The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-04
HOW TO KEEP WELL.
Participation In Athletics Not Always
 Means of Gaining Health.

Eugene Sandow, in the New York World
 1t is better to take pleasurable and ex- hIlarating exercise in the open air. on green playing fields. than to sweter in smoky cities and lounge at street corners or in crowded cafes.
 For games, when rightly indulged in constitute for those who are perfectly sound In wind and limb d most healthful recreation.
 At the same time one must not think that the participation in games Is a means of gaining health for those who are weak ly or who are suffering from some illness, whether functional CT otherwise.
 As a matter of fact even those who are hale, well and strong and full of lusty life. often find that certain of the conse- quences both direct and indirect of games are not altogether favorable to good health. while for the alling or dell cate person they are in nine cases out of ten most injurious, and certainly not to be recommended.
 It must be remembered that there is no such thing as an "all-round" game-that Is to say, that there is no game witch impartially exercises and develops all the muscles of the body. In nearly every well known athletic pastime one part of the body will be found to be developed at the expense of the others Certainly there Is a tendency in this direction.
 Now, when muscle is exercised a cer- tain amount of wasted tissue is burnt up. and the flow of blood toward the parts affected is stimulated.
 The tissues call as 1t were to the blood for assistance. They ask 1t 10 lrlng more oxygen, more nutrition to them to replace the matter that has been burnt Up by exercise And the blood responds to the appeal. It flows in increasing volume to the parts exercised, which thus withdraw some of tho life giving fluid frcm organs and tissues which perhaps require il more than they do.
 Say you are a sufferer from chronic dyspepsia, and that your digestive organs are weakly and their functions dlsorgan- ized. You take part in some game. You bring violently into play perhaps short ly after n meal certain muscles. These muscles draw blood to them. Your diges- tive organbe, alread weak are still fur ther enfeebled by the dlmnuton in the supply of the blood that onurishes them. And, therefore, a result of the eX- ercise you have taken, your malady, in stead of being cured. as you had hoped it would be. Is actually aggravated.
 Any one who suffers from any chest or lung complaint should eschew vigorous athletic pastimes as he would eschew damp sheets and wet footwear Too many are unaware of the urgent necessity of this My chest wants developing they argue; "exercise does undoubtedly de- velop the chest therefore" they con clude most lllogicaly, T must play games"
 They forget that exercise can be ob- tained in other ways than by taking part ir athletic contests. It Is not the possession of the cricketer, the cyclst, the oarsman, the footballer alone. Quiet, gentle physical movements. scientifically directed, regularly and carefully per formed will do more to develop the chest than any amount of haphazard exercise taken In the course of strenuous forty five minutes between the coach lines For there is always danger fin athletic games: The lungs may be filled too full of blood, and if they are at all weak, then hemorrhage may ensue.
 Not that l wish to say, as may pc seen by the opening paragraphs of this article, one word In depreciation of ath- letic games when practiced In modera- tion, under rightful conditions and by the right individuals. But I wish to impress most strongly upon my readers that hap hazard exercise can never usurp the place held by scientifically directed exercise In the curing of i'll health. The human body fig such a delcately constructed organization in many ways that all care must be taken not to throw its machinery ou. of order by any rash tampering with its mechanism.