The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-04

vour clothes on a hickory limb and
MOI go near the water at the same
time that YOU are getting some of the
benefits of swimming. Not that swim
ming on dry land will lever rival that
sport as practiced in some cool trans
parent little mountain pool or In the
frolicsome, boisterous surf. The re-
freshing water about you and the brac-
ing air above you cause genuine swim
ming to distance all the beer. iron and
wine combinations that chemists ever
compounded. But IL, in place of a
beach or a mountain outing, you are
amending your summer in the city's
dullness. do all the swimming you can
at home, and be thankful for even a
hall bedroom natatorium.
1t is argued by swimmers that their
art is a first-class form of physical
culture. Nobody can doubt this.
Watch them in the water; every part
of their bodies Is busy, every muscle
Why not give the muscles the same
exercises out Of water?
Nowadays many swimming schools
possess a canvas belt for the benefit
of new pupils. The belt is put around
| the pupils body below the upper part
| of the chest; to the belt Is attached
| a rope which passes through a pulley
| in the ceiling. By means OF this SIM
pie apparatus. the pupil is held to
some extent in swimming position
and is taught tie motions without be-
ing obliged to sustain himself in the
water. For dry-land swimming 1t
would be a good idea to initiate this
method, using two belts, however. In
stead of one, so that the body might
be suspended horizontally, balanced by
one belt beneath the chest and one
about the thighs.
A more primitive way of teaching
swimming is to let the pupil lie face
downward across the piano stooS
This you can do in your own room
without any trouble whatever, and by
going through the motions OF swim
ming you will not only derive physi-
cal benefit but be in practice and
ready for your first ocean plunge when
the opportunity offers.
To begin with, the swimming teach
er gives you lessons in breathing, but
I cannot recommend this particular
form of breathing for dry land. The
deep-breathing exercises which you
have learned call for inhalation and
exhalation through the nose. or, better
vet, in at the nose and out at the mouth.
The scientific swimmer takes in his
breath through the mouth and lets 1t
out through the nose. counting q
breath to each stroke. Except that
you, on your piano stool. must breathe
in as well as out through the nose.
you may follew this rule.
Being loosely clad and extended In
a proper position, face downward, be-
gin with the breast stroke. While
doing this you must imagine yourself
submerged except for head and shout
ders. The more you can draw upon
your Imagination in this way the more
good you will get out of the effort,
for you will put plenty of Sorcs into
battling with imaginary waves.
The arms and legs are to lie out
stretched. forming straight line
with the body. This. on the piano
stool. is a neat bit of balancing in it,
self. The feet should be pressed back
| ward so that the toes point out behind
The hands are held palms downward
touching each other Now for the
movements First, part the hands
Describe a semi-circle with them until
they come back as far as the chin. AT
the same time that the arms are 60
| ing through their motion the knees are
being drawn up under the body, the
legs being spread apart at the same
time. Swimmers have argued the pros
and cons of spreading the knees, but
the majority of experts are in favor
of separating them to assist floating
AS a mere matter of physical culture
this method is more beneficial. 1t does
more for the development of the legs
The final movements of the breast
stroke are these: Draw the legs to-
gether sharply, returning them to their
extended position; shoot the hands out
straight forward again at the same
time
When you have mastered these
movements you know the first prin-
ciples of swimming. 1t Ia the forcible
kick backward that really does the
propelling in water; the duty of the
arms Is to keep the body balanced
The legs form a wedge against the
water and push you ahead. The begin
ner usually finds the arm movement
easier than the kick; until he has mas
tered the latter he can make no pro-
gress.
The overarm side stroke, some
times called the racing stroke, is one
which the amateur seldom puts into
practice in the water. 1t is much used
by racers, as 1t gives great speed in
| proportion to the output of energy
You can learn the principles OF the
| stroke while standing on your own
floor. Extend both arms above your
| head while standing on the right foot
The first movement is to bring the
right arm down in front Of the body
To about the center of the trunk.
Next, bring down the left arm and
draw up the left leg until they meet;
the hand will touch the leg just above
| the knee.
The right arm is now started upon
its semi-circular route; 1t moves In
front of the chest on the left side of
the body, keeping close to the chest
Only the light leg is now left unac-
counted for. While the left arm and
leg are meeting. the right leg Is being
Drawn up and spread out in the OPP
| oosite direction. This, of course, cans
| not be done in a standing position. bui
as soon as you have comprehendeo
the stroke you can practice on the pi'
4 ano stool.
The final movement consists OF
throwing out the right arm above the
head once more, Strengthening the legs
and bringing them together, while the
left arm Is thrown forward. Agar
the right arm is brought down to the
center of the body and the entire stroke
repeated
Does it make 1t any clearer to SAY
that the principle of the over-arn
stroke Is to keep a power working or
| the water without cessation? Yot
swim with the body turned partly or
one side The over-arm is being drawn