Checkley's Natural Method of Physical Training

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C0FXRIGHT DEPOSm
Edwin Checkley
CHECKLEVS
NATURAL METHOD
of
Physical Training
MAKING MUSCLE AND REDUCING
FLESH WITHOUT DIETING
OR APPARATUS
BY EDWIN CHECKLEY
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS

BY H. D. EGGLESTON
PHILADELPHIA. PA.
THE CHECKLEY BUREAU

1921
^-\
lA
Copyright 192/
By
EDWIN
L.
CHECKLEY.
Ji\U-5'22
C1.A653421
*vvo
Jr.
EDWIN CHECKLEY--AN APPRECIATION
VTO MAN
^^
ever was a better exemplification
of the value
Edwin
of
own
his
teaching than
Checkley.
Dying of an accident
at the
age of 75, the
resident physician in the hospital that treated him,
denied that he could possibly be that age.
body
is
that of a vigorous
verdict of this doctor.

history
stand
man
of fifty"
sessed of such a
was the
Not knowing Checkley's
and life-work he was unable
how a man
"His
to under-
nearing eighty could be pos-
wondrous physique and such
terrific strength.
The
writer
had
an
interview
with
Mr.
Checkley a few days before his death.
After suffering from a
dose of gas pois-
fatal
oning which had overcome even his wonderful

lungs, his physique
time in the
last
Particularly
chest,
was as impressive
as at any
30 years.
noticeable
was
his
marvelous
which sprang forward from the base of
the neck in a swelling curve.
Checkley had the
AN
APPRECIATION.
highest arched chest I have ever seen in any
human
He
being.
what he termed
ascribed this to his habit of
"costal breathing"
that
breath-
is
ing with the upper part of his lungs as contrasted to the usual abdominal breathing.
The picture facing

when Checkley was 45
the graying hair
ture of
him
the Title
Page was taken
years old, and except for
would have been a good
it
Possibly he was a
at 75.
trifle
pic-
more
rounded he may have accumulated 5 or 6 pounds

;
more
flesh; but there
was no wasting of
tissues,
no bowing of the shoulders or bending of that

flat
back; his head was carried as proudly as
ever on that round columnar neck, and his step
was as springy and
his bodily carriage as buoy-
ant as at any time since he brought himself to

his prime.
To me,
the
most
interesting
points
of
Checkley's physical equipment were his lungs and

his back.
jump
lift
him box,
I have seen
for protracted periods.
wrestle, run,
have seen him
and carry hundreds of pounds of
dead weight, but never once have

for breath.
At
demonstrate
the
his
lectures,
capabilities
ii
of
seen
live
and
him pant
have seen him
some muscle
AN
APPRECIATION.
groups by performing feats of strength beyond
power of most professional strong men, and
the
second
resume
later
his
talk
without
the
slightest catch in his breath.
he could have made a
fully believe that
fortune as a "strong man," but such
He
not interest him.

Bells
and
work did
abhorred heavy
Dumb
never knew him to touch them but
once on that occasion he closed an argument with

;
a teacher of heavy-lifting by raising weights that

the dumb-bell devotee could not begin to handle,
and
this
without any claim to special knowledge
of the technique or tricks of the

Checkley's
knowledge of
lifter's art.
anatomy was so
comprehensive, his control over his muscles so

great,
and
his ability to call
a great number of
muscles into simultaneous action so uncanny, that

it
was hardly
fair
compare him with the
to
ordinary athlete.
To
illustrate:
On
pages 65 and 66 of this
book, he speaks of the muscles which control the

shoulder.
part of
does not
He
his
no
teachings,
mean
unimportant.
lays
especial emphasis
this
but with Checkley that
that the rules he laid
He was
on
apt,
in
down
are
both in speech and
AN
writing, to
APPRECIATION.
propound a revolutionary principle
in
the most casual way.

I recall one lecture (at the Franklin Institute
in
when he devoted an unusual
Philadelphia)
amount of time
the shoulders.
to these
To show
muscles which control

their great
power when
properly developed, he gave two practical demonFirst:
strations.
Lying
lowed a 200-pound man

shoulders
in
contact
shoulders
flat
on his back he
al-
on each of
his
to stand
then, while keeping his head
with
the
forward,
inches in the
air.
the muscles which
floor,
raising
he
both
and spine
shrugged
men
several
Second: having shown that
move
the shoulders forward
were capable of moving against 400 pounds

sistance,
his
re-
he then gave a most interesting proof
of the equal power of the muscles which spread

the shoulders apart.
Across the back of
his
neck he held a short
Turn-
chain capable of sustaining 500 pounds.

ing his back to the audience, he showed
how
the
average athlete would attempt to break the chain
by tugging violently on each end of the chain,

but using only the strength of his arms.
He
confessed that he was unable to break the chain

iv
AN
APPRECIATION.
way, but called upon us to notice the
in this
difference
when he used
the upper-back muscles
He
which control the shoulders.

shoulder
blades
together
(that
squeezed his
is
toward the
on each end of the
spine) and took a firm grip
chain; then without disturbing the position of

his arms,
he slowly spread his shoulders and the
chain parted.
An
examination of Checkley's picture shows
arms were not abnormally large but that
that his
his shoulder muscles
were much larger than those
of the average athlete.
His back was

his hips
round as a
barrel,
broad and his legs very sturdy.
Only
flat,
his chest
once in the whole book does Checkley allude to

his
own
can
lift
and
strength and that
men
three
trot with
Such a
is
when he
each weighing 150 pounds
them for a hundred yards."
feat
was not as
difficult
to
running a block unencumbered would be
men
says "I
him
to
as
most
of his age.
He
such,
had
little
toleration for strength feats as
and he only performed such
feats as proof
of the capabilities of the well developed body.
He
was,
however,
intensely
interested
in
the
AN
APPRECIATION.
mechanics of muscular movement and the advantages to be obtained
by certain
leverages.
His views on muscular development were

different
from those of most physical
Few men
have had his
culturists.
ability to build
up
the
external muscles, but he claimed that such de-
velopment was harmful unless the
vital
organs
were correspondingly vigorous.

*
Overtaxing the heart, lungs, kidneys or other
organs was to be avoided, "for," he
said,
"power
comes from within, and you must be careful not

to overload
At
still
your motor."
the age of 70 he remarked that he could
outdo and outlast any
man he had
so far
met because he had never forced himself to

limit,
his
nor attempted anything beyond his strength,
"If I attempted a feat and
it
seemed to require
an inordinate exertion, I stopped, and never al-
lowed
my
pride or vanity to lead
these fellows
who tug and
pop
pay for
out, will
He
it
me
into excess
strain until their eyes
later."
firmly believed that everyone ought to be
strong, but that muscular strength

to vital strength,
was secondary
and that the only
really lasting
muscular strength came from inward

vi
health.
AN
He
insisted
on
APPRECIATION.
flexibility,
and by that he meant
not only suppleness of muscles but also
flexibility
of the rib-box, and an easy working of
all
the
all
the
joints.
He
vital
claimed that at seventy he had
and muscular vigor that he possessed
at
Certainly he could stoop, bend and
seventeen.
twist himself with as
effort as
little
a small boy
displays in tumbling around.
After developing himself
own
ideas,
His success was immediate.
of 35.
edition of this
praise
according to hi9
he started teaching at about the age
The
first
book brought forth a chorus of
from the medical
many
Since that time
fraternity
and
press.
of his ideas have been
adopted by a number of other Physical Culture

teachers.
As
in
the
case
teachers,
few of
equaled
him
of
all
great pioneers
his imitators (or disciples)
in
ability.
You
could
and
have
imitate
Checkley, you could copy him, but you could not

originate as he could, unless
you had
his
knowl-
edge of anatomy and physiology, together with

his creative originality.
Julian Hawthorn, writing of exercise, quoted

vii
AN APPRECIATION.
Checkley as saying that one must exercise
all
the
time,
which was merely Checkley's way of saying,
that,
given proper knowledge, every movement
made during
the day could be converted into an
upbuilding exercise rather than an exhausting

labor.
Necessarily he had to perform a certain
num-
ber of movements while instructing his pupils;

outside of that he never took exercise, depending
entirely
on
his
method of standing and walking,
and the ordinary exertions of the day
him
in his perfect state of health
vigor.
you stand and move properly, which
"If
means
and
to keep
you use your muscles properly, you
that
keep your internal machinery oiled."

Imagine,
if
you can, a physical instructor who
never invited one to
feel his muscles,
and who
considered that the rebuilding of a single pupil
more important than
was
far
enal
feats of
valued his
strength, and,
own wonderful
his
own phenom-
who, furthermore,
physical prowess and
well-being principally as a proof of the correct-
ness of his theories.
Elbert Hubbard, writing of Macaulay, said,
"Carry the crown of your head high and men

viii
AN
APPRECIATION.
He
will believe in you."
could have said this
with equal truth of Edwin Checkley.
One
and example were contagious.

told me, that
many a
His
spirit
of his pupils
time after he had had a
hard worrisome day at the desk, he would walk
"I
home with Checkley
tell
you," said this man,
human being
No matter how tired and
"Checkley was the most inspiring

I
have ever known.
fagged out I was, after a few blocks stepping

alongside
though
his
of
Checkley he had
was walking on
air.
me
If
feeling
as
you followed
example you could not help feeling rejuve-
nated."
know
credit
several
of
Checkley's
him with having saved
pupils
their lives; but the
best tribute paid to Checkley's ability

elderly gentleman
who
who
was by an
said
"I heard Checkley lecture once, and I was

so convinced by his argument regarding breathing, that
never since that time have I gone a
day without practicing

took
It
me some
'costal breathing,'
I
his
methods of breathing.
time before
mastered his
but in the 25 years since then,
have enjoyed the best of health, and old as
am,
can walk for miles without fatigue, and

ix
AN
APPRECIATION.
can skip up three

of them.
flights
of stairs with the best
I think that as a general rule, there
no crank
like
physical
Checkley was different.

because he proved to
culture
Probably
me
that
is
crank,
but
liked
him
could attain
vigorous health without the laborious calisthenics

that I so despise."
Checkley was
fifty
years ahead of his time.
Since the publication of the
edition of this
first
book, there have been breathing systems, systems
which
specialize
on the
spine,
and "no apparatus"
systems, most of which are an outgrowth of this
man's work.
Checkley had the
artistic
temperament.
He
cared intensely for the technical side of his profession but

all
little
He treated
for the business side.
cases individually, instead of in classes, and
a great deal of his time
was occupied
in handling
curative cases for physicians of his acquaintance.
Checkley was a great reader.
He
literally
devoured every book he could obtain that dealt

with anatomy and hygiene.
friend of
was
many
to engage
these doctors.
physicians
in
He was
and
the intimate
his great pleasure
arguments and discussions with
No
professional
man
ever went
AN
APPRECIATION.
further than Checkley, in keeping abreast with

the best thought in his chosen profession.
After his death a number of manuscripts
were found which have been incorporated
volume
in
Chapters
XIII-XIV.
chapters are somewhat disjointed
That
is
in this
these
accounted
for by the fact that the manuscripts were written

at different dates.
xi
Grateful Pupil.
NOTE TO THE REVISED EDITION.

THE
"A
immediate success of
Natural Method of
Physical Training " has more than one explana-
tion,
but
it is
doubtless true that the chief cause of the
book's popularity has been
method of giving vigor

the artificial aids
of
its effort
to the
to present a "natural"
body without
apparatus or harsh systems of
Every system of training
dieting.
here and elsewhere in the book in
and not
to signify athletics
apparatus
women
If
is
calling in
that
the
its
is
word
is
used
broader meaning
dependent upon
necessarily a spasmodic training.
Men and
cannot carry such training about with them.
they travel, or are greatly occupied in something that
keeps them
away from
training
suspended.
is
book has attempted
to
the gymnastic machinery, their
The system
show
set forth in this
that the only direct
method
body vigorous is by correcting artificial

carrying the body correctly, breathing correctly,
of keeping the
restraint,
and otherwise following a
logical system of giving the
muscles and organs free and natural play, and opportunity to develop
symmetry and
strength.
The author has had every reason
to be gratified at
the indorsements which have been offered by those
have devoted themselves to the science of
who
athletic train-
ing, the
more
system
of
as his system radically attacks the older
and gymnasium
college
The
athletics.
author's argument, for instance, that hard muscles are a
danger and not an advantage, has begun to receive

support from practical and distinguished exponents of
the science of muscular development.
The author has been
especially gratified
and
cordiality of the medical press
have been
all
is
the
which
but unanimous in praise of his system as
outlined in the present treatise.
ment
at
profession,
peculiarily welcome,
Here again the
from the
indorse-
fact that the
book
might be considered to take an attitude of radical inde-
The
pendence toward the medical profession.

that the anthor has urged his theories in
to healing science,
substantial support
writer
revised
and
is
proud
to
and extended
school.
himself fortunate when, in a
edition,
he
finds himself
necessity for material modification in
any of
under no
his chapters.
In extending this book the writer has aimed to
some points more
clear,
is
have received such
from physicians of every
may consider
truth
no disrespect
and
the usefulness of the volume.
make
way
to enlarge in a general
PREFACE.
PHYSICAL training is
observer
"in the
air,"
but the
is
able to
events
of current
discover in reports from the athletic world that

there
is
methods
that
something wrong about most modern

of training.
make men
Muscle-molding schemes
die in middle
torially interesting
and
life
may be
may sound
heroic, but
they are not for that wise average mortal

wishes simply to
feel light
pic-
who
and strong and,
if
need be, find himself ready to safely enter on
The
any reasonable physical undertaking.
author of this book believes that there is more
"straining" than "training" in a good
many
popular systems practiced in and out of the

college gymnasium, and the
self
method he him-
advocates perhaps radically departs from
familiar
systems.
the author so fully

results that
Yet
method seems to
indorsed by nature and by
he might,
of egotism, have
if
this
not lor the appearance

book " The Natural
called this
PREFACE,
Method
of Physical Training," instead of using

"-<4."
the indefinite
an
effort
conduct
has been
for
build
to outline a plan of
bodily development that
dependent on
will
In the pages that follow
made
any
not
is
appliances whatever, that
up the frame of the slender and
reduce the unwelcome proportions of the corpulent without the employment of machinery
or harsh
and weakening methods of dieting.
The author
fears that
have been able to connect

that he
and thus
may
he
in
not always
each chapter
all
had to say upon each point covered,

feels that those
who wish
to follow
the system from these pages should carefully
read the whole book, observing the emphasis
upon seemingly minor matters.
CONTENTS
PAGE
1.
The Bugbear
III.
How
How
IV.
Muscles and
II.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
The
of Training
to
Carry the Body
to
Breathe
7
17
31
What They Do
45
Joints and Their Development
57
Exercises for Muscles and Joints
71
The Treatment
Training for
A Word
of
Obesity
Women
About Children
Some General Hints
85
101
113
123
APPENDIX
XI.
A Word
About the Spine...,
155
More About Breathing
167
XIII.
Force of Habit
175
XIV.
On
197
XII.
Retaining Youth
The Checkley System.

tiiiisimitmuiiiiitimiitmt
I.
THE BUGBEAR OF TRAINING.
THERE
are
two points which writers and
talkers about physical training are almost
always ready to bring forward when discussion

arises as to the present status of our race
tell
they
us to look at the ancient Greeks and at the
animal kingdom.
They
Greeks attained certain

field
tell
us the ancient
proficiencies in
the
of athletics, and developed a remarkably
perfect physique,
reproduce.
which the
They show
artists delighted to
us the muscular perfec-
tion of brute creatures, their general health
comfortable relations with
These points are
The example
and
life.
in the
of the Greeks
main well
was
raised.
in all respects
one toward which the attention of modern peo-

THE CHECKLEY SYSTEM.
may
pies
always profitably be turned.
The
games were an inspiration to the

generation. They made physical vigor
Panhellenic
rising
And
fashionable.
isolated incident
These
they were not merely an

the
in
Panhellenic
of the Greeks.
life
games were simply the
flowering of a superb system
of training
superb so
the
done
be
far
it
related
to
tremendous
those
in
and
Physicians
arena.
the
as
work
to
conflicts
of
law
makers
alike realized the importance of athletic exer-
Lycurgus scattered
cise.
and
free training schools,
his successors followed up, in
another, the
governor.
example
set
The people
by
paid
honor to the athletic heroes.
more than one

modeled
state.
in
We
this
prize at the
one way or
remarkable
extraordinary
A man who won
same Olympiad was
marble by the best sculptor of his

are reminded of our
the accounts which
tell
own
times in
of the large fortunes
made by those who achieved some
especial
glory at the games.
But the conditions of life among the ancient

Greeks were wholly different from the conditions of
life
with which modern
men and women

The
are struggling.
athleticism of the old
Grecian race was cultivated under very favor-
The Grecians not only
able circumstances.
a more outdoor
led
races, but their
mode
life
than
our northern
of living, in respect to
public
and private
social
movements, made the development of
festivals,
the physical
man much
be with
These
less
us.
entertaiments and
easier than
differences
it
can ever
do not make
proper for us to look to the Greeks, but
it
we
should remember the necessities arising out of

these differences.
It is for us to
study out the
compromise which must be made.

made,
and
this
compromise
will
Properly
represent a
new
sufficient ideal.
It will
pay to remember that there has been
a good deal of exaggeration in stories of Greek

prowess.
some
feats
Undoubtedly we are
fairly
accurate
figures
in possession of
concerning the
of the old athletes, but there are
many
absurdly false estimates of the early running,
The Panhellenic games

brought forward men who had been in training
for great periods for special feats.
The honors
jumping and throwing.
awarded were so great that no amount of train*
10
ing and exertion were considered too consider-
Given the same
able.
athletes
training our modern

would greatly surpass the Greek rec-
modern horse is quicker than the

the modern man is quicker also. Our
If the
ords.
ancient,
all-round athletes would,
am
have as-
sure,
And
tonished an audience at an Olmypiad.

for the
as
matter of physique, there has been equal-
ly great exaggeration
on that
Plato tells
side.
us that the sculptors took considerable liberty
from the actual form of the model.
in departing
Everything points to a relative

the ancient races
No
Greeks.
is
even
inferiority in
in the
worshiped
one should doubt that the world
producing
men
hitherto produced,
do
yes,
of finer form than
and that
it
it
has
will continue to
so.
If
we
consider the other allusion to the
brute creation
we
shall find
rebuke and instruct
us,
but
many
many
things to
things also
that indicate the possibility of exaggerating the

relative physical superiority of the beasts.
Man
physically the most magnificent of
ani-
is
mals.
tility
all
His muscular system excels
in versa-
He
can stand
that of
any other
creature.
II
variations in temperature, in forms of covering,

in kinds of occupation that are impossible to
Considering the things he
the lower animals.

is
and the other
in the habit of eating,
places upon his system,
the splendid
manner
in
physical superiority to
on
trials
we can only marvel

which he
all his
is
he
at
proving his
other neighbors
this planet.
The
brute creatures
The
letics.
is
lion
that they
do not have ath-
keeps his marvelous strength
And so with other
without extraordinary effort.
Their natural habits keep them in con-
beasts.
dition,
connection with
significant thing in
and sometimes
their natural habits
why
not seem to fully explain

strong and so healthy.
As
do
they are so
a matter of
fact,
beasts are not, of course, always so strong as
they would be under training, but by not training they escape other
speak a
little later
difficulties,
on.
If
we
of which
will
are to take any
special lesson from the lower animals,
it
must
is
that produced under
to that
bugbear of " train-
be that the best strength

natural habits.
This brings
ing,"
To
me
a certain number of people athletic
12
or special physical training

fact,
who
few
enter
it
any kind of training
find
without some exhilaration.

