The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-05-08
THE GOSPEL OF REST.
Woods Hutchinson Believes Too Much
Exercise Is EnfeebIins,

The gospel of laziness is preached
with enthusiasm by Woods Hutchin-
son, NJ. D., in an article called "Exer-
else That Rests" in the May Cosmo-
politan. Most people. he says. take life
too strenuously. When they do rest
they feel they must apologize for it.
Even the rich dare not be idle, but
are driven by public opinion to a per-
petual round of busy foolishness, to
| make themselves believe they arc
doing something" The gospel OF rest
S postponed to future life. with
the feeling that it would be almost
immoral practice it here.
Now, rest, DR.. Hutchinson points out.
is not a period of stagnation, but II
time OF intense activity During sleep.
especially, we build up capital to be
spent recklessly dur ng our waking
hours The tired desk worker who
turns to active excrctse-a hard bout
at tennis, a long, brisk walks not
always building as well as he thinks
IF the exercise be too violent for the
enfeebled muscles of the brain worker.
or too long continued then
muscular exercise VII often simply
pile fresh waste poisons upon an al
ready smouldering fire and increase
ones exhaustion instead of relieving it.
Many faugued and exhausted bust
ness man or OVerWOrked teacher or
householder would be much more ben
Gifted by an hours rest or sleep in a
we'll ventilated room, if possible, in the
open air-than by brisk tWo-milt
walk. The best possible short Vacat on
is often to sleep late, take ones break
fast in bed and loaf industriously ali
afternoon.
Long sitting in a badly ventilated
room will clog the tissues of the body
with poisonous waste matter, and SO.
of course, VII overeating and hasty
mastication. Most people of intelli-
gence realize this, but few understand
how evereXertion poisons and, there
fore, fatigues the body. This evil can
be avoided by change Of occupation.
I'VE quickly become tired doing the
same thing over and over again. The
particular group of muscles and the
brain and nerve cells which direct their
action become dumped with THEN
own fatigue poisons.' That is often
what ails children whose teachers and
parents complain of their restlessness:
and it is why the periods of study, eX-
ercise and play should be in all schools
short and constantly alternated. In
reply to the objection that this method
makes school work too much like play,
Dr. Hutchinson says: Precisely. that
is it's chief virtue: for when we play
we are initiating nature and following
her great method of development. All
exercise, to do us good, must be
play.
Pleasure is natures stamp Of APP
prevail, he adds. Followed blindly. it
may lead to dangerous extremes, but
within limits it is the safest of guides.
Two hours of outdoor life are the least
a sedentary worker should attempt to
do with. says DIR. Hutchinson. If one
feels Ike running, shouting. playing,
by all means one should run, shout,
play. 'If. however, one has worked
and overstrained ones self until there
is no play spirit left, then what is
needed in the way of recreation-yes,
of physical cultures not exercise, but
rest"
Gymnasium work DR.. Hutchinson
does not much approve. Evidently for
the tired man or woman he places idle
ness first, spontaneous play in the
open air second and gymnasium work
last of ali.
To people just starting on their va
cations DR.. Hutchinson says:
BE as shamelessly lazy as you like
for the first two to five days. Be sure
to get all the nerve poisons ana lung
nelson's and germ Laden dust of the
citv out of your lungs and system be-
fore YOU begin to take any real eXer-
else Time so wasted will often save
YOU from coming back to town win
the feeling that your vacation mas not
done Won much good.