The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-07-30


Tell me. how to widen my chest, y
said the narrow chested girl to the
physical culture director. II am
plump enough elsewhere, but, oh so
fiat in the bust"
The physical culture teacher look
ed at the girl and smiled.
"Your gown is against you," said
she. "You are not dressed so that
you can fill out in the chest.
Your upper arm sleeves are too
tight, your stock pinches your throat,
your waist is too small, and you are
uncomfortable.
The first lesson in getting full
figure lies in making the clothing
comfortable. Loosen the neck, let
out the corset strings, give the lungs
chance to breathe deeply and try
to be comfortable.
Widening the chest hangs upon
three principles. First, there is deep
breathing. Second, there is COM
Portable dressing. Third, there is
the art of sitting correctly.
ITO begin at the third, the art of
sitting correctly is great deal to
the girl who wants a wide chest.
Unless she learns to sit right she can
never have the figure she Graves.
"She must learn to sit, not all in
heap, but erect and with the shoul-
ders thrown back. Unless the shoul-
ders are bent back so that the lungs
are wide open there can be no such
thing as expansion.
Never sit STOPPING, if you want
a nice bust. Never bend forward
while you work. Never have your
backbone curved or crooked or
twisted. Sit always in comfortable
though perfectly erect attitude.
Sitting cUrTeCrry IS even nuUrc
important than walking correctly.
Most women are seated hours and
hours every day, and to know how to
sit properly and how to keep the
lungs open while sitting is essential.
Marrow chested women who sew,
or read, or remain seated most of
the day, should study to obtain a
suitable rest for the back. The chair
should be straight backed, yet it
should be built so that it supports
the back without tiring it.
"It is harder to sit straight than
to stand straight, because one is less
accustomed to doing it. But it can
be done. Practice sitting up straight
every day for an hour, and it will
soon become second nature to you.
There is another thing, too,
about sitting up straight. 1t is more
becoming than STOPPING. Look
around the dinner table any day and
notice how the pretty women all sit
very erect, while it is the old and
ugly ones that stoop forward.
Deep breathing as chest de-
veloper is marvellous agent. Stand
up straight, throw the shoulders
back, expand the chest and take a
deep, full breath.
Mote how your lungs fill out and
how beautifully you feel. Beauti-
full is the only word for the exhilara-
ton which comes from a long, deep
breath.
"This deep breathing, or abdomi-
nal breathing is a marvellous health
agent. Your lungs and your diges-
ton both profit by it, not to mention
your looks.
Athletes will tell you that they
can mark the increase in chest ex-
pansion simply by taking deep
breathing lessons every day. AS
they take long abdominal breaths the
chest expands and the width ma
terially increases. Nor is this tenn
porary increase, but permanent
one.
"Then there is the matter of cloth
ing to be considered. Unless the
clothing is comfortable and loose
there is no chance of chest develop
ment. The girl who cannot throw
back her shoulders and take a long
breath without splitting her gown,
will never expand her chest. Her
clothing is against it.
"The special places where waist
should be large are in the neck, in
the belt and across the chest. There
should be plenty of room here. Pres
sure upon the throat or upon the
waist muscles will invariably cramp
the breathing.
"Then, after one has attended to
the matter of loose dressing, to cor
rect sitting, and to deep breathing,
there comes the matter of exercise.
Exercise for bust development is
very important. There are many i'm
plements for home practice; but, af-
ter all, nothing is better than the ball
exercise. A bowling alley is a good
thing, and the girl who has access
to one for few hours exercise two
or three times week is sure to have
wide chest.
"The girl who cannot visit bowl
ing alley and who cannot indulge in
gymnasium practice, can always put
on gymnasium suit in her own
home and practice by herself.
"She can roll a ball, throw it and