of people
who do any
small, while the
But the proportion
training at all
number who might,
posed training did not come

hardship,
is
the pro-
and who would
like to
The
many an ambi-
weakness
too heroic, and even those
very
in the guise of
course of exercises prescribed to
who are
is
altogether
fairly strong,
develop and maintain
their strength, are frightened off
put forward as necessary.

is
if
is
unquestionably considerable.
tious victim of physical
In
agreeable.
is
by the systems
Elaborate apparatus
one of the symptoms of an elaborate system.
who went
The
little
tain
he could catch bigger
fellow
a-fishing
fish
was
cer-
the further he
went away from home, and the designers

health
lifts
of
and chest expanders, boxing ma-
chines and rowing appliances seem to feel that

the glitter and elaboration of their machinery
will
tempt and benefit the purchaser
portion to their size

It is
in pro-
and complexity.
undoubtedly a
fact that certain artistic
formulas for training have a fascination at the
outset
Their ingenuity seems to promise an
13
opening of the mysterious roao to health.

novelty
itself is
something to count upon.
machinery has a certain charm while
You
pull this
You
And
new.
and push that so many times a
day and you get to be a

son.
it is
The
amateur Sam-
little
already feel the muscles expanding.
Those biceps especially draw
attention, as if
they were the synonym of health and strength.
But the mystery vanishes

something or other
is
after
always interfering with
that half hour at the machine.
It is
a day, for two days, for a week.

ually evaporates
go
to the
and
Interest grad-
and the biceps are allowed
bad again.
The
to
illusion disappears
then the corpulent subject
with that terrible

eating so and so,
will gradually
is
legend "Diet."
is
attacked
Leave
and beautifully disappear.

is
off
The
always exactly what the
corpulent subject most enjoys.

all
is
the order, and your paunch
so and so, of course,
it
put off for
gone.
is
And
of
a while and
But the worst
that, in spite of obedience, after a
terrible struggle, to the awful ordeal, after the
discomfort and weakness of implicit reliance on
a certain system of eating, there
is
only a loss

14
of a few pounds out of
many and no
change
in the general
form or condition.
the
halt in the rigid dietary discipline there
is
first
complete relapse in
material
At
flesh.
These ordeals bring " training" into very

bad repute. Sometimes they do actual injury.
The youth who

lege, starts out
gymnasium
enters the
at col-
on a career of violent training
general as well as special
finds himself exhila-
His special strength increases,
rated for a time.
but his false start on the great material lines

tells
against
him
in after years,
when
weakness around the heart and a sudden

ness in the head
and
tell
little
light-
a story of bad beginnings
false discipline.
There
is
something radically wrong
in these
harsh and extravagant methods of training.
The average man does not

in
the accepted sense.
care to be an athlete
he has means to
If
squander in appliances he does not have the

opportunity to use them as directed, and the
most slavish adherence to the

does not have the expected
somehow
The lifting
rules
effect.
and striking power may be gradually increased
and the chest expansion
slightly improved, so

measurement goes, but there
far as
Anything that
wanting.
is
something
interferes with
the
galley-slave labor at the apparatus sets back
The
work.
strength of the
has no reliance on
skin deep, as
itself.
man
so " trained
It is superficial
The
"
only
training will not
it
were.
is
that there can be
" stay put"
The
truth
training that does not educate the
tem of the man.
man
is
not
no proper
whole sys-
The muscular system
made up
of chest and biceps.
of a
It is
a wonderful and complex organization in which
one part
and
if
is
intimately related with the other,
the system as a whole
is
not kept in
mind the building up of the arms will not increase the permanent strength or permanent
health.
Men become
proficient at
punching a
who do not know how to simply

their own body.
They have spent their
sand bag
carry
time in training, as
it
were, from the outside.
One of our modern philosophers has said that

we invent fine railroads, but we are forgetting
how to walk. This is very true. We are forgetting how to stand, and, above all fatal
error
we are forgetting how to breathe.
16
There are what are known as " conversational
methods " of learning languages.
pose these are very good methods.
sup-
They
are
supposed to lead the student into a language

without
first
learning the grammatical rule*
In athletic training of the simplest kind there
can be no profitable
first
principles.
forfeit all
way of skulking around the
We
must breathe properly or
chance of ever becoming really strong,
of having the kind of strength that wears well.
We must stand properly if we wish to give the

body and its muscles a chance to become what
we wish them to become and what they must
become
to be at their best.
The kind
of train-
ing that starts in to load certain parts of the
body with hard muscles, overlooking the simple

elements of general strength,
is
an error that
sometimes proves more than a harmless mistake.
In the chapters which follow
without
elaboration,
to
outline
principles of the muscular
I shall try,
the
general
machinery and
my
system of developing that machinery into comfortable
and
healthful perfection.
HOW TO CARRY THE
BODY,
1/
n.
HOW TO CARRY THE BODY.

ÔES then, need to be told how the body
it,
*^
must be carried
Most
certainly.
It
might
be asked, Does a person not naturally carry
his
body as comfortably as he can ? And the answer

It may apis that a person very seldom does.
pear that this
so.
Some
is
being done, but the fact
is
not
people naturally develop a habit of
proper carriage, but they form a decided minority.
a child
Without guidance the chances are that

grow up into bad habits of holding
will
himself together.
left to
do
was never intended to do. He will

stand and walk without proper reliance on
things
sit,
His spine will be
it
muscles that were intended to make
movements
ting, rest
easier.
He
all his
will collapse while sit-
on his heels, perhaps, while standing,
and breathe so perversely that any unusual
18
exertion reveals the fact that only a limited
muscles are brought into play, while
series of
the lungs are but half developed.

It is
of the utmost importance, then, at the
very outset that a person
should do those
things properly which occupy so large a per-
centage of the habits of his

reflex
action from
If there is
life.
correct habits of sitting,
standing and breathing, to say nothing of other

actions,
it is
quite clear that the formation of a
correct habit will bring a certain percentage of
added strength and health with no conscious

exertion.
The income does not seem
terest.
worked
In
a
man
having money out at in-
It is like
for.
fact, it is stating
or
sufficient
woman
a simple truth to say that
should get good health and
strength and perfection of form in
the ordinary activities of

ities,
life,
if
those activ-
however meagre, are carried on
ence to right laws.
This truth
is
in obedi-
one of
reaching yet unsuspected importance.

is
to be
a prevailing impression that
the other
mode
of
life
this,
far-
There
that and
prevent the development
of a strong body, a superstition that one can-
HOW TO CARRY THE
BODY.
19
not be strong without athletics, and violent

athletics at that.
Men carelessly retard and
jure their physical
system during, say, fourteen
in-
and a half of their waking hours, and then hope

to counteract all this
by fifteen minutes' work on
a few muscles of their body, and generally not
on the muscles that are most injured by the

carelessness of the day.
It is
a fact not very often taken into account
that clothes,
m their
modern form, have a
seri-
ous tendency to interfere with the right devel-
opment of the body,

and
I
to generally
to hinder muscular action
hamper the physical system.
do not speak now of such special features as
the corset, but of clothing in general.

the
tendency
is
specifically
wearers of fashionable
Unless
most
checked,
attire will
find
them-
selves yielding to the tailor's or dressmaker's
The
measurements.
so
many men
the head but
stiff
high collar worn by
rather helps the general poise of

is
a dangerous obstacle to the
The
shoulders are, perhaps, particularly influenced by
modern clothes. A man with low, sloping shoulhealthy development of the neck muscles.
ders holds himself in a position to keep his sus-
20
penders from slipping, and accommodates him-
Then
self to the habit of his coat.
"cut" of trousers interferes with easy
tional
ting,
the conven-
Men sit so as not to
walking and stooping.
"bag" or wrinkle
sit-
their trousers, just as
women,
during the reign of the bustle, sat in a lop-sided
accommodate the mysterious and

ugly appendage. In many other ways people
fashion to
of both sexes, and scarcely oftener in one sex
than in the other, are allowing their physical
and habits to be strongly influenced by
stature
clothes.
Instead of so doing
body
correctly, to
it is
a duty to carry the
move and
act in every par-
ticular with reference to the health
of the
body without thinking of
and beauty
its
covering.
If the covering interferes either ignore the in-
or select the
terference
Let
the*
clothes
fit
covering differently.
and protect the body, and
not allow the body to seek

clothes.
the favor of the
have said nothing of shoes, whose
wretched form so often weakens the body by

discouraging exercise and
circulation.
Small and
done as much damage
by impairing the
ill-fitting
in the
shoes have
world as corsets.
HOW
TO CARRY THE BODY.
They have made
21
cheerful people peevish
strong people indolent,
if
and
Have
not weak.
shoes large enough to give your feet abundant
freedom.
To
all
get out of the ordinary activities of
possible
strength and health let us
learn to stand.
literal
life
first
drawing of the actual
standing position of twelve persons chosen at
random would present a curious spectacle.

The distended abdomen and more or less flattened chest would prevail in a majority of the
dozen.
It
would be
safe to say that in eleven
out of the twelve the bone structure of the
body and not the muscles would be found

doing most of the work of keeping the body
The
upright.
incorrect position,
characteristic of a great
many
more
people, and not
by any means representing an extreme
shown
in the
abdomen
is
accompanying
case,
illustration.
is
The
here pu ihed forward into disagreea-
ble prominence, or rather the

to settle
or less
on the legs as
it
body
is
allowed
may, thus rounding the
shoulders and protruding the abdominal region.
This attitude
women
as aaiong
is
just
as
common among
men, and perhaps more com-
22
FIG.
i.
Incorrect standing position, very com-
monly observed among both men ana

women.
HOW TO CARRY THE

For one
mon.
body
encourage lassitude
up,
And
of the waist region.
liable to affect a " willowy
there
Many
girls
then
"
women
are
style of standing
seem
to think that
a kind of feminine charm in a lacka-
is
daisical
manner.
Now
the
23
thing, corsets, while theoret-
ically holding the
and moving.
BODY.
the fact
is
that the bone structure of
body should not be forced
to perform the
work thus thrust upon it The muscles should

hold the body in position. Upon them devolves the task of holding the trunk erect, of
keeping the proper relation between the spine
and the pelvis (the bone structure from which

the backbone springs) and the upper leg bones
where they join the

called the hip joint.
that the height of a

fected
body.
pelvis,
It is
in
is
worth remembering
man may be
by the manner
If
forming what
materially af-
which he
carries his
he uses the muscles of the hip and
abdominal region and of the back instead of

allowing his trunk to settle down, he
may be
certain of establishing a better height than
he did otherwise, and
manent.
this height will
if
be per-
34
The
spine
may
be relied upon to give a cer-
out
but
stating,
the
may go
This
tain support to the trunk.
multitude
of
with-
muscles
associated with the spine are intended to per-
form the greater part of the work
body
the
in position.
As
in
keeping
the rudder guides
a boat or reins lead a horse, so the muscles
They not only
direct the posture of the body.
direct but largely support the body,
be
should
remembered
in
and
this
standing and in
every other position and action.
The
correct position in standing
is
some-
times curiously exaggerated by the protrusion

of the chest to a grotesque and unnatural de-
Figure 2
gree.
may be
taken as an example of
the position sometimes seriously recommended.
There
is
no naturalness, force or beauty
such a position.
The
author's
correct position are indicated
be seen by
in
views of the
by Fig.
3.
As will
this illustration, the lips, chin, chest
and toes should come upon one
line,
with the
feet turned at
an angle of sixty degrees. In such
a position the
body acquires its greatest
greatest endurance and
The
its
ease, its
greatest readiness.
chest, the wall covering the great boilers
HOW TO CARRY THE
FIG.
BODY.
*.
exaggerated standing position,

torting spine and chest*
dis-
25
26
FIG.
3.
Correct standing position, showing:

natural and forcible carriage of th
body.
HOW TO CARRY THE

of the body
the
lungs
BODY.
2*J
given the greatest
is
prominence, while the abdomen
is
carried
more
modestly than most people are inclined to carry
The
it.
shoulder, hip and ankle joints are also
kept upon one
line.
The neck
is
carried erect so
as to bring the collar-bone into a horizontal
Notice the difference in the carriage
position.
of the head between Figures
and
3.
The point of what I have urged is this

The muscles must be used in the support of
body
the
of the muscles that rightfully
all
This does not imply greater labor, but
should.
What begins by a conscious effort will soon
less.
end
and
in
What
a habit
will
become an
exhilaration.
often passes for fatigue of the muscles
simply
irritation arising
tion of the blood
is
from impeded circula-
brought about not by the use
but the cramping or non-use of muscles.
This numbness or
circulation
bad habits
ing, the
is
irritation
from impeded
particularly liable to result from
In sitting, as in stand-
in sitting.
muscles must be brought into play,
and precisely
in
proportion to the extent in
which they are used

fatigue in sitting.
will
It is
be the absence
of
not to be maintained,
28
of course, that a person should continually

bolt upright.
pelled to
sit
many hours each

Some of the muscles
during a great
day, entail great fatigue.
may
sit
This would, for a person com-
be relaxed and the position modified
for
short periods, but the muscles should never be
so relaxed as to drop the trunk upon the spine,
leaving
its
own bone
structure to hold
Those who have dropped

backed position
will
into
this
it
up.
round-
testify to a peculiar
weariness in the lumbar region of the spine,
what
rise
is
To
called the "small of the back."
or sit upright
body affords a great
and stretch the arms and

relief.
This
is
not because
the muscles have been tired, but because they
have been benumbed by

tion.
will
it
failure in the circula-
A proper maintenance of muscular action

keep up the healthy circulation and make
easier to sit for a considerable time without
fatigue.
The cultivation of the muscles in the region

of the abdomen and the lower part of the back
will
naturally have the
easier to
sit,
effect
of making
as every gain in the strength
it
and
extent of a system of muscles builds up a powr
HOW TO CARRY THE

army
to
29
In relaxing the trunk
of involuntary action.
the well-drilled
BODY.
of muscles will be found
have acquired a power to hold the body up
with
little
perceptible
effort.
In walking, keep face and chest well over

the advanced foot, and preserve the habit of
lifting
body with the muscles and by the

of the lungs. Of this I shall speak
the
inflation
further
connection
in
and easy
stride,
jarring motions, keeping in
movement
that the
subject
step.
of
Take a
avoiding any hard
mind during every
or exertion the function of the
cles to support
I say--'
the
Avoid a mincing
breathing.
free, firm
with
mus-
and move the body.
keeping
in
mind " because
I believe
mind should not be above co-operation
with the body.
In
fact,
unless
it
does co-oper-
body the body cannot be strong

if the body is not strong and
healthy what can the mind expect to be ? In
ate with the
and healthy, and
recent years
habit with a
it
has become
something of a
good many well-meaning people
to say high sounding things about the superiority of the
mind over the body, the
insignificance of the body, etc.
Is
it
essential
not time
30
to emphasize the influence of the
body upon
the mind ? Are we not constantly confronted

by instances of the mind's dependence upon
the body ?
What
would
emphasize
like to
is
that the
mind and body are dependent upon each other.
The mind cannot get

however much
stay,
and
it
it
out of the partnership,
may
wish to do
must do
its
lization
share or
The
generally suffer keenly.
living the
Under our
body seems
must
and
suffer,
further our civi-
advances the more complete
dependence becomes.
It
so.
this inter-
fashion of
and
to require greater
greater attention from the mind, and the in-
creasing mental strain assumed under our restless,
hurrying
life
demand upon
makes a greater and greater
the vitality of the body.
quite clear, then, that
we
It is
are not in a position
to talk about breaking the partnership.
Of course
this conscious use of the
will not continue to

set.
muscles
be as great as at the out-
In time the proper
management of
body becomes largely unconscious and

untary, but need never
become wholly
the
invol-
so.
HOW TO
BREATHE.
31
III.
HOW TO BREATHE.
f\ T the time of
/
contain
death
of
winner of
this writing the
comments on the
certain
many
prominent
prizes passes
away
other seemingly stalwart types
These are
men.
illness
startling facts.
and
The
athletes.
Lung weakness
of twenty-four.
newspapers
at the age
seizes
upon
of " trained"
They form
comment on some modern methods

drilling the machinery of the human body.
men are to gain muscle at the expense of
significant
of
If
their
life, it is
plain that people will soon begin
to look askance at training
kind.
ing
What
is
Why has trainWhy do lung and
the difficulty
become dangerous?
methods of every
?
heart troubles assail in after years the enthusiastic followers of
highly active sport
The answer seems
to
me
to be this
That
32
modern "training" has become a "straining"

system that
frequently not only indiscreet
is
but dangerous.
cause of
its
It is
dangerous not only be-
useless violence
and hardship, but
because of the pernicious theories upon which

it is
founded.
It
Greater than
of the inside.
is its
begins on the outside instead

all its
other evils
neglect of the lungs.
When we
stop for a
moment
to consider the
tremendous importance of the lungs
it
must
become apparent that any neglect of these

great central boilers of the body is the worst
kind of neglect.
The
is
incidentally
lungs
office of the
the very highest importance.
is
of
This importance
acknowledged by many writers
and teachers, but the development of the lungs

is left
to take care of itself,
a general thing that
all
it
being assumed as
exercises tend suffici-
To
ently to
expand the
stress
occasionally laid upon the expansion
is
lungs.
be sure, great
of the chest, but the assumption too frequently
appears to be that this expansion
is
external muscular development.

is
on a par with the general
a matter of
The theory
superficiality of the
average system of training.
The
strength of
HOW TO
boiler, will
not prevent weakness
and possibly an explosion

boiler itself is
33
steam engine, and even of
special parts in a
bands on the
BREATHE.
if
the material of the
without strength.
Hard
layers
of muscles on the chest do not improve the
permanent strength of the lungs.

should be clear that the enlarging and
It
strengthening of the lungs can be satisfactorily
accomplished only by the exercise and special

training of those organs themselves
words, beginning on the inside.

lies
at the
in
other
This truth
very bottom of natural physical
training.
To
learn to breathe
of physical health, and
is
it
to learn the
is
ABC
of special impor-
tance that this education of the lungs should
precede the education of the outer muscular

system, for the natural increase of lung strength
and chest room
is
retarded
begin work on the outside
What I have to
the chest.
It will
in the ribs as
that
first.
say on this point will become
by consultation of
the manner in which the
clearer
by methods
Fig. 4,
rib
which shows
system incloses
be seen that there
is
a joint
they approach the centre of the
34
chest.
From
strip of
bone substance, called the sternum, the
ribs
are
this joint
made
forward to the central
of a flexible cartilage that
readily developed under exercise.
distends the ribs and

effective
To
way
is
Breathing
cartilage in
the most
indeed, in the only effectual way.
distend the chest
by hollowing the back

and throwing back the
shoulders
is
merely a
makeshift, while
breathing creates a
genuine
tendency to
expansion.
The
dot-
ted line will indicate

the
manner
in
which
the rib-structure dis-
tends
under
the in-
terior
pressure
the
lungs.
full
from
The general posioccupied by the

lungs is shown very
tion
well in Fig.
Showing area of aexibie cartilages,
Dotted line shows proper direction
f expansion.
5,
where
they are represented
111
by the shaded
.
parts.
HOW TO
BREATHE,
S'Sterhuinor Breastbone.
35
JUtMspiratory chest expansion*

