Keeping Fit All the Way Part 15

Drill is a mental as well as a physical discipline.

Work will take your mind off most of your ills.

Obesity comes from overloading the stomach and underworking the body.

Nine-tenths of the "blues" come from a bad liver and lack of outdoor exercise.

Wearing the same weight underclothing the year around will save you a lot of colds.

Your nose, not your mouth, was given you to breathe through.

Short shoes and shoes that don't fit cost a lot in the long run.

Blood pressure does not come to the men who walk a lot out of doors; instead it looks for those who sit and eat a lot indoors.

Two men in an eight-oared sh.e.l.l may be able to go faster than the other six, but they never win the race that way.

CHAPTER XIII

GROUP IV

Wave: (The order is "Wave. Ready--Cross. Arms up. Wave!") a.s.sume the "Cross" position. The arms are then stretched straight above the head, the fingers interlaced and the arms touching the ears. (See Fig. 11.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 11.--CORRECT POSITION, START OF WAVE]

On a count of "One, two, three, four" a complete circle, of about twenty-four inches in diameter, is described with the hands, the body bending only at the waist. The trunk should be bent as far backward as forward, and as far to one side as to the other. (See Fig. 12.)

[Ill.u.s.tration 12. Wave.

In the "Wave" the tendency is to go too far forward and not far enough back, the result being an unsymmetrical motion. It is very easy to go forward, but more difficult to make the motion to the side and back.

Care should be taken that the arms are kept squarely against the ears.

The motion should be like waving the mast of a ship, the hips representing the deck and the trunk, head, and arms up to the top of the hands, the mast.]

The body should be forward at "One," to the right at "Two," backward at "Three," and to the left at "Four." The motion should be steady and not in jerks.

At "Reverse" the same movement should be repeated in the opposite direction--i.e. to the left.

As the movement is completed for the fifteenth time the body should be brought to an erect position, stretching the arms up as far as possible; and at "Rest" the arms should drop slowly, laterally, to a "Hands"

position. Five circles should be described in each direction.

In the "Wave" the tendency is to go too far forward, and not far enough back, the result being an unsymmetrical motion. It is very easy to go forward, but more difficult to make the motion to the side and back.

Care should be taken that the arms are kept squarely against the ears.

The motion should be like waving the mast of a ship, the hips representing the deck, while the trunk, head, and arms up to the top of the hands, represent the mast. This movement, like the others, should not be extreme at first, but gradually increased after a week or so.

Weave: (The order is "Weave. Ready--Cross. Weave!") a.s.sume the "Cross"

position. In this movement, at "Cross" the feet are spread until the heels are about twelve inches apart. The left foot remains stationary, the right foot being moved to accomplish this. On a count of "One, two, three, four" the body is turned to the left from the hips, the arms maintaining the same relation to the shoulders as at "Cross," until at "One" the face is to the left, the right arm pointing straight forward (in relation to the feet) and the left arm straight backward. (See Fig.

13.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 13.--WEAVE, FIRST POSITION]

At "Two" the body is bent from the waist so that the right arm goes down and the left up; and at "Three" the fingers of the right hand touch the ground midway between the feet. The left arm should then be pointing straight up, with the face still to the left. The right knee must be slightly bent to accomplish this position. (See Fig. 14.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 14.--WEAVE

In the "Weave" care should be taken that the arms and shoulders are kept in one line. The turn begins with the arms horizontal until they are nearly at right angles to the "Cross" position. Then the knee commences to bend and the body bends at the trunk, the hip turning in until the finger tips touch the floor. At that time the arms and shoulders should still be in the same relative position as at the start--namely, in "Cross" position.]

At "Four" the position of "Cross" is resumed, and on a count of "One, two, three, four" the same movement is repeated, this time with the left hand touching the ground. Throughout the exercise care should be taken that the arms remain in the same straight line, making no separate movement, but changing their position only as the trunk and shoulders are moved and carry the arms along. After this exercise has been thoroughly mastered, the turning and bending movements made on the counts "One" and "Two" should be combined--_i.e._, instead of making the entire turn, as described above, turn and bend simultaneously. The entire movement should be repeated ten times.

In the "Weave" care should be taken that the arms and shoulders are kept in one line. The turn begins with the arms horizontal until they are nearly at right angles to the "Cross" position. Then the knee commences to flex and the body bends at the trunk, the hip turning in until the finger-tips touch the floor. At that time the arms and shoulders should still be in the same relative position as at the start--namely, in "Cross" position.

Wing: (The order is "Wing. Ready--Cross. Arms up. Wing!") This is a finishing exercise consisting of deep breathing and is performed slowly.

On a count of "One, two, three, four" the arms are raised laterally until they are extended straight upward at "One" and a full inhalation is reached. (See Fig. 15.) At "Two" the arms begin to fall forward and downward, and the body bends forward from the waist up, and eyes front, until, at "Four" the body has reached the limit of motion and the arms have pa.s.sed the sides and have been forced back and up (as the trunk a.s.sumes a horizontal position) as far as possible. (See Fig. 15a.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15.--WING

In the "Wing" position, which is a final breathing exercise, the breath should be taken well in as the arms are raised over the head; then exhaled as the body and arms swing forward, with a final crowding out of some of the residual air by forcing in the abdomen as the arms are raised over the back. Start the inhalation again as the arms come forward.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15A.--END OF WING]

On a count of "One, two, three, four" the body is straightened, reaching an upright position, with arms vertically extended, at "Three." At "Four" the arms are lowered to a "Cross" position, but with palms up and arms and shoulders forced hard back. Very slow counting is essential to the correct execution of this exercise. All air should be forced from the lungs as the body bends forward to the "Wing" position, and they should be filled to capacity as the body is straightened and the arms brought down. Inhale through the nose. The entire movement should be repeated five times.

HEALTH MAXIMS

Preparedness is nine-tenths physical strength and endurance.

If you take more food than the digestion can handle, you not only tire the stomach, but the whole system.

Envy, jealousy, and wrath will ruin any digestion.

You'll never get the gout from walking.

Tennis up to the thirties, but golf after forty.

Tight shoes have sent many a man to bed with a cold.

Leg weariness never yet produced brain f.a.g.

Whenever you walk, stand up, with chin in, hips back, and chest out, and think how tall you are.

Courage and concentration will conquer most obstacles.

The hurry of half a squad never brought the whole troop home.

The army must have sound lungs and a good stomach quite as much as arms and ammunition.