The Washington times., 1915-02-12
HEALTH IN WINTER
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
Snow Sports Are Ideal for
Those Who Lead Sedentary
Lives Indoors.

In several respects mountain climbing
Is a peculiarly wholesome form Of ath'
letic sport for the large number Of per.
sons whose vocations are sedentary
The indoor life which these persons
commonly lead and the protection from
even the slightest rigors Of climate
which their mode of housing and places
OF work afford them are more than like.
ly to render them oversensitive to the
extremes of weather.
1t is for precisely such unexposed per.
sons that an occasional trip to the high.
lands and an alpine excursion have most
refreshing regeneration and stimulus In
store, says THE Journal of the Ameri-
can Medical Association" The heart 10
called on to exert itself to a degree
which, in an otherwise healthy subject
will be followed only by the invigoratios-
characteristic Of most exercise. The
gan; for the respiratory mechanicism
the entire musculature Of the body as
well as the cardiac and circulatory up.
paratus. and the general metabolic pro.
readily definable in accurate scientific
terms.
Brings Relief From Fag.
In addition to an indefinable feeling OF
wsll-ebing considerable skill is acquired
IN certain Of the performances Of noun.
tain climbing or other feats Of alpine
sport: The combination has shown III
wholesome and invigoratins influence or
many an individual suffering from the
fag' of life Of physical inactivity.
There was a time when the patron
age Of the mountain resorts was con-
hned to the summer months. Today
winter sports attract visitors to the
same surroundings. 1t is not as u rule
n ftNN do ntA 49, 4 -
lethargic aged who are found visiting
the highland regions In winter. but
rather those who are ready to partici-
pate vigorously in the pasti.nes that
ances
Zunitz, of Berlin, has recently in
vestigated the effect of rather severe
outing and mountain climb in the
physicians. ranging in age from thirty
to sixty. Their testimony may be as
sumed to be based on Intelligent
trained observation. The evidence in.
Of muscular activity, under environ.
mental conditions making extreme de.
mards on the heat regula ting apparatus
Of the body-as happens during noun
tajneering In a snowstorm-are as a
rule without detriment tc the purtici.
pants.
Not Ideal For All.
on tHe contrary, even Il SeueIlaTy
person, unaccustomed to either the eX-
ercise Of the rigor Of the climate,
may actually exhibit benefits. Those
who are free from addiction to alco.
holic beverages and are somewhat
used to moderate daily exercise seen
to enjoy the exhilaration most keen
ly. Even the unframed. however
who have found the unusual demand;
en- their muscular and circulatOry ap
paratEs rather strenuous and some
times unpleasant. may feel the bene
fcial after effects. expressed in i'm
proved cardiac and vasomotor func
tions.
1t is not claimed that the "snov
sports" are ideal for all. Common
sense would forbid such a sweeping
dictum: hut precisely as the night all
and sleeping in the open all year
around have been shown by moderr
practices to he without danger. sc
winter sports, even in a severely cold
climate. may be utilized in outdoor
life. even without preparatory train
ing for "A supposedly dangerous ny
gienic Undertaking.