FIG.
36
The dotted
on each side again
lines
the chest expansion under

It will
be noted in Fig.
full
illustrate
breathing.
that the lungs do not
extend downward beyond the space between

the
fifth
reason
and sixth
why
suggest the
abdomen should not play
the
prominent a part
in breathing as
The diaphragm
does.
may
This
ribs.
it
so
so generally
muscle, which separates
the region of the lungs from the region of the
stomach and
has the power to assist the
liver,
lungs in receiving and expelling the

its
air.
But
power has been so greatly abused that the
lungs and chest muscles have been
very
little
them.
The
unfortunate
breathing, as
left to
work that properly belongs
of the
is
it
mon among men.
habit
do
to
of abdominal
comThe use of the corset, and
called,
is
particularly
other reasons, have produced
among women
a habit of breathing with the upper part of the

lungs, a habit that has been to that extent for-
Lung
are
less
frequent
among women than among men.
Women
tunate.
breathe less
in a better
air
diseases
than men, but they breathe
way.
Men
it
generally exercise the
lower parts of the lungs nearest the assisting
HOW TO
BREATHE.
37
diaphragm, leaving the upper parts, that

receive the
and
air, in
tirst
a state of relative weakness
susceptibility.
In
my
opinion the diaphragm has properly
no greater necessary use
in
expanding and
contracting the lungs than the ribs themselves.
In other words, the action of the diaphragm
should be sympathetic without being initiatory.
The lungs have
their
power should be
this
The
own muscular power, and

fully exercised.
simplest preparatory exercise
long breathing.
While standing or
any proper attitude, with the chest

care at the
same time not
lungs or muscles.
for
this
full,
take in
taking
to harshly strain the
Hold the breath thus taken
a few seconds, and then allow
leave the lungs.
full,
sitting in
free,
a long breath until the lungs seem
is
By
it
to slowly
consciously breathing in
manner the lungs
will
be enlarged and
strengthened and the breathing will become

slower.
at
rest,
Normal breathing, when the body is

should not include more than ten
breaths in a minute.
I,
myself, get along very
comfortably with not more than

waking.
six, sleeping or
During exercise of an ordinary char-
38
acter the breathing will
naturally increase to
fourteen or fifteen breaths in the minute.
At
the outset long breaths will be a con-
But the reader must not assume that he cannot develop an unconscious
scious exercise.
habit because the exereise seems at the start to
Take long breaths
require attention.
as
you think of
You may
it.
as often
not think of
it
more than once or twice a day at the beginning.
Then you
hour or
will find
so,
it
easy to remember every
and then twice or three times an
hour, until finally the habit
old short, scant breath
people
is
formed, and the

in
many
How
soon,
mere gasp
entirely abandoned.
and to what extent

will
is
this habit
may be formed
depend to a great extent on the constitu-
tion of the person, but the principle
versal application.
to
is
of uni-
A long breath will be found
represent strength, and strength that en-
dures.
From
the elephant,
who
breathes eight
mouse who breathes

one hundred and twenty times in the same
times in a minute, to the
period, brute creatures
are almost uniformly
found to possess strength in proportion to the

length of the respiratory movement.
Curiously
HOW TO BREATHE.
enough
it
the animal that most closely re-
is
sembles man
ment,
In
first
39
the
who,
monkey
succumbs
in
to disease of the lungs.
lung exercises endeavor to
all
confine-
inflate the
lungs upward and outward instead of down-
ward.
Carry chest and lungs as
were about to
lift
the
ward and forward.

given by this habit
means.
It is
if
the inflation
body off the ground upThe feeling of buoyancy
is
not an illusion by any
genuine.
There are certain movements which combine

the respiratory with muscular exercises.
a preliminary exercise
Take the
is
Such
indicated in Fig.
6.
correct standing position and place
the hands together (locking the thumbs), as
shown
in the
drawing
at
A.
Raise the hands,
keeping the arms straight, and at the same

time take in a long breath.
When
the arms
are raised as high as your muscular condition

will
allow without bending the body in any
way, slowly lower the arms again, emiting the

breath as they descend.
ber of times.
When
Repeat
this a
num-
the shoulder and chest
muscles are in good condition, you will be able

to raise the
arms straight over the head with-
out bending the body.
THE CHECKLEY SYSTEM,
FIG.
6.
HOW TO
FIG.
BREATHE.
7,
41
42
For another exercise combining respiration

and muscular action assume the same
raise the
hands slowly while taking
position,
in a breath*
and when they have reached a position over the

head hold the breath while they are brought
slowly
down
the breath.
head as
to the sides.
Then slowly release
Again, place the hands over the
and as they are brought to
in Fig. 7,
the sides on a perfect line, draw in a breath
corresponding in duration to the time occupied

*n
dropping the
arms
slowly.
Release the
breath gradually.
For a
exercise in this department the
final
preliminary position
is
shown
in Fig. 8.
Hav-
ing brought the elbows on a level with the

shoulders, and the hands on the
same
extend the arms, with hands together as

the act of swimming, taking in at the
time
all
the air the lungs will hold.
the lungs
full,
line,
if in
same
Holding
bring the hands around on an
outer circle to points on a level with the shoulders,
and then slowly empty the lungs while
bringing the hands to the original position.
These exercises
hilarating,
and
will
will
fill
be found easy yet exthe double
office of
HOW TO
FIG.
BREATHE.
43
44
strengthening the lungs and developing the

shoulder
and chest muscles.
after rising
and before
Practice
fully dressing
them
in
the
morning, and again before retiring at night.

It
should not be
difficult to find
some opportu-
some time again during

the day. These movements should not be
performed more quickly than ten times a
nity for this practice
minute.
It is
ercises
well not to overdo these or other exat the
outset, since,
by unduly
tiring
the muscles, the pleasure of exercising on the
ensuing day will be largely destroyed by a

sense of pain.
Nothing
is
gained by straining.
WHAT THEY
MUSCLES AND
WHAT THEY
MUSCLES AND
lÊFORE
*"^
sider
DO.
is
cannot be in-
it
moment and con-
pause for a
what a muscle
of doing.
45
passing to the general training of
the muscular system
advisable to
DO.
and what
it
is
capable
have more than once seen men,
power
speaking of their
to
strike
a blow,
proudly touch the bunch of muscle on the top

of the upper-arm, as
in striking,
when,
if
the back of the
arm
which the arm
is
this
kind
furnish
that supplied the
in fact,
it
is
power
the muscles on
that supply the force
straightened.
by
Incidents of
a reminder that very few
people realize the character
the structureof
muscles, or understand clearly the functions
they perform.
Indeed, judging from the sys-
tems of training now so common, and the conduct of athletes in general,
it
seems question-
able whether a knowledge of the muscles, their
46
needs and application,

as
many have
is
even as well diffused
supposed.
Generally speaking a muscle
mass of small
is
formed of a
running parallel with one
fibres
another, and possessing a power of contraction
more or less great, according to their health

and training.
This power of contraction
draws closer to each other the two ends of the
muscles, and by so doing brings the bones to
which the two ends are attached that much
The muscle
nearer together.
is
attached to
by white, unelastic cords called tenThese tendons are so strong and so
the bone
dons.
securely fastened to the bone that the sudden

contraction of the muscle in pulling
liable to
Muscles,
great many bones in one way
The muscles of the body
of v
the
fall
is
more
snap the bone than the concussion

itself.
most part
in
indeed, break a
or another.
are arranged for
complimentary groups, by
which they act together, pulling and relaxing

as the case
may
be.
Thus
in the
limbs the
muscles which straighten the bones are called

the extensor muscles, while those that
them
are called flexor muscles.
The
bend
biceps
MUSCLES AND
WHAT THEY
DO.
47
on the front of the upper arm are flexor musbecause they pull up the fore-arm.
cles,
straighten out the
arm again the
back of the arm exercise their
To
on the
triceps
office as exten-
In the same manner the flexors of the
sors
leg are on the back and the flexors of the

hand are on the palm.
The
ac
Bones.
Muscular fibres,
companying
illustration
(Fig.
A,A,
will
9,)
Tendons t uniting
muscle
bones.
to
Prints Ql which
tendons attachJo bones
give an idea
of the
in
manner
which
biceps
act
bending
arm. The
don
the
in
the
ten-
FIG.
joins the forearm not far
joint,
9.
below the elbow
thus giving the muscles a very quick
leverage on the arm.
however,
Of course
muscles
this
in
With so short a
muscle requires
great
hold,
power.
flexing the arm, the forearm
which, in their turn, are united with

arm are also brought into play.
the upper
When
the muscles on the front and back of

48
the
arm
comes
10,
the
are both
drawn
at once the limb be-
The same remarks apply
rigid.
to Fig.
which shows the chief muscles that carry
body on the
toe.
The bone
of the heel
forms a sort of lever upon which the contracting muscles in the "calf" of the leg operate.
In order to feel any

of the muscles to the
best advantage establish
some
resistance
such as a weight in the
hand
to
flexors,
m
m
Bones.
E9
Tendons, uniting
A.A.A.A.,
to
watch
bones.
the
Points where
tendons attach
the
and a pressure
downward against
some obstacle to
Muscular fibres.
muscles
discern
the action of
extensors
the
muscles on the back
to
bones.
of the arm.
tion
The func-
of the muscle
thus to pull.
is
Every
movement of which
the
body
is
possible
is
brought about by the

F1(
pulling of one or more
WHAT THEY
MUSCLES AND
The
muscles.
pulling
is,
as
DO.
49
have
said,
accomplished by the contraction of the mus-
power of contraction
and
this
in
them.
It
for
while our will generally telegraphs through
cles,
belongs
to
is
inherent
very nature
their
what are called the motor nerves what

muscle to
wishes the
contract
under
circumstances
out any order from the
muscle
still
is
body
under stimulus
or from the
sting
from
Of
of acid.
it
will
with-
Indeed,
will.
removed from the
contract
muscle
the
do,
certain
it
if
will
pinching
course
it
is
the duty of every healthy being to keep the
muscles as perfectly under the control of the

will as possible.
The
partnership between the
brain and the muscles should be complete and
continuous.
It
lute truth that
may
no one
be set
will
down
as an abso-
become unconscious
body in the right sense until he has first

become thoroughly and intelligently conscious
of his
of every part of
Now the
it
it.
contractility of a muscle, the
has to shorten and draw
its
gether, depends on the extent
power
ends closer to-
and condition
of
the fibres, the bulky part of the muscle as dis-
50
tinguished from the hard and uncontractable
These
tendons.
magnified,
like
when highly
red worms all
looking,
fibres,
bunch
of
stretched in the one direction, form the meat of
the
body
In
gristle.
bone and
as distinguished from the

fact,
the muscles
make up
in
weight
From
more than half the bulk of the body.

this
may
it
be judged without argument that
the health of this machinery

A- Unravelled Fibrillae.
B- Ruptured Fibre.
\n L
is
of very great
importance
-
tj1
the
to
-
Jig wealth of the body.

The muscles are not
implements which
or
may
may
not be used and
cultivated according to
fig.
the
ii.
of the person.
taste
and pursuits
They must be used and

body
devel-
oped
or
the
They
are
more than half of us and must be
will
taken into consideration
fall
into
in a serious
ill-health.
and
intel-
ligent manner.
The
chief reason
kept in use
is
why
the muscles must be
that their health directly effects
the circulation of the blood, and upon the perfect circulation of the
blood physical health
is
WHAT THEY
MUSCLES AND
DO.
The moment
greatly dependent
$1
a muscle
put in action the blood dances through

speed.
increased
more blood
est heat
for
develops,
it
called to supply
more and
In
great-
greatly charged with blood.
It is
same reason that
the
is
with
its
is
it is
As
it
it.
muscles
all of the
should be called into play in the general carriage
and use of the body,
certain muscles quickens

culation,
for if the activity of
and improves the
and the disuse and
cir-
ill-health of other
muscles disturbs the circulation in another part

it is
quite plain that the general circulation will
be at a
loss.
The
result will be coldness in
the feet and hands, and a constant danger to
the weaker organs of the body.

circulation, resulting
areas
sluggish
from the disuse of large
of the muscular system,
terrors to the unfortunate
means many
Neuralgia
victim.
and kindred complaints are a frequent

of inactivity and confinement.
toward a cure of such
ills
The
result
first
step
should not be drugs,
but studious deep breathing and exercise.
People
are
frequently astounded
great strength of an athlete.
The
by the
trained man,
lumpy with muscles and glowing with
health,
52
some tremendous weight and carries it for

The feat, incredible to the hearer,
is scarcely comprehended even by the spectaWhat does it mean? Are the athlete's
tor.
direct lifting muscles so much beyond the
lifts
a distance.
normal
power ?
in
The
truth
is
that the athlete's effort
much because
not so
cessful,
his
is
suc-
individual
muscles are greatly superior to the same muscles in the
normally developed man, but be-
cause he uses more of them.
people do not
If they
left
know
The
majority of
half the muscles they own.
unexpectedly make use of a muscle long
out of account and in a half dead condition,
them a twinge, they are frightened off.

They rub it with arnica and endeavor never to
it
gives
use
it
again.
They
lift,
carry, stoop, reach
and
climb with scarcely a majority of their muscles.
Of course,
in a violent exercise like
some forms
of dancing, a large proportion of the muscles

are brought into play, but
slightly
ditions.
many
of
It is in
an understanding of the scope
of the muscular action in a given

that a
them only
and only under such exceptional con-
man will
movement
secure power in that movement.
MUSCLES AND
WHAT THEY
DO.
53
Take the case of a blow with the fist. In a

gymnasium a number of young men will
gather near a suspended sand bag. One after
hammer
the other will
at the object forcing
The owner
to swing at various angles.
perhaps the stoutest arms only sends
Then
right angles.
steps up a
it
it
of
out at
young man of
comparatively light-weight and triceps inferior

in
bulk to those of
young man
many
strikes a
blow
at the
bounds clean over the point
How
did he do
In the
first
This
of the others.
bag and
it
of suspension.
it ?
place the
young man knew the
moment in the extension of the muscles

at which to make contact with the bag but
particularly he knew how to throw all of his
right
muscles and
He
all
of his weight into the blow
down
and he made
used every muscle he possibly coOld,
to the tendon Achilles in his heel,
every one do
The
all it
possibly could.
continuous health and use of
all
the
muscles will thus not only have the
effect of
securing that great boon to the system
circulation
but
it
will
give
advantage in every muscular
an
effort.
free
incalculable
The
bocly
54
acquires not only greater power, but greater
ease and grace.
It
acquires in general the
great sustaining power of distributed responsibility.
man
erect, or in
or
woman who
holds the body
any necessary posture, with the
aid
of but a few trained muscles, possibly supported
by a few
into
others that are occasionally called
play and that soon
tire,
grows fatigued
much sooner than one whose weight is carried

by a well-drilled army of fibres, fully supplied
with stimulating blood.
When
it
comes
to training the muscles, their
relation to the blood circulation should never
be overlooked.
That
ally overlooked in
need scarcely say.
this relation is continu-
modern
It is
athletic training I
very well understood
modern training is too often engaged in

making muscles "hard," as if their mere hardness was a sign of the most valuable condition
that
To
be sure a
man
covered with hard muscles
will often display great
immediate power, but
not of endurance, and of after health he can
have
little
The
muscle
chance.
highest state of health and power in a

will
always
lie
in its flexibility rather
WHAT THEY
MUSCLES AND
than in
its
hardness.
muscles "feel like iron/'
He
ous condition.
and
man
55
trained until his
really in a danger-
is
soon gets out of " training/'
then immediately at a
is
DO.
His muscles
loss.
his vitality, ~nd, especially
when he
has passed middle-life, threaten his
general
feed
upon
health.
man
saying goes,
so "muscle bound,'' as the
not in possession of a power.
is
The power owns him.
On
the other hand, a
muscular system
man who
in a state of
keeps his
comparative
ness and high flexibility can not only
soft-
summon
great strength, but his powers of endurance

are surprising.
is,
too, easily kept in train-
Natural exercise will preserve his condi-
ing.
tion,
He
and he
special
is
effort,
any time ready
at
if
that
is
to train for
necessary,
without
shock or inconvenience.
Muscular exercise, however

in a
waste of tissue
waste
carried
is
returns
new
increases
off.
material,
and
this
During repose the blood
and the stimulated action
the area of blood
enlarges the muscular mass.

is
slight, results
in the flesh fibres,
circulation
When
and
exercise
properly conducted this waste and renewal

$6
go gradually and
complete health
is
and steadily
in-
But when the exercise
creasing the resources.

is
preserving
easily forward,
in the parts
unnecessarily violent the destruction of tissue
The
injuriously carried on.
pair cannot so nicely

in the case of
exercise
is
process of re-
supplement the waste as
And when
reasonable exertion.
introduced
cannot
It will
not do,
periods of almost complete inaction
atone for the sin of collapse.

as I have suggested, to
badly
for
-after
infrequently
sit,
it
stand and
move
ninety-nine one hundredths of the
time and then hope to
make
things
come out
even by one per cent, of right exercise.
The muscles
will
have the greatest health,
strength and " staying" power that are kept

flexible
and
every day
full
by continuous use in
To expect them to keep
of blood
life.
healthy by an infrequent
some machinery,
is
fifteen
minutes at
as unreasonable as to think
of preserving the comfort of the stomach with
one meal a week.
THE JOINTS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
$7
V.
THE JOINTS AND THEIR

DEVELOPMENT.
my
desire
to spare the reader or student as
much
THIS
is
is
not a surgical treatise and
But the
as possible of dry, scientific detail.
most common-sense view of

ter,
especially
if
we
are to
this training
mat-
work from the
demands that we should constantly

keep in mind the structure of the body.
We have a certain physical system to work on.
inside,
That
is
avail to
our foundation, and
it
will
be of no
ignore either the limitations or the
possibilities of that system.

I
this
have never believed that the creator had

or that intention about the body.
creator
had any
definite
intention
physical machinery of man,
it
If the
about the
was that that
machinery should be of the utmost service to
58
man, and that
it
owner can make
it.
we speak
should be
made
that
all
What we really mean when
of intention
is
splendid
that the
arrangement of the bones
mechanical
its
and
muscles seems to have an especial adaptability

to this or that function.
of
the
beautiful
have already spoken

of
versatility
human
he
Man's bone structure gives him a
physique.
among
scope of movement nowhere equaled

the lower animals.
This
telligence has taught
opment
in
undeveloped
power
its
latteral
own
The
develhorse,
short collar bones and
muscles, has
all
of his
forward and backward movements,
in
and almost none

the other.
it is
because man's in-
to aid his
every useful direction.
instance, with
for
him
is
in
movements
to one side or
Every one has noticed how
for a fallen
difficult
horse to raise himself.
The
horse has only developed the muscles that are
most
useful to
finds so
cles that
many
he
is
him
in the service of
uses for his
own
man.
joints
continually bringing
Man
and mus-
them
to a
higher state ot versatility.
But he by no means uses

as
it
his
bone system
might and should be used.
He
gives
59
only a half-use to his joints as he gives only a
most of
half-use to
his
muscles.
This
is
very
largely because he usually has but a very slight
knowledge of the actual location and capacity
He
of his joints.
as
if
bends
his spine in stooping
there were no hip joints in his anatomy.
remarked that man
It is often
the location of his stomach
meal brought confusion
first
ascertained
when an
indiscreet
in that locality.
Most
of us forget about the joints until some novel

slip or
movement
gives the unused machinery
a twinge, and then, instead of following up the

lesson and
making that
are very liable to avoid
joint serviceable,
we
any
further service in
extremities of two or
more bones form-
the offending part.
The
ing a joint are covered with cartilage, which,

as I have said,
is
a solid but softer substance
than bone, and one whose smoothness and

elasticity
keep the ends of the bone from wear-
As
in the case of all other material of
ing.
the body, this cartilage
the function
has
is
in best health
when
evenly and naturally ex-
The cartilage is covered with a thin

called the synovial membrane, and
ercised.
layer
it
is
60
continually oiled and kept

in working condition by a fluid called synovia.
Then a series of tough bands, called ligaments,
the joints are
hold the heads of the bones in proper position.

