The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-07

are the ones who have looked after
the health of their muscles and which
have not. Those who have kept
themselves in good trim will have a
crispness of step which is unmistaka-
Bile to the trained ear. Those who
have not will have what l call
'dopy step-a dull flop of the foot, or
a drag, which is evidence as readable
as Holy Writ that they have neglect
ed the body at its most important
point
A careful watch of the expressions
of ones own walk will testify to the
truthfulness of this statement, and If
at the bad times we look at our faces
in a mirror We will notice that every
feature of it looks as old or as dull
as the walk seems.
From the mere point of looks then,
physical exercises are important, but
to have any great valueSin that direc
ton the development must be har-
monious. In other words, the body
must be taught to move and carry
its various parts with perfect balance
and equilibrium and not show merely
"a bunch of hard muscles somewhere
or other.
Healthful, and consequently grace
full, pose of the body is the first thing
to consider, and this improvement of
posture must not be put off and on
like the Sunday frock, but be, habitual.
1t is best achieved by certain light eX-
ercises taken twice a day, sut the
constant thought. Il must stand prop
erly,' will go long way toward eff
fecting the desired end"
Any number of actual diseases, let
alone grave ugliness of body, are said
by physicians to be the result OF
standing or sitting improperly. To
these ungraceful and harmful atti-
tudes is often laid curvature of the
spine, while, if not predisposing to
lung disease, they at least help to
pave the way for it. Even crossing
the legs while sewing or reading is
said to be bad, as this very inelegant
habit, COMPRISING the arteries and
veins, may cause rheumatism and
! paralysis. To have a footstool handy
| when sitting down for long spell CT
work or reading will do much toward
correcting this vulgar tendency, for
it really comes from the fact that the
chair is too high for comfort. Hat
of the ungraceful attitudes in which
the feet are posed while sitting
such as wrapping them around the
chair leg or thrusting them far for
warfare also due largely to the un
suitability of the chair, for all per
sons cannot use chairs of the same
height.
An excellent standing pose is some.
times taught young French girls with
the following gymnasium drill: They
are made to stand back against q
board partition in such a way that
the back of the head, shoulders, ell
bows, back. palms and heels press
against it; at a given signal the girls
wheel and face the board, when il
is seen, if they stand correctly, that
only the bust and the tip of the nose
touch it.
The lift of the chest caused by the
two simple movements gives freel
space for lung expansion, and the
head is held erect and proudly, as il
! should be. If children are made tc
practice this standing pose alone
might and morning they would soor
get out of. the way of standing
awkwardly and the good results Of
the training would last them till thu
end of their lives. But nobody is toe
old not to get benefit from it and
everything else unconsidered, it is {
splendid help to the digestion.