs
| to you, by bracing up the sagging muscles.
| They certainly give the appearance of In
| creased height, to say nothing of making
| life seem more worth the living. The more
you let the muscles sag or become cramped
| the harder it will be to get them into good
| habits again That Is why the stretching
work is particularly useful at bedtime
| when these muscles are most in need OF
| correction.
| To Aid Nature.
| At that time you must get the body into
as relaxed a condition possible in or
| der to aid nature She will do this of her
self while you sleep, but often it is not
until deep sleep of morning that the body
| becomes thoroughly relaxed of itself.
! Hence although you are sleeping, you are
| not getting the best quality of sleep. Go
| to bed as tall as you can.
You are ready for these exercises at
night after the face washing and the
tooth brushing and the scalp massage
have been duly attended to. l don't say
after the bath, for the weekly warm bath
takes the place of exercise in relaxation.
| BY the time you have steamed thoroughly
| in the warm tub, have enjoyed the cold
dash and the glow arising from Turkish
| towels and the flesh brush you are ready
| for rest. But there six nights of the
| week that should find you unkinking
yourself by means of exercise.
The kimona or eiderdOwn bath robe, or
| whatever loose garment you have in the
| way of neglige, may be slipped on over
| the night dress or union suit. There must
| be no restriction of clothing. not even
| belt. Wear no shoes at all unless you
! have heeIless ones.
| Go to a cool room for the exercises. This
will probably be your bed room, which
should always be cool at night. Whether
| you sleep with your window open or not,
| be sure that the window has been opened
| at top and bottom before retiring, that
| the room is thoroughly ventilated. Take
| the exercises with the window still open.
Warm yourself to begin with by clap
| ping your hands together as far in front
and far behind as you can reach. 1
have never discovered as simple an exer-
else which starts a glow all over the body
more quickly, and if you can remember
this until next December it will come in
handy. Next, stand facing the open win
dow and take a few deep breaths with
the hands resting lightly on the filing
chest and the outward elbows level
with the shoulders.
The Next Move.
Now you are ready for the lengthening
process. Lie fiat on your back on the floor
and throw the arms up over the head until
they, too, are extended on the floor, palms
up. Now say to yourself Somebody is
pulling me by the feet and somebody is
pulling me by the hands," Consider that
| these imaginary somebodies are having a
tug-of-war over you Imagine yourself the
arms up just as far you possibly can.
Turn over and lie face downward on the
floor. Go through the same stretching pro-
cess. Repeat 1t on your right side, then on
your left. Give variety to your work by
scattering the floor and board exercises
among the upright ones. After stretching
on the floor come to an erect and correct
standing position. Stretch the arms out
laterally, palma down.
Now bend the trunk to the right until the
right hand is brought to the floor and the
left is high in the air. This position must
be brought about by the bending of the
truak alone the arms being motionless all
the while Bend to the left until the left
hand touches the floor and the right Is up.
Back and forth, back and FORTH you win
flap like big windmill
You must aim to keep the knees stiff and
to touch the floor at least with the finger
tips. This is no easy trick at first. but you
will find every night bringing you nearer
the goal.
Lean Gradually.
Balancing yourself while lying on your
back a piano stool is art to be ac-
quired gradually. The perfect accomplish
ment would be to lie as fiat, while poising
there, as II you were on the floor. Begin
by laying the large ironing board across a
chair or small table and stretching out full
length on 1t. When this has ceased to be
dizzy sensation. take a smaller board.
Then do away with the board altogether
and balance across. the seat OF the chair.
In time you will be ready to take the
Anal step to the piano stool. Stretch the
arms out beyond the head far as you
can, then draw them down until the hands
are clasped under the head. Stretch ana