The Washington herald., 1914-09-20
Forty and Slim


Frankly. nothing is more Irritating than
to hear some woman who is nearing or
may have passed the fortieth milestone Z
pronounced vain for trying to i'm
prove or conserve her good looks.
The critic who passes such Judgment
is first Of all behind the times. This
is the age Of the young-old woman. not 4
I the callow maid. and it is every woman's
duty to approach her fortieth birthday
with a smile. not a frown. What is
more, she owes II TO her family as well
as herself to do everything possible to
make herself more attractive. This is
not vanity, but common sense. for the
woman who has said farewell to all hopes
Of beauty is never an agreeable person
to live with. Her entire attitude is color
ed with bitterness.
The most important factors in retain
ing an appearance Of youthfulness are
the preservation Of the figure and the
care Of the complexion. Quite frequently
there is a common remedy for defects
Of figure and face. For instance, hot
water and lemon juice, invaluable for
reducing too evident hips and abdo-
men. are prime complexion aids. stirring
the torpid liver and thereby clearing the
skin.
The average woman who through stress J
Of domestic duties or Incidence has COW
I cred the youthful lines of a once good
figure with fat. imagines that she must
enter upon some desperately involved
! system of reduction. This is a grievoUs ,
! error. One woman who devoted but one
hour in the twenty-four TO Intelligent.
/ persistent reduction work, lost thirty
pounds in three months, ten pounds a
month. But bear this in mind-she did
! not notice any great change at first, and
| yet she never wavered from her daily
exercises and diet.
| Here are the three exercises she used.
all of which aimed TO reduce the hips
/ and abdomen and waist line:
Ale fiat on the floor shoulders.
| spine. calves OF legs and heels touching
the floor, the hands CIasped behind the
head at the base Of the brain. Relax.
| that is. become perfectly easy and rest-b
full Then. inhaling through the nose
| with your mouth closed. raise the right
| leg four times slowly, each time form
| ing a right angle with the body. ExhaIe.
resting, and then raise the left leg four
times while inhaling. Rest, exhaling
and alternate the two legs. right and
left. eight times, inhalinE. Exhale, rest
and repeat the entire exercise. This
sounds and is extremely simple. but when
| you can do the exercise say twenty or
twenty-five times, rapidly. with accurate
] ly timed inhalations and exhalstions. YOU
| will have secured some Of your old-time
| elasticity and the heavy hips will begin
to go down.
| B-Stand erect. heels together. toes out
| chest high. abdomen in, chin on a line
with the body. Inhale deeply on four
counts and raise your hands above your
| head. palms forward, arms the width Of
the chest apart. Now, exhaling forcibly.
swing forward from the waist. keeping
the arms stif and bending as far as
possible. At first your hands will not
touch the floor or come within six inches
| Of it, but when you have become accus-
TONED to the exercise. you will be able
! to touch the floor. and then rest assured
your waist will be longer. its measure
ment smaller and your abdomen greatly
reduced.
! C-For this exercise you will need a
! bath-towel at least a yard long. Lie
| hat on the floor, face downward with
| the towel stretched as far as possible
over your head. Now, inhalinE deeply
! fling the towel backward until il catches
around the ankles which should be raised
| to meet it. This forces the body to
| form a sort Of cradle with the trunk and
particularly the abdomen as the single
| rocker. Then. rock from side to s!ds
! at least ten times inhalinE and exhallnE
| regularly. The more deeply you draw
| your breath. the more good the exercise
| will do you. II possible take this excr-
else on a bare floor that is absolutely
| clean. avoiding the dust which accumu-
lates in rugs or carpet.
Give fifteen minutes night and morn
| ing to these exercises. Give hfteen more
to a bath hot as you can stand II
| without feeling a reaction or sense oC
lassitude. and fifteen to sitting quietly
night and morning and slipping a cupful
| of boiling hot water into which has
been strained the juice Of half lemon.
! Sip this very slowly. Do not wait until it
cools and then gulp it down.
| Every day, il possible. walk several
miles outdoors. Do not send your fleet
| footed children on errands that for :he
good Of your health YOU should do your
| self. And walk briskly as if you had
definite mission or a destination to
| reach
| AS to diet stop eating heavy cereals
with sugar and cream. Do not touch
candy. pies, cakes, rich puddings or
! peas and beans. Reduce your allowance
| of potatoes and substitute salads and
fruits When oranges are in season, eat
two a day. Stewed prunes and apricots
| are also good in the reduction diet.
Follow these simple directions for three
months and the heaviness you dislike
, will fall from you, and, thanks to an
! active liver your skin will lose the thick,
coarse look which proclaims advancing
! yearE