The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-15
TILMAN'S HEALTH RULES
How the Senator RecOvered---Was
 Complete Physical Wreck

Washington, April 15-One year ago Senator Ben Tillman went to his South Carolina home a complete phy- sical wreck His colleagues here never believed it would be possible for the shadow of the "PitchfOrk Ben'' that was, to regain his health.
 But at the beginning of the present session, the picturesque South Caro- linian appeared once more in his seat in the Senate. Moreover, he looked
 well. His friends were astonished at his recovery, for everybody thought Til1nan was near death.
 Physical culture and deep breath ing were taken together because it is necessary to count the movements of the muscles and nerves and also to count them while holding the breath.
 I find it better to take and easier, the
 breathing exercise in a horizontal po- explained Tillman.
 Here are some of the "stunts" which the. Senator recommends for those anxious to regain their health Before rising in the morning take the head off the pillow and stretch out, exhaling all the air out of the lungs and then draw in all the air possible.
 Draw up the knees with the heels on the bed. Throw the knees as far apart as they can be carried, swinging them apart and together | vigorously so as to strain the muscles of the thigh.
 l t'Throw one foot and then the other | toward the headboard, vigorously I kicking it if you can. Kick upward l with both feet and throw the feet apart as you kick as wide as you can
 and as vigorously as you can. Stretch your hands under you be- | Ii fJon iY,n hnt
 feet toward the beadboard, also us- i ing the abdominal muscles to pull up | the lower extremities, five or six | times, or as much as can be done with one breath. I have reduced my paunch three inches by doing this, as it changes fat to muscle and har- 1 dens the abdominal muscles. | "Grasp the iron cross at the head l of the cot, if you use cot as I do, and throw both feet up, pulling uI | the body and standing as near on the head as. possible. Throw the feet up and down five or six times. F'as- l ten the feet under the crosspiece o1 the cot, pull the trunk up to sitting 1 posture, and drop back. Repeat four or five times. The first time I tried | this latter exercise the Senator in-
 terjected, reIninisoently, "I thought had torn loose something. but it was ] only the sudden strain of the abdom-
 
 and weak, and afterwards I found nc | pain at all.
 Keeping the knees strengthened try to pinch each big toe with eacf l hand.
 .Throw the head back as far a: possible, then stoop forward ane touch the floor if you can. This movement is to loosen the muscles
 of the spine like working rusty hinge.
 '4swing light dumb-hells. one arm l going by the belly while the other ex. 1 tends above the head as far as pos 1 sible, as one goes down elevate the l other This will lubricate and looser the joints of the shoulders.
 l Twist the spine by throwing one
 hand to the rear and the other t6 the front. This is to loosen the | spinal column and make the verte- l braes twist each on the other. | "I practice all this before break
 fast and at night before going te l bed and I feel that it makes marked l differences in my strength and other | wise. I have said that I thought l my health would come back to me l through this exercise and diet, if al | all"