The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-05-03
EXERCISE IN OLD AGE
Evidence in Favor Of Regular Work
and Plenty Of 1t
(Medical Record)


Old age is the period when one finds
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. II. |
Toeppen, in the New York Medical |
journal, mentions a man in Holland |
who was 20 when he won a well-con- |
tested skating race. Also man past
20 who came in ninth in 350-mile
race which occurred in France a cou-
pie of years ago. He sums up by stat
ing that it is futile to try to 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 per-
formance of Edward p. Weston, who
at the age of 70 walked from New
York to San Francisco In los days.
One year prior to this he walked from
Portland Maine, to Chicago, averag-
ing nearly so miles a day and cover
ing 1000 miles Weston has been an
athlete all his life, as in an interview
with reporter he said he exercises
every day excepting Sunday. His hab-
its have always been good and he is
strict temperance man.
The recent death of Prof. Lombroso
at the age of 73 recalls to our minds
that he was famous bicyclist and fire.
Quently journeyed through Europe on
his wheel.
The death, short time ago, of Josa
Radcliffe, recalls wonderful feat
which he performed at the age of AZ,
He backed himself to run, swim, row,
ride a horse and wheel each quar-
ter mile within quarter of an hour.
The times he made were;- Rowing,
1.43; swimming, 5;39; fastening on
shoes, SO running, 1885, cycling and
riding horse together, 2,4O; total time
12.4S.
Last year pedestrian named
Hughes, it is said, walked SO miles in
10 hours. His age was stated to be
6S
In commenting Oh the death of vii
liam Blailxie, lawyer athlete and au
thor, writer states that there was
something sadly significant in his
. death at the age of 6l Mr.. BlaikiC
when young and in middle age wa'
very much interested in athletics. Al
. he grew older he devoted about al
' his time to his law practice, and 1t II
said that he took no exercise the las
year of his life. The strain cause,
" by very important law case is SUP
" posed to have paved the way for
fatal stroke of apopleXy. So inter
aested was he in this case that he FIRE
quently worked far into the night o.
the papers, Here is another illustrs
" ton of man who did not keep u
his heart muscle, as 1t Is very ev
- dent that degenerate changes occur
. red promptly when he ceased talin
" his usual exercise, as he was a natu
~ al athlete up to his sixtieth yea
~ When young man he was strok
" oarsman In the Harvard crew whic
70 defeated Yale in the year 1866 Whe
~ II years of age he lifted with HI
~ hands alone 1919 pounds. Anoth'
w. feat was walking from Boston to Ne
a. York 1925 miles) in four and ha
~ days
All the best authorities appear
>. believe that walking is the best e
~ ercise of all provided 1t is done in Il
io open air. Blake thinks walking ms
~ be prescribed as therapeutic mea
No ure in certain conditions. DR.. Gas
" ell says: "A good, brisk walk in Il
~ fresh air, with free breathing al
De good style, is as useful form of ply
ical exercise as any | know"
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