Joints like those at the knee
and ankle are
called hinge joints, while others, like those at
the
and
shoulder
One
joints.
and socket
are ball
hip,
constructed very differently
is
from the other but both are operated on the same

principle
and have the same general conditions
of health and strength.
The
joint itself,
bones merely, has

surrounding
all
we were
it.
to
mean
and the connecting
That the
difficulty of
not in the bones but in the liga-
is
ments and muscles about the bones

illustrated
the
the flexibility that the
ligaments
muscles will give
bending
if
by the
fact that
one has
will
be
little diffi-
culty in placing the knee against the chest.
But stand upright and endeavor to carry the

chest toward the knees and the operation
found to be very
difficult.
Or endeavor
the stiffened leg toward the chest, and
to
it
is
lift
will
be found impossible to acquire the whole distance.
This
is
because the muscles and ten-

been
dons have not
trained
accommodate themselves
When
tion.
and even
to the severe relaxa-
minor movements.
The ligaments
are necessarily
the bones very firmly.
much more
When
are.
made
points of union past each other.
for that joint,
is
frequent
a bone becomes
dislocated the ligaments and muscles
of the shoulder this
to hold
they did not cases
If
of dislocation would be
now
by
constantly arise,
difficulty will
in the
than they
sufficiently
the joints are not fully trained
same
use the
to
6l
draw the
In the case
not a very serious
affair,
being relatively in a state of Jiigh
difficulty.
may usually be reset without great

Many contortionists can voluntarily
dislocate
one or both of their shoulders by
flexibility,
muscular
without
action,
difficulty.
and
But
restore
their
position
in the case of the thigh,
for instance, the situation is
very
visitor to a hospital will often
different.
observe a patient
lying with one leg extended on a support end-
ing in a pulley and weights.
sometimes of many
the
contracting
When
The
weights,
pounds, are " tiring out"
about
elements
they are sufficiently
Sl
tired
'
the
joint.
by the pro-
62
longed pulling, and acknowledge themselves

the head of the dislocated
beaten,
bone
is
placed in position and the muscles again acquire the necessary contractility.
It is
thus important that in developing the
muscles of the body the
office
of the joints
The bones
should be kept in mind.
are not
insensible material but contain a blood system,
life
and sensitiveness equal to that of the
other parts of the body.
much dependent upon
They
are, in fact, as
exercise for health as
Moreover, a bone
the muscles.
creased in dimensions
by
may
be
in-
exercise, so that the
chances of increasing the height and building

out the frame
by carrying the body
in the best
manner, will be aided by the actual growth of

properly exercised bones.
The proper
use of the hip joint
most frequently ignored.
As
is,
perhaps,
have suggested
the bones of the spine are continually strained,

the chest contracted and the
in
an
effort to
affecting
its
abdomen distended
save the hip joint and the muscles

use from performing the service
that belongs to them.
By
frequent and easy practice the hips
may

be made what they should be
the
6$
natural
Begin by
hinge in the middle of the body.
ascertaining with the finger the location of the
Place the middle finger of each
hip joints.
hand on the corresponding hip

exact locality of the hinge
joint
at
the
and the thumbs
of
each hand on the edge of the hip or pelvis

itself.
Now
bend forward and the
relation of
the pelvis bone to the leg joint will be readily
perceived by the touch of the thumbs and
fin-
The action of bending is, indeed, a backward movement of the hinge of the body and
not a forward movement of the head as the
gers.
beginner generally assumes.

ous
movement be
in the hips,
Let the consci-
and preserve the
natural relations of head, neck and back.
Re-
peat several times the motion of bending from
an upright position to a point as low as possible

without bending the back.
of any sort
At
a broom handle
if
the outset a stick
you choose
may
be held with one hand upright against the spine,

head, hollow of the back and foot of spine,
touching,
while
the
stooping
over
is
all
tried
several times, until the straightness of the backis
secured, and
it
becomes plain that the hips
o4

95
FIG.
xa.
Illustrating the bone system of the body as seen in the incorrect and
correct standing positions and the manner in which the proper use of the
hip (or pelvis) and back muscles may increase the height and symmetry
of the body. The figure to the right is that of a man naturally two ot three
inches shorter than the figure to the left.

are doing all the bending.
first
65
When the motion is

head
tried the pupil invariably arches the
and neck, and perhaps hollows the back.
For the purposes of

against any
movement
and the value of these

gin to appear.
practice
this
guard
of the back or neck,

fine hip
hinges will be-
Repeat these movements with
Then bend
the hands raised above the head.
forward as far as the hip joints will allow,
throw the shoulders up and forward, and touch

the floor with the tips of the fingers, without
bending the knees.

familiar feature
drill
it
is
The
latter
movement
is
of the military "setting up"
When first attempted
and is of great value.

generally found
difficult,
though some
persons, with no special effort, easily bend in

this
way.
After repeated practice
it
will
be
found possible not only to touch the floor but

to hold the fingers there, then to
touch and
hold the second joint of the fingers and
finally,
perhaps, even the palms.
The
action of the shoulders in this
move-
ment brings up the importance of developing

the shoulders.
movement
The power
in itself is
of
the shoulder
surprising.
Stand up-
66
and
right in the correct position
lift
ders as high as possible, lowering
ward
as far as they will go.
Now
forward and draw them back as
the shoul-
them
after-
bring them
far as
they can
Repeat these move-
reach in each direction.
ments and endeavor to keep the shoulders

ible
the clavicle,
flex-
By
training the shoulders
or collar
bone, with the other
and vigorous.
bones and muscles involved, increase the width
and general bulk of the shoulders.
special exercise for the
development of
the shoulders with the muscles of the back and

sides
is
this
Stand sideways near some vertical
surface, like the wall of a
room, at a point
ficiently distant to allow the
suf-
hand when extend-
ed to easily touch the surface.
Now move
an
inch further away and touch the surface again
without altering the position of the

pelvis (Fig. 13.)
and
this
reaching.
feet,
legs or
second time move an inch
time there will be some difficulty in
Repeat the movement
until the sur-
do the same with

arm and shoulder. The effort to
draw out and straighten the shoul-
face cannot be reached, then
the other
reach will
ders,
and
it
will
be discovered that the shoul-
THE JOINTS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT. 67
FIG
13.
68
ders can be
made
to
have a distinct
lateral
Stand with the back to the wall
extension.
and the arms extended and make a pencil
mark
the
at the ends of the
shoulders
reach out as
are
second fingers when
most contracted.
far as possible
Now
each way, and the
difference in reach will be found, at the
end of
a few of the exercises just given, to steadily

After a few months of reasonable
increase.
practice with the shoulders the tailor
may,
if it
has been his practice, be requested to leave out

the cotton padding in the coat.
There
is
a complimentary action between
the shoulder and hip that
the act of stooping.
stooping
ing
is
is
shown
An
is
effective
Then
method
first
of
bend-
the hip hinges work
and the body bends forward

to the
The
in Fig. 14.
of the knee.
shoulders,
well illustrated in
partly move
by which the hand
is
the
easily brought
ground without the wrenching of the
spine and the discomfort of both lungs and
movements the tendency

is to distend the abdomen, but in this and in
all similar movements the abdomen should be
abdomen.
In such
contracted and kept under muscular control.
THE JOINTS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT. 09
FIG,
14.
70
In the same manner
when
seated do not
reach over a table, for instance, by curving the

back, but by throwing forward the shoulder.
If this
object,
does not bring the hand near enough the
bend
at the hips.
The
great value of a
flexible shoulder in reaching is
shown by the
fact that, with the spine firmly held against the
back of a
chair, the
be osillated
in
hand may, with
practice,
a direct forward reach from two
to six inches.
I
have thus
far
but sketched the value of a
proper training for tne

ter I shall take
up a
joints.
In another chap-
series of exercises bringing
both joints and muscles into play.
EXERCISES FOR MUSCLES AND JOINTS. 71
VI.
EXERCISES FOR MUSCLES AND

JOINTS.
LL
f\
muscles, but there are
exercises of the
some
tain
exercises of the joints involve certain
that involve simply a relaxation of cer-
muscles with only sufficient
others
to
keep
the
Such, for instance,
is
body
erect
tension in
meanwhile.
useful exercise for
this
the attainment of flexibility in the pelvic region

or the region of the hips
Take the
correct standing position, then
relax the muscles so as to permit the whole
weight of the body to
fall
on the
left leg,
allow-
ing the right leg to bend and the right hip to
sag
down
as far as
it
Now
may.
transfer this
weight to the right leg and allow the
left
hip to
drop as loosely as possible.
This would be a
very bad position to stand
but the exercise
in,
72
of transfering the weight from one side of the

pelvis to the other, gives increased flexibility
and vigor to the muscles and ligaments of

region,
and
endurance
will
this
give increased elasticity and
On
in walking.
the
first
occasion
the exercise should be repeated slowly, and
might
last
practice
it
one or two minutes.
After renewed
be found easy to drop rapidly
will
from one hip to the other without inconvenience
and to prolong the exercise
for
four or five
minutes.
The
training of the spine should be carried
on with the training of the
bony framework
pelvis,
from which
In pointing out that
it rises.
the spine should not be bent in every stooping
and reaching movement, the theory was not

that
it
was
to
its
disadvantage to bend, but that
the habit of bending forward needlessly
pered the lungs and digestive region.
hamThe
spine itself should be thoroughly exercised, for
the
same reason that other regions should be
kept in reasonable activity.
To
give the spine a flexibility necessary to
the comfort of the body
moved
in
all
it
directions
should be frequently
consistent with
its
Under proper
structure.
cultivation the spine
has great versatility of movement.
Between
each of the bones of the spinal column are

disks of " fibro-cartilage," as the anatomists
call
it,
a substance which operates as a cushion
between each section of vertebrae and constituting a continuous safeguard against accident to
the great bone centre of the body.
ions
form
actually about
spinal column,
These cush-
one-fourth of the
and they not only render the
column susceptible of modification, so

lengthening or shortening
they make
it
is
possible for the
far as its
concerned, but
column
to twist
Numerous
ligaments, forming a beautifully complex struct-
vertically to a considerable extent.
hold
ure,
the
whole
system
of bones
and
cushions in position, and the stout muscles of

the back hold an intimate relation with them.
It is these
ligaments and muscles that require
to be treated in the exercise of the spine.
An
ter
is
exercise of a simple but effective charac-
acquired in this
way
After assuming the
arms
correct
standing
until the
hands are brought on a level with the
shoulders.
position,
extend the
Holding the arms and shoulder*
74
upon a straight
and keeping the arms
line
directly opposite each other, as
if
actually held
by a long pole passed across the

baek of the neck and held in position by the
thumbs (this plan may be followed if desired),
swing the arms and shoulders in unison, first in
in position
one direction and then
in
line of the arms, at the
extreme tension of the
swing,
is
with the
the other until the
as nearly as possible at right-angles

first
Swing
position.
in this
way
movements
the rate of about twenty
at
to the
minute until the muscles of the shoulders and
back
feel tired.
The
greatest flexibility will be
found in the upper region of the spine
a slight
flexing of each section of the vertebrae, giving
an aggregate twist that
come
will,
If the
considerable.
with practice, be-
arms do not swing
the shoulders with them, the exercise will have

little
the
value.
hips
And
it
should,
is
to be
remembered
during the
their natural position
exercise,
that
keep
and not swing with the
shoulders.
A variation upon this

in Figs. 15
and
16.
exercise
is
illustrated
In Fig. 15 the arms are
brought to a position at right-angles with their
EXERCISES FOR MUSCLES AND JOINTS
FIG. is
THE CHECKLEY SYSTEM*
FIG.
16.
EXERCISES FOR MUSCLES AND JOINTS.
J}
original line, the hips in this case being turned
Now, keeping
slightly.
site
the arms rigidly oppo-
each other, bend the
at the
same time bending the
and touch the
shown
left
arms resume
Raise the
left
being kept
in
feet,
rigid), the
until the
hand occupies a
floor
may now
same manner with the
the
(the
be
right
These positions may be alternated
hand.
as
and swing
Bending the right knee
forward position.
touched
hand
the position of Fig. 15,
the arms about until the right
left
knee only,
left
between the two
floor
in Fig. 16.
arm downward,
at
the rate of about fifteen changes to the minute.
The
exercise
is
In the two
an excellent one.
movements
just described
keep
the face directed toward one point in front of

the figure.
some work
all
By
to
so doing the neck will be given
do and
of the
repetitions
be strengthened
will
To
exercise.
in
further
strengthen the neck
and a development of the
neck muscles
prevent
will
that arises from

fatigue
many
a headache
no other cause but muscular
stand with
the back against
a wall.
Without moving any part of the back or shoulders
away from the
wall,
move
the head for-
7%
ward and back a number of times, keeping the

face on the same vertical line as when the back
Then
of the head touches the wall.
a side to side
movement
practice
of the head, without
altering the vertical line of the head, as in Fig.

17.
In this second
very
difficult at
movement
it
be found
will
the beginning not to roll the
head, but be content
with a slight move-
ment
and
at the outset,
time
in
it
will
be found possible to
the head
oscillate
several inches with-
out altering the vertical line.
The
great
ad-
vantage of move-
ments of the neck,

independently,
muscles
in this
is
in
which the head
is
an increased control of all the
region of the body.
It is
merely the exercise of the muscles that
movements
managed
thus not
all
these
are designed to accomplish, but
the control of the muscles, so that every muscle
may,
in so far as that
is
possible in ordinary

under
be
training,
The
reasonable control.
value of such perfection of control
The
reiterate too frequently.
increased iocal strength,
cannot
exhilaration, the
and
increased
the
general health, are certain to render control
worth the
An
poise
effort.
exercise of
and
much
supleness
strengthening the legs,
Assume
value in perfecting the
of the
is
body,
and
in
illustrated in Fig. 18.
the standing position, with the hands at
Draw
the sides.
the arms backward until the
hands are about eighteen inches from the vertical line of
the body, relax the leg muscles and
drop quid ly into the position shown
As
drawing.
balance of the
body descends, bring forward

by continuing their swing the
body will be better preserved
sinks and rises again to the
it
tion.
The
the
the
the hands, and
while
in
first
posi-
natural elasticity of the muscles will
tend to send the body upw ard again after

r
has dropped upon the heels, and the
may be
it
movement
repeated, according to the condition of
the muscles, from three or four to a dozen times.
Remember
to
keep the body above the hips
perfectly upright during the exercise.
8o
THE CHECKLEY SYSTEM,
"\
FI&X&
EXERCISES FOR MUSCLES AND JOINTS. 8*

Another exercise benefiting the
and chest
legs, hips
Place one foot before the other as in
stepping, rise on the toes (or, properly speaking, the ball of the foot),
and springing
slightly
transpose the relative positions of the feet so

that
by a regular
of a
still
repetition the effect will be as
The arms may be swung
walk.
sympathy with the movement.
in
During the
exercise practice a long and steady breathing
with
the lips closed, of course.
It will
he observed that while some of these
exercises place considerable tax on the agility
of the muscles, there are none of
them
violent.
Dozens of other movements pursuing the same

line of
who
development
enters
ways
upon
will readily occur to
practice.
to lead the pupil
My
purpose
by gradual
is
one
al-
steps to the
point where he or she shall feel a perfect familiarity
with and mastery of
the body.
in
When
this
connection with the
lungs, the pupil

training, with
is
ready
which
and with which
all
the muscles of
all
has been accomplished,
this
development of the
for the heavier athletic
book
is
but a small
not concerned,
number of peo-
ple have neither the time nor the necessity to
be interested.
82
Even sedentary people
will find
many ways
of amplifying in practical exercise the forego-
ing special exercises for the lungs, muscles and
Yet
joints.
it is
deavor to bring
The
play.
necessary to avoid violent ex-
In lifting anything whatever, en-
periments.
all
the necessary muscles into
action will require a certain
of thought, for in a spasmodic effort
it
amount
is
to seriously strain a few muscles left to
In
involuntary service.
fact,
easy
dp an
a failure to con-
manner often does

when the movement intelligently
centrate effort in the right
an injury,
exhilarates without straining or " wind-
made
ing
"
the person.
work on the " PhysiBodily Exercise," Dr. Lagrange em-
In his recent scientific
ology of
phasizes
this
point
" Exercise,"
says
the
writer, " performed without moderation or rule
induces
forms and degrees of fatigue, and
all
exposes the
human machine
to various injuries
which we have described as the accidents of

work.
On
formed
in
work pergradually increasing quantity and acthe other hand, muscnlar
cording to the
rules
of graduated training,
bring about a progressive adaptation of the

organs in the performance of more and more
exercise.
violent
motor by giving
to all
the human
improves
It
machinery a greater
its
Such are the
strength and ease of working.
results of exercise considered as
and reduced
factor
represented by
that
effort
But
it.
we can
an abstract
the quantity of
to
it
is
work
only by a mental
isolate the
work done by
the system from the organs concerned in the
Now
performance.
same
in all cases,
manner
in
these organs are not the
and do not work
in the
forms of exercise.
all
same
Thus, the
practice of different exercises produces different

effects
on the
system.
Hence the use of a
rational classification of the different exercises,
and the necessity of making a choice from
among them
in
accordance with the effects
desired."
Light exercises and exercises that vigorously tax the strength each have their place
and value.
The
be misplaced.
point
The
is
that they should not
exercises given
are de-
signed to awaken the muscular system, to give

it
flexibility
when
the
and readiness, and

training on these
it
will
lines
be found
has been
84
carefully advanced, that a
heavy demand on
the muscles has no terrors, that the general
strength has been splendidly increased in a
degree entirely out of proportion to the increased size of the individual muscles.
THE TREATMENT OF
OBESITY.
85
VII.
THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY.

