The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-21

II YOU are too thin or too feshy.
or suffering with chronic ailments
nervousness or depression of spirits,
and consult your physician. he Will
invariably recommend more exercise
usually giving you very little medl-
cine. perhaps nothing more than a
placebo II you have been accustomed
to drug stimulation.
The physician knows that most
chronic ailments result from poor cir
culation in some part of the body and
insufficient oxygen to burn up the
waste products. He knows. also. that
health means perfect Circulation
of thoroughly oxygenated blood
throughout the body.
When your physician advises more
exercise, you are apt to go about II
either in a half-hearted way or with
too much enthusiasm for short time
and then relax your efforts. largely
because you really do not understand
the physiological effect of exercise In
general and in your own particular
case.
You practice with dumbbells, Indian
clubs, or some other apparatus, or
you try to inveisle some friends into
walking a few miles with you every
day. The friend. however. having no
particular interest in sharing your
to take I'D his time. and you consider
this ample excuse to give In to your
desire to make yourself comfortable In
cozy, warm room and enjoy your
paper or book.
II, however, you are high sstrung
and enthusiastic. and your physician
says more exercise" you feel that
YOU must walk at least hve miles
every day whether it results in ex-
grit your teeth ana take your VAIN
alone, II you have to.
II YOU are particularly fond OF ten
mis- or golf, and are employed during
the week, having only Saturday att
ernoon and Sunday. and the weather
permits, you go out to the tennis court
or the golf links and play every
minute Of daylight. except when you
stop for a hasty lunch. The rest OF
the week you look forward to repeat
ing the same thing.
these sports, besides the beneficial
effect of the fresh air. is going to i'm
prove your general health. but Will 1t
cure the chronic difficulty for which
your physician has advised exercise?
As we have stated, chronic disease
ailments such as indigestion. torpid
liver, constipation result from poor
circulation IN some part OI TIC pouS-
The name Of the disease simply tndi-
Gates the part that is not being prop
erly nourished and stimulated with
good, rich blood and the waste re-
moved.
Where the trouble is constipation.
the muscle tissues of the intestines
are usually lacking in tone and
strength to keep up a normal peris-
talsis, which Is necessary for complete
evacuation. The vigor Of peristaltic
movements is also affected by the
nerves and by the quantity of bile
| secreted. Therefore. it is necessary
that the circulation be forceful
| through the intestines and the liver to
prevent clogging there.
Any exercise that improves the gen.
eral circulation without overtaxing the
nerves is beneficial, but in order that
| exercise be curative it must reach,
especially. the weak and sluggish
parts Of the body.
| 1t is more necessary to reach d.
| rectly the vital organs by exercise
| than to reach the extremities. and
yet exercise to the majority means
walking or merely gymnastics direct
ed largely to the extremities.
| Exercise regularly relaxes and con-
tracts the muscular walls as we'll as
the mucous coats of the digestive or
gans, thus making them active and
eficient in the secretion of the d.