Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-10
EXERCISE IN OLD AGE.
Evidence Favors Regular Exercise
and Plenty of It.
From the Medical Record.


Old age is the period where one finds a
good many conflicting opinions. but the
evidence appears to be in favor of regular
exercise and plenty of it up to old age.
especially if one has been active in early
and middle life. H. Toeppen in the New
York Medical Journal mentions man In
Holland who was seventy when he won
well-contested skating race. Also a
man past seventy who came in ninth in a
35O-mile race which occurred in France
a couple of years ago. He sums up by
stating that it is futile to try and lay
down general age limits for the different
kinds of athletic sports. One of the most
remarkable feats for an aged man ever
recorded is the great performance of Ed
ward p Weston, who at the age of
seventy, walked from New York to San
Francisco in 1G5 days. One year prior to
Chicago. averaging nearly fifty miles a
day and covering 1.20O miles. Weston has
been an athlete all his life, as in an in
terview with a reporter he said he exer-
cises every day excepting Sunday. His
habits have always been good and he is q
strict temperance man.
The recent death of Prof. Lombroso. at
the age of seventy-three, calls to our
minds that he was g. famous blcycnst
and frequently journeyed through Europe
on his wheel.
The death, short time ago, of Joss
Radcliffe recalls a wonderful feat which
he performed at the age OF forty-two.
He backed himself to run, swim. row,
ride a horse and a wheel each a quarter
mile within a quarter of an hour. The
times he made were: Rowing. LAB;
swimming. $50; fastening on shoes, .S3;
running. 1.53: cycling and riding horse
together. 2.4e; total time. 1e.4S.
Last year a pedestrian named Hughes,
,ol mil In foy, hon
His age was stated to be sixtyeight.
In commenting on the death Of William
Blake, lawyer. athlete and author, a
writer states that there was something
sadly significant in his death at the age
of sixty-one. Mr.. Blaikie when young
and in middle age was very much inter-
ested in athletics. AS he grew older he
devoted about all his time to his law
practice, and it is said that he took no
exercise the last year of his life. The
case is supposed to have paved the way
for a fatal stroke Of apoplexy. So in
terested was he in this case that he fire.
quently worked far into the night on the
papers. Here is another Illustration of a
man who did not keep up his heart
muscle as it is very evident that degen-
erative changes occurred promptly when
he ceased taking his usual exercise, as
he was a natural athlete up to his six
tieth year. When young man he was
a stroke oars1nan in the Harvard crew
which defeated Yale in the year 1865.
When seventeen years Of age lifted,
with his hands alone. 1,O19 pounds. An
other feat was walking from Boston to
New York (225 miles, in four and half
days.
Ali the best authorities appear to be-
lieve that walking is the best exercise of
all provided it is done in the open air.
Blake thinks walking may be prescribed
as q therapeutic measure in certain con-
ditions. DR.. Gaskell says: "A good.
brisk walk in the fresh air, with free
breathing and good style, is as useful a
form of physical exercise as any know. ~