ET me have men
I
^ ^
^^
me
that are fat,"
says the Caesar of Shakespeare's play.
may be
But then there
There
thing.
about
is
" lean and hungry
too
much
of a
good
a happy mein between the

"
proportions of Cassius and
the too ample outlines of the Leicester gentle-
man who,
early in this century, carried to his
grave a body weighing 789 pounds.
own
day, with
all
In our
the hurrying and scurrying
brought by the Twentieth Century method of

living,
a large number of people suffer from an
accumulation of
fat,
and the treatment of per-
sons so afflicted receives

calls
much
attention and
up many ingenious schemes and
sug-
gestions.
The most popular method
of combating
thousand and
corpulency
is
by
dieting.
86
and
one pamphlets
promises
Many
patent
of salvation
for
a worthy person
medicines
the
has
bear
afflicted
fat.
suffered
the
agonies of semi-starvation in an effort to reduce

his weight,
and has sometimes succeeded
Many
getting rid of a few pounds.
have chosen to " eat and drink
" if
in
others
they cannot
u live and be merry," preferring the inconveniences
and dangers of corpulency to the
tor-
tures of a greatly restricted diet.
So long
as certain articles of food are rec-
ognized as having greater properties for pro-
ducing
fat
than others,
may have some

accumulated.
it is
plain that dieting
influence on the quantity of fat
But
the formation of
it
only succeeds in reducing
fat,
and does nothing toward
getting rid of fat after
it is
formed.
In a per-
son otherwise healthy this can only be done by

exercise not merely abstract " airings," which
fleshy people sometimes
consider exercise,
but locally applied exercise, intelligently and

conscientiously pursued.
Regarded rightly obesity

and must be
disease.
is
simply a disease
specifically treated like
When
any other
the natural functions of the

body proceed without
no accumulation of
$7
interruption there can be
only by the
It is
fat.
some natural process

beyond the desirable point.
fail-
that fat increases
ure of
In the growth of the body-materials fat
is
accumulated and consumed again just as steadily as coal is.
burned
in the engine, or as the
chemical ingredients of an electric battery are
This
gradually exhausted.
cles
every muscular
effort
amount of combustion.
fat feeds
the mus-
producing a certain
muscles are not
If the
exercised, the fatty substance, which would be
burned up and carried
off
by the
action of the
muscles, steadily accumulates.
The accumulation
of fat under the absence
of exercise operates against
ways than one.

weight, retard
bulk,
and
is
difficult to
of
fat,
interfere with
in
more
his breathing, but
The blood
of a
it
fat
become overheated, and is

Thus these excessive layers
likely to
cool.
operating like so
many
of clothing, are a constant

fort
owner
Not only does it increase his

his movements by increasing
unduly heats the body.

person
its
excessive layers
menace
and the health of the body.
to the
com-
88
Exercise
superfluous
directly attacks
How much
fat
may
fat.
depends
be superfluous
upon the constitution and temperament of the
Under the most vigorous training

some people retain a good deal of fat. They
are by nature plump. But their fat is no detriment to them. They move with as much ease
person.
and as
The
breathlessness as other people.
little
quantity of fat to be lost under exercise
thus depends upon the individual, but will al-
ways, of course, be considerable in proportion

to the
amount accumulated without exercise
and under the unrestricted

disease at
height.
its
Exercise not only reduces

it
in the
influence of the
most
direct
and
but
fat
effective
weight by a pound or more.
with which
of the
fat
may be burned
muscles
is
This dissipation of
it
often,
reduces
way.
an hour of vigorous exercise a man

his
it
In half
may reduce
The
rapidity
off in the activity
indeed, surprising-
fat is local
that
is
to say,
disappears in localities in which muscles are
active,
and
Thus people
in
will
proportion
to
accumulate
their
fat in
activity.
accordance
very largely with their personal habits.
Peo-
THE TREATMENT OF
pie
who
sit
OBESITY.
89
a great deal, yet have occasion to
use their arms considerably, will be found with
arms having proportionately more muscle and

less fat
Others
than their legs.
who
are on
their feet a great deal, but take little exercise,
are often found with
relatively slender
and
muscular legs, while body and arms are very

fleshy.
A large number of
people, while of seemly
grow an abdomen
exceedingly ugly and becomes in time
proportions in other respects,

that
is
a great inconvenience.
This
is
because, while
the general activity of the person
is
consider-
abdomen is kept free from muscular

The worship of the stomach renders
able, their
action.
people
who
like to live well
extremely jealous
of anything that disturbs the region of the
stomach and digestive organs.

excessively renders
them continually cautious
about bending, and at the

truding
abdomen
the protrusion
is
in a
first
signs of a pro-
person otherwise slender
patted and petted as a kind of
symbol of health, when,

if
Perhaps eating
in fact,
it is
sometimes,
not very often, a threatening sign.
least a
prophecy of too much
should be looked at askance.
fat,
It is at
and as such
9&
Instead of coddling the abdominal region

is
a duty to keep this region as
much alive
it
witb
good muscles as any other part of the body.
Where muscles
are healthy excessive fat can-
Thus the most direct way of removing fat from the abdomen is to establish a
healthy system of muscle there. As the muscles grow the fat diminishes.
A man may box
not
live.
and
fence,
and even walk, without losing
abdominal
terrible
accumulation
but
if
his
he
centres his efforts at muscular exertion on the
abdomen
and
itself
the fat cannot stand the attack
will gradually disappear.
To
regain muscular control of the
after the control
matter.
The
has once been lost
ability to
is
contract the
abdomen
no easy
abdomen
observed in persons properly conditioned seems
wholly impossible to a person with much

It is
fat.
only by slow degrees that this control
can be regained.
The
reflex action of health in the
abdominal
muscles, ana tne proper exercise of these muscles in connection with those of the spinal
pelvic regions, will be immediate

able.
and
and consider-
All the digestive tonics that were ever
THE TREATMENT OF
FIG.
Showing
fatty
OBESITY.
19.
abdomen and extent
of redaction necessary under
training.
91
92
invented cannot compete with muscular activity in
driving
the digestive region as a means of
away
means of accomplishing
of the
abdomen
As
in this region.
ills
this
itself is
a direct
end the treatment
obviously better than
exercising in a
general way, and
better, of course,
than the most heroic system
infinitely
of dieting.
One who
follows conscientiously the exer-
cises outlined in the preceding chapters,
who
and
preserves a general activity of the muscles
become corpulent, and

who have just begun to acquire more
of the body, can never

for those
than a proper or comfortable
proportion of
fatty material in the body, these general exercises will
be
damage.
But
those
who
sufficient to
check and repair the
in this chapter I
have
in
mind
are too corpulent for comfort and
whose immediate concern is in reducing their

weight. For these the following series of exercises has
been arranged
Contract the abdominal muscles and
First
endeavor to draw the abdomen
in
and
out,
without breathing, until entire control of the

muscles
is
secured.
If at the
93
beginning
found impossible to use the muscles in this

press in the
possible,
abdomen with
way
the hands as far as
and while holding
long breaths, resisting
it is
it
thus, take several
any temptation
to allow
move with the breathing.

Pursue this plan until the abdomen can be
drawn in and released by the action of the
abdomen
the
muscles
and
to
without
the assistance
of the
hands.
Take
Second
(as nearly as
may
the correct standing position
be possible), and straighten-
ing the arms bring them forward and upward

as far as they
lowing
may be
the back.
In
carried
reaching
without hol-
loosen
all
the muscles of the shoulders that will allow

the fullest extension of the arms.
should be
The reach
made forward and upward without
removing the heels from the
floor,
be accompanied by a long breath.
and should
The motion
should be repeated about ten times in a minute
and
will
effect
be found to have a very beneficial
on the neck, shoulders and chest, while
strengthening the lungs.
94
FIG.
Showing
fatty
20.
abdomen as distended
in
ot muscles.
bending without control
THE TREATMENT OF
FTG.
OBESITY.
2z.
Illustrating third cxcrclst.
95
96
Clasp the hands over the
Third
drawing
it
a long breath
in to the utmost; take
and bend at
the hips until the
bending the back)
is
abdomen,
body (without
at right angles with the
Straightening again, the
legs as in Fig. 21.
breath should be released without relaxation of
abdomen
the
This motion should be repeated
ten or fifteen times in a minute.

will
be valuable
in establishing
Its influence
a control over
the muscles.
Fourth
Swinging
on pages 73 and
Fifth
exercises, as
74.
Swinging
and bending exercise as
described in Figs. 15 and
of much flesh
it
explained
will
16.
be impossible to touch the
But stoop
floor as in Fig. 16.
With a person
in the general
shown by the figure, and carry the

movement as far as may be possible. Before
direction
stooping
the abdomen,
contract
avoiding the tendency to distend
it
especially
in
reaching
over.
Sixth
Lie
flat
on the back, with the hands
across the abdomen, take a long breath, and

raise the legs (with
knee joints
stiffened) until
97
they reach right angles with the body.
This
must be practiced without arching the back or

allowing the pelvis to leave the
Seventh
Lie
in the
same
under the edge of a
feet
may
object that
floor.
position with the
sofa, or
some other
hold the feet against the
floor,
and, without the assistance of hands or elbows,

raise
body
the
a sitting posture, at the
into
same time contracting the abdomen.

Eighth
one knee
In
the standing
position
Raise
exaggeration of the
after the other in
action of going up stairs,
keeping the body
meanwhile perfectly
and practice
erect,
the knees can strike the chest.

will
The
be very beneficial v\ reducing
until
exercise
flesh
on legs
and abdominal region.

Ninth
on page
Dropping on the heels
79.
Tenth
Bending
and touching
scribed on pages 63 and 65.

flesh
as described
can only attempt
this
floor as de-
A person of much
movement, but
re-
peated practice will steadily increase the ability

to bend.
Have
in
mind
here, as in all other
98

keep muscular control of the ab-
exercises, to
domen.
99
Such habits
will
gradually diminish
its size.
Eleventh
Neck
pages 77 and
Twelfth
or, in
motions as described on
78.
Lie
face
downward on the
floor
consideration of that protrusive paunch
get on the hands and knees, then extend the
body on hands and
toes as in Fig. 22.
Keep
body perfectly rigid not permitting the

abdomen to sag and not bending the hips upward to lighten the strain on the muscles. To
the
take this position for a few seconds
is
all that
very heavy persons will be able to do at the

beginning.
The
exercise itself consists in low-
ering the suspended body by the bending of

the arms until the face touches the floor, and
the effort should be repeated until this
move-
ment can be accomplished several successive

times.
All that has been said in previous chapters
about the carriage of the body will apply with

equal
if
not greater force in the case of corpu-
IOO
lent people.
Persistently subdue the
abdomen
Walk
and give the prominence to the chest.

with the whole body, and do not
of jarring
afraid
some
internal
move
training
effectual
is
the
betterpractice the contrac-
this the
tion of the waist muscles.
tinuous
if
machinery.
Give the hips free play, and in walking
more of
as
the
In this
way
a con-
only training that
is
kept up, and the result will be
immediate and
lasting.
be remembered that all the fat

abdomen is not superficial like most of
It is to
of the
the other fat of the body, but

nal.
Yet
duction
is
largely inter-
this internal fat is susceptible of re-
by pressure and
exercises,
and should
not be encouraged to increase in bulk.
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.
101
VIII.
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.

I
has already been suggested in these chapters that the exercises outlined applied as
well to the training of women as to the training

of men.
do not think any of the exercises
described need be forbidden the gentler sex.
The muscular and bone systems of men and

women are so much alike that what is good
of
exercise for one
is,
ular weaknesses,
good exercise
There
are,
except
in cases of particfor the other.
however, certain of these exercises
that
women,
fair,
should enter on with caution.
especially
if
their
health
the admonition that need be made.
This
to
make
acquire
If
all
Avoid
an exercise seems
demand on any of the

perfection in that exercise by
a great
is
not
Avoid the
chances of shock to the pelvic region.

also the chance of strain.
is
muscles,
degrees,
102
being content to gradually acquire control
ol
the stiffened fibres and joints.
This suggestion would be unnecessary

large a proportion of
woman
kind
if
did
so
not
neglect the simplest principles of bodily health.
The "weaker" sex would occupy no such

position of relative weakness
were followed.
If
remain
claimed,
strength, there
is
women
if
natural laws
must, as
is
short
physically
so freely
of man's
no reason why the disparity
Where
should remain so great as
it
women
their strength
lead an active
endurance
comes
life
often
is.
remarkably close
and
to the
strength and endurance of the other sex, and

in the control of their
own systems may readily
under development excel the other sex.

other words, tradition has
more
"weakness" of women than has

It is
be done
to
the
development
strength and the higher health in
something
women's
say,
do with the
nature.
very doubtful whether very

for
is
In
of
much can
physical
women
until
done toward materially reforming
clothing.
"More harping on
think
hear the reader
dress reform
!"
But the
harping must be kept up until the shackles of
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.
IO3
badly designed clothing are stricken from long
Then
womankind.
suffering
may begin.
At the very
threshold of healthful develop-
ment is the obstacle of the

that the corset
Perhaps
it.
is
Yes,
corset.
not so tight as
women no
to the bedpost
profitable training
it
know
used to be.
longer lash their corset lace
and throw
their
weight against
But even a snugly fastened corset
an
is
in-
not the proposition to remove the
Is
jury.
met by the suggestion that "we could

not hold ourselves up without it ?" There lies
corset
A corset that
the mischief.
supports the back,
that keeps the back from supporting
antagonizing the
first
principle of physical de-
the perfect
velopment
the body.
said
It is
itself, is
muscular possession of
quite clear from
what
system can make no terms with the
For the corset
a score of excellent substitutes.
is
slender
corset.
as a bust support there are
reasonably distrust
there
have
about carrying the body that any such
all
no evasion of
women, with
Women
" supports " save

this
method.
now
might
when
In very
slight bust measure, noth-
ing aids development like honest chest expan-
104
sion and the strengthening and enlarging of
breast muscles.
is
The
entire region of the chest
rendered flabby and unhealthy by any sup-
On
port of the central region of the body.
other hand, fleshy

in refusing
women tempt
the
increased flesh
to develop the torso muscles,
by
incasing themselves in e nervating corsets that
"hold them up" and
foster increased
In the case of the bust
remember that there

parts
it is
fat.
of importance to
here, as in all other
is
The
of the body, a muscular system.
muscles of
this region
almost
are, of course,
by their owner, and most

supports soon leave them unused also. Now,
by persistent effort a control over these musinvariably unlocated
cles
may be
established until it*will be possible
to voluntarily contract
and relax them, with
the result that a sunken and flabby bust
made
full
and
firm.
Thus, unless she
maybe
is
abso-
no reason why a
lutely deformed,
there
woman should
not develop and mold
entire
form by
is
simply
her
acquiring muscular
control of the parts deficient in contour.
The
gaining of this control requires a distinct effort

of will, but the results surely justify the effort
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.
IO5
Corset wearing has a tendency to protrude the
abdomen
the old fashioned kind
if
unduly compress
is
The
used.
it
if
is
worn, or to
the straight front variety
illustration
on next page preaches
a better sermon that can be put in words.

has already been said that the corset has
It
women to
men, but women
breathe somewhat better than
forced
sity
ing.
are not less under the neces-
long
of cultivating deep breathing
The
girdle corset
now worn
is
breath*
a great ad*
vance over the former high corset, in that

mits
much
greater
consequently
cultivates
Fortunately there
the corset
is
freedom
is
in
it
breathing,
more vigorous
per-
and
bodies.
every reason to believe that
going out of fashion.
great
many
by way of rebuke, perhaps, to exaggerative remarks by those who have sought
physicians,
to fight the corset, are inclined to
the idea of
its
dangers.
pooh-pooh
Of exaggeration
there
has been plenty, but the truth remains that the

corset has exerted and does exert not only a
direct deforming influence, but an indirect de-
forming
influence
on
the
whole
body.
It
threatens the very basis of health, a ready circulation
of the blood.
The distended abdo-
io6
Fig. 23
The first figure shows the natural position, in which

the spine is strong and graceful in curve, the chest
strengthens, the bust is enlarged by the development of
the muscles, and the general grace and health of the
body is greatly increased.
The second figure shows the position fostered by the
old-fashioned corset, where the muscles of chest and
abdomen become flaccid through lack of proper use.
The third figure shows the position into which the
body is forced by the modern straight- front corset, and
the consequent exaggerated forward curvature of the
spine.
The
fact that corsets are loose
enough not to interfere
with the breathing will not prevent the deformities

naturally resulting
up" the body.
from any contrivance for "holding!
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.
men
so shocking to
10/
women, and the great
in-
crease of flesh on the legs and feet, are often

directly due to the seizures of the corset.
corset
naturally a constant obstacle to free
is
play of the body, to

turning,
The
facility in
stooping and
and tends generally to curb the ex-
ercise of the sex.
Among women who

and
particularly
have borne children,
among women who
have
reached or passed middle age, the distended
abdomen
often brings
much
certainly could be uglier,

tive of
distress.
more
Nothing
utterly destruc-
grace or distinction in manner.
ened corsets, that ludicrous
Tight-
last resort of the
corpulent, only increases the difficulty.
only direct and effective

corpulence
chapters,
abdomen.
is,
way
The
of fighting this
as I have said in the preceding
by getting muscular control of the

Cast aside the corset and practice
the contraction and expansion of the muscles
while holding the breath, and follow
all
of those
exercises that keep active the muscles of the

pelvic
to
and abdominal region.
Do
not be afraid
bend the body.

There
is
no
beneficial exercise that
women
108
so seldom indulge themselves in as high reaching.
The modern
shirt
waists
women
one-piece dresses and
permit reaching upward,
can
indulge
cular freedom
in
the
luxury
women
so that
of
mus-
Reaching may
in this direction.
be wrenching, and
roomy
should not, in act-
ing upon this suggestion, rashly strain themselves in
High reaching with both
any way.
hands, upward and forward,
is
very beneficial
both slender and fleshy people.
for
ercise
This ex-
actually combined with the breathing
is
exercises given in the chapter on breathing.

It
should be frequently tried and will be found
very strengthening.
Women
to
throw a
selves
are often ridiculed in their efforts
They have defended them-
ball.
by arguing
shorter than man's.
women
are
by
want of
their
that
their
collar
The statement
more hampered
in all
is
bone
true,
such
is
but
efforts
familiarity with their shoulder
muscles than by any brevity of the claviclePractice thoroughly the
exercises tending to
develop the shoulders and to increase the extension of the arms
not
for the
sake of being
able to throw a ball, but for the sake of the
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.
IO9
comfort and strength derived from increased

versatility in the shoulder.
An
allusion has already
been made to the
Wo-
vicious tendency of badly fitting shoes.
men
are unquestionably nearer an abandon-
ment of the
They
corset than of the tight shoe.
admit that the Venus de Milo has a large
But
waist.
artists
who
are generous in the
wean from the
waist-line are slow to
curious
tradition that the smallness of a foot is a
women
mark
Probably ninety-five per cent, of
of beauty.
of all classes are suffering from small
Small shoes discour-
or badly designed shoes.
age walking and standing, and those
who stand
and walk
little
riage.
shoes are big enough the height of
If
can never have a graceful car-
the heel will be a less serious

It is
that
unfortunate for
skimpy
skirts
walk very badly.

as plainly as
it
affair.
many women and
reveal
the
" Small shoes"
that
is
they
written
could be written in the gait of
The
the average
woman.
tight shoes
on the circulation
When we
fact
girls
direct influence of
is
very great.
consider the indirect influence, in-
duced by the retarded exercise,
it
is
hard to
THE CHECKLEY
110
SYSTEM..
perverse vitality of this wretched
credit the
superstition.
Women
snould walk more.
They should
not take a cab or a street car to travel half a
dozen or a dozen
shopping
is
endurance
often a surprise to men.
an
is
terested for the
appear as
wreck
little
illusion.
Men
But the
intensely in-
same length of time would
fatigued.
their nervous
The fact is
that women
system at " bargain coun-
They should be
ters."
Their endurance in
streets.
able to bear the physical
strain of standing, but their general strength is
so poorly developed that they are actually unfit
do the
to
feats
they
call
on
their nervous
vitality to perform.
seems particularly necessary to ask wo-
It
men
in
walking to turn the toes
toed proclivity
among women
is
out.
The
in-
very curious,
and has increased the tendency to an inward

turn of the knees.
The
value of an outward
turn of the toes lies not merely in
any theory
of force, nor in the increased strengthening of

the legs, but in the influence on the pelvis.
An
in-toed habit encourages a contraction of the
forward pelvic region

abilty
an effect whose undesir-
need not be pointed
out.
TRAINING FOR WOMEN.
Women
should, in
fact,
Ill
cultivate all the
exercises that might give suppleness to their

bodies.
There can be no grace without sup-
That complete flexibility in all the

muscles of the body which the exercises enu-
pleness.
merated have
been
calculated to
secure
is
absolutely necessary to the charm of carriage
which distinguishes one
Unused muscles,
woman above
another.
resulting fromi an absurd idea
of the essential restrictions of a woman's position, are
are
worse than no muscles, because they

under
irritated
movement begun by
and
tension
retard the
the muscles that are
fit
to use.
I
believe
am
the holder of
cal views about the physical
in
not to
say of the
possibilities of
tain conditions, that led
me
to doubt very
whether the long accepted physical

of
radi-
women. I have seen

China, I have seen in Germany, I have seen
England types of women, reared under cer-
mental
in
somewhat
woman
that there
is
is
indeed a
fact.
it
is
admitted
no essential boundary to woman's
intellectual possibilities, if she
to have an
If
much
inferiority
is
no longer held
uneven chance with the other sex
THE CKECKLEY SYSTEM.
112
mind,
in matters of the
true that she has
with
man
in the
think
it
is
probably
an absolutely even chance
development of the body.
would ask those women who have, perhaps,

rested too greatly on the tradition of necessary
" weakness, " to take tms suggestion into con-
sideration
A WORD ABOUT CHILDREN.
113
IX.
^HEN
I I
**^
an adult
undertakes
to
train
himself, begins to gain control of his
muscular system and to " get strong," a large

part of his labor
is
expended
evil of his previously
in
undoing the
He
acquired habits.
has
to unbuild before he can build.
The muscular system has here many

semblances to the brain.
have actually a
memory
of the brain.
Muscular
logical fact,
Indeed, the muscles

distinct
from functions
memory
is
a physio-
and a very interesting and
signifi-
same manner that first

impressions affect the brain most permanently,
first habits in the muscular system cling most
tenaciously to them.
Habits of walking and
cant
fact.
Thus
re-
in the
carriage formed in childhood are very difficult
114
to shake
In
off.
fact,
they are
ble to get rid of entirely save
all Iiut
by
impossi-
serious
men-
tal effort.
Nothing
is
more important,
therefore, than
should be taught the
that children
general
It is
a mere
makeshift to bring forward calisthenics.
Noth-
principles of right development.
ing could be
ing and
at the
more
same time more amus-
pathetic
than
to
stand in
crowded class-room and watch the so-called

exercises
perfunctorily performed by
pupils during a few minutes of each day.
the
But
a small minority of the children give any vigor
meaning
movements
of the arms. Most of the boys, and almost all
of the girls, are found making merely superficial
movements, with no sense of the meaning and
or
to the few insignificant
no feeling of exhilaration.
If
anything has
ever been said to the children about breathing,

the chances are that no tangible impression of
the
matter
has
been portrayed.
If
any-
thing has been said about the carriage of the
body, the instructions have been confined to
an injunction to "keep back the shoulders."

In a nervous
effort to
keep back the shoulders
I15
children are often found with hollowed backs
and shoulder blades driven
What
is
in against the spine.
wanted, of course,
is
not backward
although this has
carriage of the shoulders,
some utility, but a forward carriage of the chest.

The shoulder should not be drawn back of the
hip joint
There
line.
is
no force
excessively drawn backward.
enough back
in
If
all
wont
are
in standing,
the shoulders soon
in
a position
up whatever time
protrude the
to
and when school begins
come
forward.
child to assume the correct
may
Teach a
position, giving
be necessary to teach
the proper line of chest and

will
far
necessary strength.
Most children
abdomen
they are
to give the fullest freedom to the
development of the chest, they are

to acquire
shoulders
shoulders.
It
soon forget about the correct position, but,
when reminded by a touch

learn to
assume
and the habit
it, if
only
or word, will soon
for
will gradually
the child should
know how
a few moments,
be formed.
That
to stand correctly,
and should assume the position at intervals,

will of itself
have a good influence.
Naturally, breathing
is
the most important
Il6
Most children need
of all features of training.
very
little
studied exercise, but they all need
and continued instruction
specific
Nature has not provided
in breathing.
for a natural
develop-
ment of the mind, and we have no
right to
assume that the body of

ticularly
under an
its
artificial
own
accord, par-
condition of
acquires right habits of performing all
its
life,
func-
Induce the children to take long breaths.
tions.
Make them
take a pride in swelling the upper
chest and in drawing the
while holding the breath.
abdomen in and out

Induce them to take
deep breaths while dressing
in the
morning and
again before going to bed, if not oftener.
These
by their own movement if once

Lungs
fully inflated at regular
fairly
intervals will seem to call for inflation during
these intervals, and involuntary deep breaths
habits develop
begun.
will,
as
have
said,
gradually increase
in
frequency to the immense improvement of the

child's
lung power and general health.
sternurn> or breast bone,
is,
in a child, not
divided into eight pieces, but

is
soft,
and very
little
its
The
only
whole material
training will give a fine,
swelling chest to a youngster that might other-

wise grow up
Watch the
stiffly
child in sitting.
It
that region.
in
need not be kept
know
Children should
seated upright.
their position
for
and weak
flat
117
and should be able
to
a few moments on occasion.
assume
it
But they
should be allowed the greatest possible free-
dom
of posture and movement.
over a table in
If
they bend
teach them to bend from
sitting,
the hips and not from the middle of the back.
In the end this proper position will give them
much less fatigue. Do not restrict their variety

of movement under false theories of propriety.
The superstition about women's relative
weakness begins to show
of
Girls
children.
are
itself in
the training
frequently
guarded
against exercise that they need as greatly as

boys, and at every critical period of their
thereafter they
pay
suffering for the mis-
in
guided consideration of those

training in hand.
demeanor of
tience.
who had
Girls brought
their
"
so-called " lady-like
The
girls is a thing to excite
physical propriety
life
up
in
impa-
strait-jackets of
can never have the grace
physical freedom will hurt
nobody's " manners"
of deportment, the variety of poise, the readiness
Il8
in
emergency that
belong to
will
girls of liberal
physical training.
As
have
said,
children need very
little
studied exercise aside from the breathing, and
nothing
artificial
is
substitute
for
outdoor
Nothing makes better lungs than run-
sport.
ning and climbing.
and easy running
is
The opening
cises.
Excessive running
as a,ny other excess.
injurious
will
help
one of the
finest of exer-
of school yards for games
But country children are
under the ban of either
false ideas of
or of restricting surroundings.
If
it
less
decorum
City children,
not find fences to get over, do
climbing.
as
improve the health of the pres-
to
ent generation.
who do
is
But frequent
little
were possible to give children
and arm climbing as well as leg

climbingthey would be tremendously benefited
climbing
in the
lung region and in their entire physique.
Children are particularly in need of diverse

exercise.
acquire
line
of exercise to
useful
the
They should not be allowed to

hobbies, that keep them in one
movements.
body
is
the
The
exclusion
of other
natural tendency of
to distribute strength, but habits

and surroundings are
continually interfering
with this symmetrical growth.
made
to
II9
If children are
do moderate exercise at spading or
shoveling or sweeping, the effect upon their
back
will
be a reward
for the efforts
both trainer and trained.

ranks above
Useful exercise thus
because
all others,
made by
it
means some-
thing and has a double influence.

It
seems scarcely necessary to speak of the
importance of proper clothing.
Children that
are so well dressed during play hours that they
are constantly occupied in an effort not to bring
home any marks
of dirt are in a pitiable plight
Children should have play suits as
indeed.
well as school suits and should be forced to
change from one to the other

hour.
at the proper
Neither girls nor boys should be com-
pelled to think of clothes at all during play

hours.
Imagine boys often or twelve avoiding
kneeling positions to prevent
bagging
at the
knees
As
putting corsets on growing
new
trousers from
for the iniquity of
girls,
that crime has
been too often condemned to require comment

here.
In his new work on " Hygiene
for Child-
120
hood," Dr. Francis H. Rankin says: "Housing

children during the winter months, as a pre-
them taking cold, is a verygreat mistake. Very few colds are contracted
in the open air if the feet, limbs and body are
sufficiently protected, and if the children are
caution against
permitted to follow out their
own
of running, skipping and having

the arms,
and are
inclinations
free
motion of
not exposed for too long
time to the cold.
When, however, they
compelled to walk
like
ladies/ even
'
little
when bundled
soon becomes
chilled
if
in
lows.
are
gentlemen and
the
furs,
the weather
body
very
is
and some disturbance of the system
cold,
fol-
Children should be accustomed to daily
exercise in the open air in all weathers, unless,
of course, it
is
very stormy or the cold
and even when
is
deprived of the tonic effects of outdoor

of strengthening the muscles
The
first effect
tonic, as
walk on a
by
air,
and
exercise in
of cold air on the system
may be seen by
cheeks and a
severe,
delicate they should not be
is
day
the bright color in the
feeling of exhilaration after
crisp
it.
in
autumn.
Prolonged
exposure to cold, on the other hand,
is
very

depressing
delicate children, therefore, should
not remain too long out of doors

is
if
severe, or
121
if it is
very windy
if
the weather
for
high winds,
cool, rapidly abstract the animal heat,

If a
are also depressing.

cold,
it
child
is
and
chilled or
should instantly be brought into the
house to be warmed and sent out again
taking
the fresh air and outdoor exercise in install
ments, as
it
were, instead of
all at
ing from a cold."

at
first
The
seem almost
last
indiscretions are
when
cry-
admonition might
superfluous, but
not as entirely so as at
Never
once.
permit a child to remain out of doors
first
is
doubtless
Many
appears
committed on the theory of
" hardening" children.
Those who have the care of children should

endeavor to simply guide rather than
their
exercise.
They
jumping sooner or
until
are
later,
certain
and
will
restrict
to
begin
certainly,
they have learned by experience, jump
from points higher than they should.
To
avoid
the chance of serious injury to the system teach

little
children to bend the knees and lean for-
ward when jumping, that they may not

ously jar the spine.
This
may
seri-
rank as precau-
122
tionary training.
dren
is
The
their natural
gamboling.
has not half the value.

all their
glow
Studied sport
Tumbling about brings
muscles into play, produces a general
in their bodies
It
best exercise for chil-
and wearies them evenly.
should not be necessary at this day to
emphasize the value of sleep to children,

child that
is
kept up an hour too
cited during that hour, will
late,
and ex-
need a good deal of
training to overcome the bad influence of the

indiscretion.
ly, eat
In
fact, if
children sleep proper-
properly and breathe properly the rest of
their training
is
scarcely worth talking
of.
SOME HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.
123

I
F, as
is
we
are so often assured, one man's food
another man's poison,
it is
undoubtedly-
true that a prescription of exercise for
woman may be less or more

man or woman may require. It
or
down
possible to set
to all people alike.
rules that
one
man
than another
is
utterly im-
might be applied
We may count with
a good
deal of certainty upon particular characteristics

in the
human form and
cise
is
a medicine of such universal application
that
we may count
sults
from
when and
its
for
organization, and exer-
definitely
adoption.
how long
upon certain
But we cannot say
the reader of these lines
shall follow the specific exercises.
person, particularly
life,
will
if
probably find
re-
The average
he or she leads a busy

it
an advantage to spend
at least fifteen minutes over particular exercises
124
in the
morning before
fully dressing,
and
fifteen
minutes again in the evening before retiring,

with another period of special exercise in the
afternoon
possible,
if
and not too close to the
Of course
evening meal hour.
light exercise
is
no detriment immediately before a meal, but
if
the exhilaration of practice should tempt rather
vigorous movements prolonged for some time,

the fatigue might not improve the appetite and
would scarcely be
beneficial in other respects,
The
movements outlined
entire series of
preceding chapters,
fifteen or
much
each
if
is
repeated ten,
twenty times, does not occupy very
time,
and
will leave the
whole body
pleasant glow, with no located fatigue.

constitutional difference
and another
to
in the
The
between one person
will render exercises
one than another.
in a
much
Consequently
it
easier
would
be unwise to direct that any exercise should be
more frequently than is rendered

by the muscular condition of the parts
practiced any
feasible
called into play.
hope I have made
it
plain that the carriage
and management of the body, between the

periods of specific exercise,
is
of
125
more impor-
tance than the exercises themselves, and above

that proper breathing
all
is
the very corner-
Our habits do more

well as our minds than
stone of physical strength.

to form our bodies as
the conscious efforts at improvement.

if
we can
So that
get in the habit of taking long breaths,
and then gradually increase the length of our

respiratory
movement, and the volume of
air
we shall obviously do
we arranged to merely exercise
thus taken in at a breath,
more than
if
the lungs at stated times.
Stated exercises,
however, have
they give special
movement
ly
this value, that
and organs not common-
to muscles
Exercises, in
brought into play.
other
who
words, would be unnecessary to a person

lived a
life
of such physical activity that
all
the
muscles and organs were certain to be called
upon
in the course of a day.
actually
fulfill
this condition.
fessional acrobats
ing
it.
Very few people

There are pro-
who come very
The postman
is
close to do-
a pretty well exercised
arms are lightly
trained.
man, though his
Many mechanics have excellent exercises for
the arms,
legs
and
backs, but
nothing to
126
sult
is
and
the lungs
strengthen
re-
that they often yield to consumption in
middle
life
while bearing
lar strength.
ciencies as
many
signs of muscu-
who wishes
determine his own defi-
It is for
to train himself to
every person
growing out of constitutional defects
or previous and present habits of
ascertained these deficiencies,

set about building
down
health
often threatened
is
defective
system.
everybody has
It
his
life.
it is
his
Having
duty to
up what remains unbuilt or
tearing
in the
The
chest.
is
elements.
General
by one imperfection
customary to say that
weak
spot.
The
difficulty is
more than one. But it

does not follow that these weak spots might
not be banished by special effort.
that most people have
Why," I have heard it asked, " do doctors

give so much medicine for complaints that
might be remedied by natural means ? Why
do they not tell the patient how to cure him
self, or, better still, to keep himself well ?" The
"
reason
is,
I believe,
of perpetual
that
most physicians weary
admonition.
Their suggestions
are not received until danger appears in actual
A person who
illness.
When
the doctor's criticism.

the doctor's
prescription
he
well smiles at
is
on
his
back
The mystery of a
has some charm in it. Above all,
word
law.
is
doctors do not give
patients
directions
their
and hopeless majority of cases the patient
They
never take the trouble.

for
for
own salvation without medibecause they know that in an immense
working out
cine,
is fairly
127
week and abandon
their
will
follow directions
good
resolutions.
The doctor's practical an-' directly applicable

remedy does not appeal to the imagination.
There
is
no Latin
in
it.
The newspapers have

some
talk the purport of
recently contained
which was that some
prominent elderly statesmen, bankers and business
men
kept marvekmsly good health without tak-
ing any
Some
good
more
exercise
than they could help.
of these individuals
health, but they
may have
kept very
have not done so because
they have taken no exercise.
They have kept
well in spite of the fact, and observers should
keep this in mind.

assertion,
most
of
But,
these
notwithstanding the
mentioned are very
128
active
Their activity
men.
may
not take the
form of hard riding or walking, but they are

nevertheless
The
active.
physiologists
a cat keeps slender
that the reason
her general outward inactivity

cular system
she does not

is
is,
in
violent
almost constantly on the
With
much
others
same
the
musIf
movements, she
alert.
The nervous
the quiet activity produces
effect as
actual explanation of
parent activity
fect
us
some people wastes without building
activity of
up.
that her
constantly active.
fact,
make many
is,
tell
in spite of
is
outward
good
health!
activity.
with
little
The
ap-
probably a union of highly per-
organs and a fortunate habit of carrying and
using the body, together with instinctively correct breathing.
and a very few

jority
like
This habit, natural to some-<-
must
be acquired by the ma-
any other element of education.
Peculiar natural gifts should not mislead the
majority into carelessness.
From
the theory advanced
it
will
be clear
that the general hints which I have scattered
through these chapters are quite as important

to the perfection of training under this system
I29
as the specific instructions which I have given

in
it
connection with the exercise.
must be
said that there
taking pains.
is
In
all
candor
no substitute
for
Bad habits are generally stronger
than good habits, and control of the muscular
system of the body will

lively struggle with
The will, which

trol
in
long
many
cases
mean a
established habits.
possesses so marvelous a con-
over the muscles, must be brought to bear
upon
injurious habits of walking, of standing,
of sitting and of breathing.
who would be
It
must render those
strong and well persistent in
their treatment of the difficulty.
the body, in the face

lassitude, to
It
must force
of hurry-scurry or of
yield itself to necessary special
exercises.
Head-tired people and muscle-tired people

are in
for
two
one
is
different classes.
What
is
recreation
not recreation for the other.
It is
notorious that head-tired people are likely to
shrink from the very exercise that they should

seek.
avoid
Head-weariness produces a tendency to

all initiatory
movements.
At
the
time the shrinking of the head-tired person
same
is,
to
I30 *\
a certain extent, prompted by a necessary cau-
The
by a person who
has been exercising the brain without the body
should be exercise that animates the body
tion.
exercise taken up
without taxing the brain.
should be exer-
It
cise of a kind requiring little fatiguing thought,
though the changed attention has
value in
Exercise taken by a person
relieving the brain.
who
its
has been undergoing no serious tax on the
brain system might profitably keep up a lively
union between the intelligence and the musStimulus will help a worried mind, but
cles.
when
mind has performed a great deal of

labor excitement of any kind is not a
the
detailed
good
Sleep
thing.
It is to
is
much
better.
be noped that no new system of
training will ever send walking out of fashion.
Walking
is
especially
in
every respect a beautiful exercise,
when
the walker walks as he should,
breathing slowly through the nose.

as I have said,
is
an exercise of the highest
value to the lungs.

streets
look
Running,
When
run for a few
on a city thoroughfare, the populace
after
me
as
if I
were a "
freak/' or as if

were making
To
to me.
131
with something not belonging
off
excite notice
not encouraging to
the
and even suspicion

average
is
enthusiast.
People living in a city are constantly under surveillance.
They
are not completely at liberty.
Mind and body are under the restrictions imBut men, yes, and woposed by the crowd.
men, should run.
Occasionally they do run
and
in great excitement,
no proper way, to
in
catch a street car or a ferry boat, and reach

their seat breathless, heated
This
is
and uncomfortable.
not profitable running.
If people kept
themselves in trim for light running
be no such disaster to hurry

People
who complain
it
would
for the car.
at a
little
climbing
should be reminded that the exercise, in any

kind of moderation,
is
highly beneficial.
ing could be better for the lungs.
Noth-
A recollec-
make labor lighter

mind.
The flight of
tion of this fact will actually

for those
who keep
it
in
steps leading to an elevated railroad station
should afford only reasonable exercise to a

person.
Stair-climbing
exercise than at
first
is,
indeed, a livelier
appears, and the fatigue
it
132
brings upon people with
lungs
is
not surprising.
mounting an ordinary
weak legs and feeble

The weight carried in
flight of steps is
a very considerable exertion of
who
lifting.
equal to
People
are not strong should thus not climb stairs
make
too rashly, while they might
it
an admir-
means of building up their strength. In

such movements take the exercise without
able
all
sudden or taxing motions. Step firmly and carry

the chest free so that long,
buoy the body
full
in its journey.
breathing
may
Attention to the
suggestions of this book will take a good
many
of the terrors out of stair climbing.
The
far as to
joints.
and
shoulders should not be held back so
be brought out of
To
carry them
line with the hip
as far back as possible,
at high tension, does not
improve the force
or beauty of the figure, though certain actors
and military men seek to make themselves

imposing in
this
prominence on
ders,
The chest must be given
way.
its
when held
own
far
account, and the shoul-
enough back
to give the
chest free development, find a natural and comfortable centre.
Any
few
tailor will confess that
if
1 33
any of his
customers have shoulders that are held precisely alike.
The dressmaker
tells
the
same
story.
Almost everybody has a low shoulder. This

is the result of habits more or less complicated.
Many
people acquire a habit of contracting
certain muscles
is
held
head
is
when
walking.
than the other, the
slightly higher
carried a
to one
little
foot has slightly the
One shoulder
side,
and one
advantage of the other
Sometimes
the labor of walking.
in
this trait is
carried to grotesque extremes until a positive
and palpable deformity
is
the outgrowth.
In
nervous people these habits are particularly

frequent,
ting,
and are observed
and walking.
in standing
and
sit-
In the growth of the body

y
in the
are
waste and renewal of
exaggerated
tissue,
such habits
by a steady development.
Often they are the result of seemingly
trifling
habits like leaning to one side while sitting, or
carrying a valise, or a book, or anything of the
kind always in one hand.
To
tendencies
habit of alternating
cultivate
the use of the hands
the
counteract these
and arms.
Watch
tendencies toward right or left-sided
for
move-
134
ments
position,
which
Endeavor
to adopt a
changed
will give a relief to the
wearied
in sitting.
To
muscles of the desk-worker.
want of uniformity
plan
in the shoulders
Several times a day
lift
as high as possible, holding
correct a
adopt
this
the low shoulder

there, for a few
it
A regular practice of this movement
moments.
will slowly increase the height of the shoulder,
and
to
in a
come
few weeks the shoulders will be found

into
harmony.
shoulder
may be
too high as well as too low, though this

often the case,
and the exercise
is
less
such a con-
in
dition should be to
draw down the high shoul-
der while the other
is
elevated, giving particu-
lar attention to the shoulder that
correction.
der
is
The
probably a continued contraction of the

Relaxation
muscles under a nervous habit.

then
most needs
trouble with the high shoul-
all
that need be sought.
Endeavor
is
(as I
have previously urged,) to develop firm and

self-reliant shoulders.
There are many mus-
cles in the upper back, shoulders
and chest of
which you have never discovered

ownership.
your

The simple
How
boon.
stretching of the
delightful to
and arch the back
the limbs
all
long confinement
are very serviceable in
preserving suppleness.
ercises already suggested
ward reach
body is a great
extend
after
movements
Stretching
135
upon ex-
variation
might be a purely up-
at a wall, first with one
hand and
then the other, and then with both, avoiding,

of course, harsh straining in the
first efforts.
Of course the best kind of exercise is the

exercise the body receives in performing some
useful service.
If a
person feels that he
some good out a

has more enjoyment
ting
considered
it
certain kind of
in that
is
get-
work he
work than
if
he
either harmful labor or labor that
was merely obligatory.
It
is
notorious that
men
will enter with
that
makes a considerable demand upon their

when a hod of coal hurts their back,
enjoyment on active sport
strength,
and a
little
spading in the garden
with aches for a week.

too,
the
As
fills
a matter of
them
fact,
work done without interest actually strains

body more than work enthusiastically per-
formed.
It
might, therefore, be
commended
136
that people cultivate the habit of themselves
performing
physical tasks such as might
little
ordinarily be relegated to servants or hired
A woman who sweeps
assistants of other kinds.
and
dusts,
lifts
and moves a
able caution, and
little
with reason-
makes a couple of beds of a
morning, has taken exercise
in
a practical and
A man who does not hesitate

move a few office chairs with his own hands,
who carries a few heavy ledgers, or lends a
valuable way.
to
hand (without rashly overtaxing

in
his strength)
moving a piece of merchandise, has done
better than coddle himself all day,
ward seek
artistic
words, exercise by
ment the
and
measures of repair.
need
rule
natural exercise,
after-
In other
only supple-
which would
be
everybody could manage to get
better
if
When
once the body
is
when
alive,
it.
the
all
muscles are healthy and control of the entire
system
is
complete, a very
be continuous,
is
little
if it
keep a person
sufficient to
healthy and strong.
exercise,
am no
believer in the
theory of extensive destruction in tissues to

secure health.
This method seems to
threaten the wearing out of the
me
body before
to
it

should wear out.
As
abnormal.
It is
3?
has been
suggested, the lower animals keep their strength

for the
most part with
light exercise,
of the very strongest with extremely
in
ani-
hard muscles, and hard muscles are
The body should remain
bad.
and
is
little
The tendency of hard
mation of moment.
exercise
and some
most parts
tion of energy,
soft.
and not
firm,
It is in
but pliant
the conserva-
in prodigal dissipation
of energy, that the greatest strength and en-
durance of the body will always
Whenever
tics
am asked what
lie.
sort of
should be taken up by those
gymnas-
who wish
to
carry exercise beyond the lighter or rudiment-
ary forms outlined in
my
system of training
have always recommended tumbling, which

after all, nearest to the natural
gamboling of
children and of animals, in what

called the "state of nature."
may seem
is,
The
is
vaguely
suggestion
rather startling to many.
back
somersault appears like a very formidable feat

to
it
many
quiet people.
But
it is
not so hard as
looks, and there are scores of beneficial feats
of the body that
may
be followed with no ap-
138
pliances and with great benefit to the general

health.
The more vigorous gymnastics should be

carried
may
on under an instructor who
The
the training symmetrical.

cises outlined in this
book
will
render
series of exer-
produce a very
general development of the system, but there are
may rash-
exercises upon which the uninstructed
ly enter without stopping to consider the chances
of uneven development.
It is
a well-known
principle that gymnastics produce as well as
cure deformities.
The deforming
carried to excess
fencing
influence of
must be
offset
by
special training calculated to give the left side
Left hand
a harmonious relation to the right.

fencing, well proportioned to the
fencing done with the right hand,

of
all
cures for the
mis-balanced
produced by ordinary practice.

not turned into " slugging,"
It gives
body.
Yet even boxing,
always
is
of
the best
condition
Boxing,
if it is
a fine exercise.
balance and suppleness to the whole
always used
is
amount
is
for guarding,
lifted in
if
the same hand
and the
left
is
shoulder
the protection of the head, will
I39
produce one-sidedness to a certain degree unless
by other
off-set
boxing
an
is
To
exercise.
a certain extent
arm
arm in
off-set to fencing, the left
being here kept high, where the right
high in fencing.
To
a certain extent the
shoulder development in boxing
is
an
left
off-set to
the prominence of the right shoulder in many-
other
exercises
necessary and
artificial.
In
rowing the shoulders receive even develop-
Few
ment.
exercises are carried to greater
excess than rowing.
and
is
The work
is
very heavy,
frequently carried to dangerous length.
Rowing properly done, and accompanied by

proper training in other respects, has a great
capacity for shoulder and chest development,
but
it is
tion,
an exercise that demands great discre-
and
is
at best liable, in itself, to give
uneven development.
most violent of
Wrestling, probably the
all exercises, is
most people, unless they are

and
in
a competition that
A writer
makes an
Mais of endurance.
endurance
is
an
is
injudicious for
good condition,
in
fairly even.
interesting reference to
He
characterized
says
" Exercise of
by the necessity
for
140
perfect equilibrium
muscular
effort
the system.
as the
between
the
intensity of
and the power of resistance
Now
there
is
of
nothing so variable
power of resistance of each
individual.
man an
exercise of
So that which
is
for
one
strength, or of speed,
becomes
for another,
stronger or better trained, a simple exercise of
endurance.
for
A canter
is
an exercise of speed
a cart horse, used only to walk
it is
an
exercise of endurance for a thoroughbred, which
can sustain
this
pace
all
day without stopping.
Rowing seems an exercise of strength to a man

who is learning after a quarter of an hour he
;
is
out of breath.
ercise
For a waterman
is
it
an ex-
which he can, perhaps, keep up a whole
day without any
fatigue."
u Staying power "

directly regulated
is
directly related, yes,
by the strength of the
There can be no endurance
in a
weak-lunged
person, and strong lungs are thus the
pre-eminent requisite in one
lungs.
who
first
and
wishes to
keep strong and be ready to enter to undertakings of any kind that tax the physical
system.
may seem
to reiterate a
good deal
SOME PINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.
141
lung development as a prime
this necessity for
but the necessity seems to exist, for few
factor,
modern systems of training are giving anything

necessary attention
the
like
They
training.
direct lung
talk about big chests but little
Men
about big lungs.

often
to
with fine looking chests
have treacherous lungs, a condition re-
sulting from a cultivation of superficial strength.
The chest must be enlarged by the expansion

of the lungs, and not by muscular distension.
chest made full by muscular action is a chest
traveling on false pretenses.

fine
It
seems to mean
lungs underneath but two often does not.
There
is
a point to be noted in connection
with the kind of exercise suitable for persons

of different
Young
constitution
and
different
age.
people of ordinary health, and no trou-
ble with the heart, will enjoy and will profit
by quick exercise
people,
exercises of speed.
or people
breathlessness,
suffering
should
But old
from debility or
cultivate
that
which
slowly arouses their system and does not tax

their systems.
Running
possibly accomplish
it,
is
who can
long walk is much
good
but a
for all
THE CHECRLEY SYSTEM.
I42
by
better for a person debilitated
and
or excesses,
age, illness
by such
exercises taken
all
persons should be slow and firm rather than

lively.
fact,
Exercise for such persons should, in
be persistent rather than vigorous.
One year
good exercise will do more for a

woman's beauty than all the lotions and pomof
ades that were ever invented.
Interesting as
man by proper
change in a woman is
are the changes produced in a
physical training, the
more
to
striking
and
significant.
Exercise seems
have a particularly immediate
woman's complexion.
marvelous changes
have
in
mind one
on a
have witnessed simply

the complexion, form
in
and disposition of women under

I
effect
light training.
well-built girl
who
carried
herself poorly, breathed badly and had an un-
She joined a gymna-
satisfactory complexion.
sium, taking the lighter exercises, and began
walking a good deal.
In a few months a re-
markable change had been produced.
The
unanimated pose had disappeared, the breathing was better (though

be,
still
not what
it
should
no special training having been directed to

to the lungs),
and the complexion was so clear
that one could scarcely credit
Under
143
my own
training I have
interesting changes as
change.
the
watched most
a result of breathing
exercises alone, and the extent to which locally

directed exercises have improved forms that
were considered hopeless would not be believed

save by observation.
People
following this and that
about
air
from creduility
suffer a great deal
and
random
exercise without
prescription
stopping to
In
study out the natural bearings of the case.
same manner
just the
up violent
as they take
and unnatural exercises
in
in order to
accomplish
what much milder forms might give them, they

take sudden and radical means of improving
their diet
and getting fresh
air.
Probably the
feeling with regard to hard exercise

will get
them strong
in a
hurry
is
that
it
a chance that
precisely suits the
American plan of existence.
The suddenly
American
rich
bought a whole hotel

place for
in the west,
just to get a sleeping
one night, was the kind of
might plank down a
who
roll
man who
of bills and say to
144
trainer, "
some
made a
by to-morrow noon !" The
See here,
full-fledged athlete
want
to be
In the same
thing can't be done, of course.
who have been
way
people,
lives
with their bedroom window tightly closed,
sleeping
all their
hear of some remarkably healthy person
who
invariably opens the whole upper part of his
window
at night.
we must have
They hear
it
explained that
absolutely pure air at night.
So and so almost sticks his head out of the

window when he sleeps and wakes up with
icicles in his beard.
down
their
get this
Presto
the hearers pull
windows half way, determined

remarkable
exhilaration
They have not been breathing

but
it
and so
in
such
is
result, of course,
head
if
is
once.
ice cold outer
must be a good
air all day,
at
to
thing, for so
remarkable vigor!
The
a very bad cold in the
not something worse.
to tolerate such surprises.
Nature refuses
Again, the rough
and tumble of a Russian bath to a person not

in condition for the ordeal,
season of neuralgia.
may mean
a whole
person with delicate
ears should never take the cold plunge after
steam without using cotton to prevent shock to
145
As
the delicate system of those organs.

dieting, that
here.
It
is
for
too long a story to take up
seems very easy to persuade people
that every thing they eat
poison to their
is
particular stomach,
and the credulous
many a hungry pang
in following out
suffer
a scheme
suggested by the last friend they spoke to on

the subject.
Everything but exercise
in the effort to cure
is
are periodical efforts on the part of the
tried
There
a sluggish stomach.
human
family to "get back to nature," as they call it
Getting back to nature seems to

to extremes.
and
living
have no
The
hermit
tries
mean going
going barefoot
on apples and barley.
Animals
men
frequently
artificial
covering, and
make spasmodic efforts to get rid of clothes.

They get the influenza, but hold fast to the
The vegetarians, and water-curists,
theory.
and all the other theorists many of them with
excellently founded
to nature
Few
ideas too often
by quarreling with
their
get back
own
state.
people try getting back to our nature in-
some abstract kind of animal nature.

are what we are, and every system of train-
stead of
We
ing must begin with us as
we
are before
it
can
146
make
us anything
My own plan
better.
attempts, at least, to build up the
tem on the
basis of
what
it
human
already
is,
sys-
and, by
making the best of what the system already
is,
instead of ignoring
up
limitations, to build
its
something more enduring.
nobody need conI was born a

Nobody thought I was really worth
cheerful fact
is,
that
sider himself unfit for training.
weakling.
rearing.
To-day
can
weighing one hundred and

trot with
them
for a
fifty
pounds, and
hundred yards.
born a weakling
not been
three men, each
lift
my
If I
had
family would
make me, and

trouble to make
never have taken the trouble to

I
would never have taken the
what
myself, physically
am.
If
Demosthenes
had not been a stammerer he might never have
made himself the
greatest orator of Greece.
you are weak to-day

fact give
let
you the mental strength
yourself physically sound and strong.

are
what you
are,
tion to say that
wish to be.
it
is
If
your resentment of the

to
make
If
you
scarcely an exaggera-
you can become what you

The repugnance
to
exercise arising from
mental fatigue, or long inaction,

that must be carefully fought.
for physical fatigue is
mistaken
is
something
What
difficult
arise
in
from
often
is
nothing of the
kind, but rather an opposite effect, the

It will frequently
pain of inactivity.
I47
numb
be found
a person of confining pursuits to
this state
ple bodily exercise.
and enter upon even simBut the inclination
to sink
stubbornly fought
The weariness is of the head and only
of the body by reflex action. Once aroused
from this condition a person who starts his
into
lassitude
must be
against.
blood at a quicker pace feels greatly stimulated.
The body becomes alive again, and

functions of the body and mind give a
enjoyment.
all
the
sense of
No magic ever worked more agree-
able results than the quickened action of the
The body becomes warmer, and with increased warmth comes increased strength, courage and perception. The machinery of the brain
blood.
turns out
quick
more ideas
pulse than
to the minute under a
under a slow one.
This
relationship of a quickened circulation to the
powers of the brain
is,
perhaps, frequently over-
148
Writers can always take advantage
looked.
of blood influence by introducing exercise
when
the brain force
longed mental
grows weak.
effort recesses filled
In pro-
with good
general exercise, that starts the entire blood
system, will always be a

alleviating the tension
method
better
of
and tiding over the dan-
gerous places than the use of any kind of liquid

stimulant.
When
giving heat and
stimulants aid they aid
artificial activity
by
to the circula-
Exercise will supply heat in the safest
tion.
manner and leave no drafts to make good on

the bank account of strength. Stimulants are
borrowed
Some
clothing
writer,
here
heat.
Exercise
is
earned heat
pertinent remarks on ventilation and
by
that
and wholesome
sagacious
Dr. Felix L. Oswald,
may
be quoted
"As houses have been called exterior
garments, a
heavy
suit of
called a portable house
clothes
protective barrier
between the skin and the cold
air
weather the most effectual device
but in
October
man
warm
for diminish-
ing the benefit of out-door exercise.
May and
might be
Between
has to wear clothes

enough
ling
him
light
these
is
to
:
keep the
and gnats from troub-
a pair of linen trousers, a
neckerchief
is
flies
149
whatsoever
is
shirt
and a
more than
The best head-dress for summer
of evil.
our natural hair
the next best
straw hat, with a perforated crown.
is
a light
Hats and
caps, as protection from the vicissitudes of the
atmosphere, are a comparatively recent inven-
Romans, Normans
and Visigoths wore helmets in war, but went
uncovered in time of peace in the coldest and
most stormy seasons the Gauls and Egyptians
tion.
The
Syrians, Greeks,
always went bare-headed, even
and
in battle,
a hundred years after the conquest of Egypt by
Cambyses
still
(b. C.
525), the
sands of Pelusium
covered the well-preserved skulls of the
native warriors, while those
of the turbaned
The
Persians had crumbled to the jaw-bones.
Emperor Hadrian traveled bareheaded from

icy Alps to the borders of Mesopotamia
;
the
the
founders of several monastic orders interdicted

all
coverings for the head
during the reign of
Henry VIII. boys and young men generally

went with the head
tion of this old
bare,
and to the preserva-
Saxon custom
Sir
John Sinclair
150
ascribes the remarkable health of the orphans
of the Queen's Hospital.
The human
skull
is
naturally better protected than that of any
other
warm-blooded animal, so that there
seems
little
ing
need of adding an
artificial
cover-
and, as Dr. Adair observes, the most
neglected children, street Arabs
and young
gypsies, are least liable to disease, chiefly be-
cause they are not guarded from the access of

fresh air
well
by too many garments.
known
that baldness
is
to let a
who
think
is
also
the effect of effem-
inate habits as often as of dissipation
there are plenty
It
it
and yet
highly dangerous
boy go out bareheaded even
in
May
or
many of
our latter-day health codes are framed by men
who mistake the exigencies of their own deSeptember.
The
trouble
is,
that so
crepitude for the normal condition of mankind.
Thousands of North American mothers get

their
hygiene oracles from the household notes
some orthodox weekly, where the Rev. Falstaff Tartuffe assures them
from personal experience that raw apples are indigestible, and
of
that
rheumatism can
be prevented only by
night-caps and woolen undershirts.'*
SOME HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS:
The same wholesome

sentiment with which
forbear to quote
give to
manly
to the
physical
sports
a stimulous
and manly
virtues, nay,
regeneration of the
bund and organized
sports, "if
we
assembly a national
festival
would make a
first-class
summer
would
weather-truce/ without
offering to the sun.
on our
flourish
soil
other inducements
seats
make
The
moun-
near Huntsville, Alabama,
tain amphitheatre
human
could
river-meadows of Chattanooga, on the
Indian
would
it
Oswald, speaking of the Turn-
race/' says Dr.
their yearly
expresses a
agree and cannot
I fully
What
"
writer
15I
Olympia, and our

be
an
ready made
expensive burnt
Olives,
it is
true,
do not
our mercenary souls need
but the rent of reserved
and camp tents would enable us to
the crowns of the several victors.
gild
Imagine the
athletes of every village training for the prizes
thousands
of boy-topers turning gymnasts,
ward delegates running
something besides
and the Young Men's Christian Asso-
office,
ciation
grave
for
!"
seeking paradise on this side of the
152
Physical health must, indeed,
become some-
thing more than a mere fad before our race
can do
itself justice in
higher ideals.
that says
we
It is
the eternal struggle for
only pedantic cowardice
are physically going
backward
wisdom to acknowledge the

danger of allowing modern ignorance of the
human body to long continue its dangerous
but
it
effects.
is
true
APPENDIX.
A WORD ABOUT THE
SPINE.
55
XI.
A WORD ABOUT THE
OEFORE
SPINE.
saying anything of the spine as a
feature of the
human system
or modified, let us see
to be trained
what the spine
from
is
the anatomist's point of view.
we go to a work like the 'Anatomy"

Gray we shall find a satisfactory account
*
If
of
of
the spine from the historical and surgical sides;

that
is
to say, an account of the spine as
been and
human
is in the
it
has
average specimens of the
family taken for
amined with a view
or
dissection,
to
gaining
knowledge of actual conditions.
ex-
accurate
It
is
not
the business of the anatomist to be a prophet.
He
is
not concerned with the spine as
be or should be.
as
it
is.
briefly
I will
He
is
it
might
called to consider
it
not apologize here for giving
some information about so important a

body as the spine. In fact, such
feature of the
i$6
a course
is
absolutely essential
the sugges-
if
tions to be offered concerning the training of
the spine are to be understood.
The
flexible
spine
is
described as a flexuous and
column, formed of a series of bones
called vertebrae {yertere, to turn
length
is
Its
average
about two feet two or three inches.
There are thirty-three of the
by name
are divided
into
They
vertebrae.
cervical,
dorsal,
lumbar, sacral and coccygeal vertebrae.

will
be seen by the accompanying
As
illustration,
seven of these bones are found in the cervical

or neck region
back region
region
twelve in the dorsal or upper
five in
five in
the lumbar or lower back
the sacral or pelvic region, and
four comprising the rudimentary tail of
which
evolution has not yet deprived mankind.
Speaking generally of the vertebrae Gray

says
"The
bodies of the vertebrse are piled
one upon the other, forming a strong

the support of the cranium
pillar for
and trunk, the
arches forming a hollow cylinder behind for

the protection of the spinal cord.
ferent
vertebrae
means of the
are
connected
articular processes
The
together
and the
dif-
by
inter-
WORD ABOUT THE
ft t
Dorsal
Z\
in Lumbar*
figure A.
SPINE.
157
i 58
vertebral cartilage, while the transverse and
spinous processes serve as levers for the at-
tachment of muscles which move the

parts of the spine.
different
Lastly, between each pair
Body
Figure B.
of vertebrae apertures exist through which the

spinal nerves pass from the cord."
A fragment of vertebrae
cated
affair,
as
we may
is
really a compli-
see in figure
which
presents a section (the seventh) of the cervical

vertebrae.
In figure
C we
have a group of the
A WORD ABOUT THE
Figure C.
SPINE.
159
ifiO
The
dorsal vertebrae.
manner
the peculiar
fitted
in
The
together.
illustration will suggest
which the bones are
parts in
bearing the
numbers represent that part of the vertebrae

which is called the body, and corresponds to
the parts
cartilage
bones.
" Spinal
which
passes.
marked body
is
cushion of
placed between each of these body
The opening in figure B, marked

Foramen/ shows the avenue through
1
the
carefully
protected
The protruding
the body
site
in .
is
the point
spinal
cord
point of bone oppofelt
through the skin
of the back and the point to which the mus-
makes
cle
attachment.
its
The curve
in the spine,
shown
the one usually represented

is,
in Fig.
is
by anatomists, and
perhaps, the curve actually existing in the
average body.
ties
One
of the spine
toward the
a slight lateral curvature
is
right,
of the general peculiari-
usually explained
preferred use of the right
explanation
is
by the
hand and arm.
The
supported by the statement that
in left-handed persons the lateral curvature
is
likely to be directed to the other side.
The
curve shown
in Fig.
is
so general,
A WORD ABOUT THE
l6l
it
has come to
inevitable.
Finding this
might say universal, that

be looked upon as
SPINE-
curvature so general
anatomists
have been
ready to assume that the curve was favored
some
ment
The most
desirability.
is
familiar argu-
that the curving of the spine helps to
and saves th6 brain from
absorb vibration
shock.
by
It is also urged that the curve lends
greater force and strength to the spine than

if it
were straight
Very young.children do not have a curved

spine.
Their backs
are
perfectly
As
flat.
they grow older and begin walking the spine

1
begins to take on a more or less pronounced

curve.
If the
body
curve increases.
-times seen in
its
is
carelessly carried the
In old age the curve
is
most pronounced form.
ous causes contribute to the curvature.
some-*
Varl~
The
muscles tend to draw the spine out of the

straight line, which
children.
weight of
it
readily assumes in
Then when
its
body aids the
young
the child stands-
thte
head and the upper part of the

curvature,
if
there
is
nounneces-
sary yielding to the force of gravity.
Relaxed
muscles in a lazy, careless or decrepit person
162
leave the weight of these upper parts of the
body
curve the spine in an exaggerated
to
degree.
Let us look at the claim that the curved

spine
desirable
is
and
The sugges-
inevitable.
tion that the curve aids the intervertebral sub-
stance in absorbing the shock
not borne out
is
by an examination of the structure of the spine,

or by a study of natural conditions in the in-
dividual.
shock
from
above,
sufficiently
severe to call into play the elasticity of the
would
spine,
probably break
shock from below
is
the
skull.
by
the
so largely absorbed
muscles of the legs and pelvic region that very

little
of
it
reaches the spine
If this
itself.
not so walking and running would be

able.
If the spine
were
intoler-
were actually subjected to the
necessity of bearing the frequent shocks from
below a person would soon become paralyzed.

In any case the relation of the curvature to the
whole shock-bearing capacity of the spine
is
too slight to justify the preservation of the
curvature on the utilitarian ground.

Prof.
Gray himself admits that the cushion-
substance between the vertebrae
is
thicker at
A WORD ABOUT THE
SPINE.
163
the front than at the back in the cervical and
lumbar regions.
on the
In other words,
inside of these sharp curves of the
and lower back, where the pressure

and
thickest
where
thinner
is
it
it is
on
the
outside
is
greatest,
curves
the
of
neck
slightest, as the illustration
shows.
In the middle of the spine, where the bones
run
in
the straightest line, the cushions are
which
of evener form, a fact
argument
interesting
for
offers a curiously
the
general
volun-
tary straightening of the spine.
The argument
that
a curve gives strength

to the vertebral
is
scarcely
column
borne out
by mechanical
ples.
is
princi-
arch
lateral
stronger
than a
straight horizontal line
with the pressure from

above.
Thus,
D,
arch
an
pressure
in
Fig.
with
at
a
is
Figure d.
stronger than a horizontal
support
with
pressure
at
B.
But
164
an upright curve, with the pressure at C,
is
not by any means so strong as the straight

line
with the pressure at D.
This
is
a rudi-
mentary principle of mechanics that cannot be

escaped.
concussion theory nor the
neither the
If
theory of force in support justifies the curved

spine,
and the curvature
is
explained only by
the action of weight, of muscular action, and

carriage, then
of careless
there
is
no reason
why
the curve should not be voluntarily modi-
fied,
if
shown
the modification can be
to
be
advantageous.
Some
of the reasons
why
be straight, or should, at
the spine should
least,
have as
little
curve as possible, have already been suggested

It will
in this treatise.
straightened the
the
body
as in Fig.
(p. 22), is
The forward
dangerous
general
increased.
is
as
appear that when
grace and force of
The backward
as
curve,
enfeebling and forceless.
curve, as in Fig. 2
well
it is
inelegant.
(p.
25),
is
This posi-
tion naturally tips the pelvis forward.
In a
careless or feeble position the pelvis is
some-
times too far forward
sometimes too
far back.
A WORD ABOUT THE

Either position
is
SPINE.
inimical to the
l6$
health of
the organs and to the strength and endurance
People
of the system as a whole.
who throw
the pelvis too far forward in standing often tip

it
nervelessly back
sult discussed
The weight
when
on page
28.
of the abdomen, which, in
children, begins to
draw the
often produces the
same
acquire abdominal
pelvis,
dangerous
at little
pelvis
forward
effects of this
change
who
curve of the
one of the most

I
would be
showing the
shocking
effects of corpulency.
in
forward,
people
effect in
in the spine, is
difficulty
young
This action on the
fat.
increasing the
lumbar region
with the re-
sitting,
in the various organs.
Thus a proper carriage of the pelvis is the

first and paramount precaution against abdominal
fat.
The muscular
action
necessary to
the preservation of a right angle in the pelvis
discourages fatty formation in this region.

I
have already
pelvis in the
and who
said,
no one who
manner described and
sufficiently controls the
muscles, can acquire abdominal
The proper angle
As
carries the
illustrated,
abdominal
fat.
in the pelvis is at onc<
166
a result of a straight spine and an assistance to

a
straight
spine.
Control of the abdominal
muscles carries on the work the pelvis begins,
and the neck muscles aid the spine

straightening the
itself
in
shoulder and neck region;
while drawing back the head, with the face

vertical
and
parallel
with upright lines of the
body, increases the force of the body's position
and benefits the expansion of the lungs.
MORE ABOUr BREATHING.
167
XII.
MORE ABOUT BREATHING.
SINCE
I
the original publication of this book
have received from various persons who
are interested as teachers in the science of
physical culture, various suggestions and
criti-
cisms upon the method of breathing advocated

in the foregoing pages.
others
how
One lady who taught

method
was advised not
to breathe according to the
had
in
which
to
do so by another person who claimed
instructed her,
to be
high in authority as regards what form of physeducation should or should not be taught
ical
in certain quarters,
urging that the system
advocated was not orthodox, and giving as a

further reason
vocated, that
ever that
why my
I
idea should not be ad-
was not a professional
what-
may mean.
The whole
difficulty
in
the question oi
proper methods of breathing seems to

rest
on the
failure to
me
to
understand the essential
168
difference
ing.
between costal and abdominal breath-
great deal that
is
and mis-
conflicting
leading has been written on this subject, both
by those who are supposed
to thoroughly un-
derstand the makeup of the

well as
by those who do not claim
haustive knowledge.
neither have I
any
It is
my
not in
as
this ex-
province,
desire, to criticise individu-
have neither the time nor the inclination
als.
human animal
my own
for personal debates, but so long as
vitality survives I shall not hesitate to attack
systems of training, be they general or
specific,
and natural
that have not a basis in actual facts
reason.
The
subject of costal breathing, to which I
have referred
in
the
chapter
"How
on
to
Breathe," seems to offer one of the most pressing questions of the hour; and
would be
those
who
particularly
valuable,
discussion
its
perhaps, ^ to
fancy themselves securely orthodox.
But before saying more of
this, I
must speak
of
an allusion often made by people
to
pay more attention to developing
ories than to developing their

I
mean
their
who seem
their mem-
power of reason
allusion to the being called a

normal man and woman, by which
is
169
generally
meant the primitive man and woman.

Now, this being who is held up
our
for
matters as a sort of beacon
guidance
in physical
which,
followed, will surely lead us poor civ-
ilized
if
mortals into a state of serene health
who
would make the materia medica obsolete and

send into oblivion those
being
offers,
am
who
Speaking of
guide to reasonable beings.

primitive being
whom we
practice it; this
no very promising
afraid,
are told to look
as a perfect physical type,
this
upon
Schultz in
Fritz
his work on "Fetichism" aptly remarks that
he
has
no
themselves
requires.
pose.
only
so
as
far
beings
strict
exert
necessity
After the hunt comes unbroken re-
Feast and gluttony are regarded by
primitive savages as the

city.
Such
intelligence.
acme
of earthly
Infanticide, foeticide, abortion,
all
feli-
abandon-
ment, sale and even eating of children are so
common among them
as
to
explode
all
the
sentimental idyllic tirades that have ever been
sung about the innocent
life
animal in the state of nature.
of
the
human
All of which
goes to prove that education, especially that
THE CHECKLEY SYSTEM
IJTO
of education
part
faculties are
rison
which
in
and deduction
is
much
the best factor in
men and women
developing
the reasoning
devoloped by observation, compa-
to the highest
possible point of physical as well
as mental
perfection.
do not
From what
savage.
so-called
then, in imitating the
beleive,
have observed of these
normal beings
they are
nothing
more than what may be best described as raw

material and in that state they certainly are
;
not models
fit
for us to follow, unless
to retrograde.
their intellectual powers,
forces of nature,
we wish
In the undeveloped state of
they
know nothing
of
and unless they do they cannot
hope to develope themselves physically.

their condition they
know no more
In
of breath-
ing so as to foster a healthy and long
than they do of ethical philosophy.
life,
They
breathe abdominally because they are lazy and

ignorant, and do not
known how
know how and never have
to breathe
any other way.
This very condition

majority of the people
As
is
the trouble with a
whom we
call civilized.
have already suggested, nature no more

teaches
human animal how
the
walk, stand, stoop and

beneficial
may
than
sit
be
in a
171
to
breathe,
manner more
suggested
by
the
promptings of our sensations, than she teaches

to read
and
write.
One
education as the other.
is
as
much
Many
a matter of
writers are fond
of pointing to the case of the Indian
who
woman
gives birth to children without the aid of a
physician or the care of a nurse, and of claiming this as proof of the Indian
woman's physi-
cal superiority in a primitive condition.
But
in
truth the fact offers no real proof of any such

superiority, for the
ly to
be found
people
them
in centers of civilized life
whose circumstances
force
among
or induce
to do without the comforts of civilized
people in general.
gate,
same conditions are frequent-
Those who care to
investi-
and who are willing to accept a truth
even when
it
destroys a pet theory, will find
that civilization causes no physical deterioration, either physical or mental, so
long as peo-
ple do not willfully reject knowledge.
Breathing costally, or without the action of

the abdomen,
ing,
is
an educated method of breath-
and can be acquired only by an earnest
I 72
and
conscientious
and
effort
co-
definite
operation of the mind and body.
In acquiring this method of breathing, the

first
thing to be done
body
the
to learn
erect, after the
plained in Chapter
simplest
the
is
to hold
manner already
ex-
Standing seems to be
II.
possible
how
thing
to
do,
but the
slightest observation will teach the reader that
people do not stand the same way; that
all
some round the

awkwardly
shoulders, that
far back,
that
abdomen, and so on.
There
are incorrect.
that
is,
the
way
some
All of these
is
them
pull
some protrude the

postures
only one right way,
that enhances the strength, the
In
endurance, the general heath of the body.
Chapter
II. I
have sought to make plain what
me
the correct standing position seems to
Now,
practice
horse does.
can
dilating
the
Inhale slowly as
through
to be.
nostrils
much
as
air as
and
the nostrils, of course
lease the air again through the nostrils.
you
re-
At
the same time slowly contract the muscles of

the abdomen, contracting and releasing these
muscles until the control
motion
may be
is
so perfect that the
continued while the slow breath-

ing
is
going on.
173
Meanwhile, the arms, unless
they are occupied, should hang at the sides.
they will not
Their muscles need not be used
drop
off.
To
breath costally by a conscious effort of
the nostrils and the muscles of the upper chest
may
require and does require a conscious re-
straint
of a tendency to
muscles.
For the successful acquirement
this beneficial
method
The
result
is
specifically
of
abdom-
of breathing the
movement must be
inal
use the abdominal
resisted.
not only the strengthening of the
lungs and chest, but the strengthening of the

waist region.
I
for
have elsewhere
women)
corsets
(in the chapter
on training
alluded to the relationship between
and breathing.
In that chapter
said that the fact that corsets force
women
have
in a
measure to breathe costally and prevent the

abdominal action was
in a
measure a beneficial
The suggestion seems to have been

taken up by certain ladies eager to defend the
use of the corset. At one meeting, indeed, a
action.*
lady
is
reported as saying, "Checkley advocates
corsets."

174
It
should not be necessary to say that I
never advocated or defended corsets.

that corsets
may
in
The
have had a beneficial action by no means

fies their use.
As measured
they do, the benefit
The
sults
chief injury
from
its
fact
one direction be said to
is
justi-
against the injury
very meagre indeed.
wrought by the corset
re-
use as a support to the body.
Anything that helps hold up the body, that

prevents the body from holding
itself up, is
unless in the case of cripples or hopelessly enfeebled persons
an
corset increases
the back.
injury to the body.
The
any tendency to weakness
It increases
in
and does not diminish a
tendency to fleshiness.
Women
ting into a corset, push as
much
above and below the waist
who,
in get-
flesh as possible
line in order to de-
crease their circumference at the waist, are not
only deforming themselves and increasing the
by incasing and holding it

muscular action, but are working other
fatty enlargement
free of
positive injuries to their system.
FORCE OF HABIT.
75
XIII
FORCE OF HABIT
T N
the business world, the
man who
is
ually industrious usually wins the prize
man who works by
the
Character
is
fits
and
habit-
from
starts.
more valuable than ready cash
as a business asset.
Few
people realize that they can create a
physical character for themselves.
They go through
life
with the idea that their
bodies are fixed, inelastic
entities
and because
they have had certain physical characteristics for

thirty years, they
must go on having the same
physical assets or liabilities for the balance of

their lives.
man
explains his unsightly round shoulders
by saying that he has

hours at a time.
that
It
to
bend over a desk for
has never occurred to him
by adopting a different
sitting position, or
I76
by altering the height or inclination of his desk

top,
he might have escaped his deformity
you
tell
him
and
if
that he can straighten his shoulders
by deliberately cultivating a different carriage of

the head and body, he
is
apt to disbelieve you.
Conan Doyle through the mouth of Sherlock
Holmes
points out that manual trades leave their
trade marks on the physique.
Everyone admits the physical
effects of
bad
habits but overlooks the equally visible effects of
good
It is habitual
habits.
and not spasmodic
exercise that counts.
blacksmith's
arms are
proverbial, but the
thickened, stiffened back of the coal heaver, the
abnormal neck of the wrestler, the compact ankle

of the toe-dancer, and the shin muscles of the
"heel
and toe" walker, are
just as
good instances
of the permanent results of habitual work.

All of which
making you
sults,
is
mentioned with the hope of
realize the
permanent
beneficial re-
both muscular and organic, that you can
acquire by teaching yourself correct habits of
standing
Twenty years ago I

walk and breathe. He was
and walking.
taught a pupil
how
to
one of those "too busy to exercise" chaps and
FORCE OF HABIT.
though only 35 years
old,
had gone
to seed to
such an extent that while his chest was only 36

around, his waist measured 40
incredible, but after
walking and
ing,
chest to
He
40
sounds
he increased his
his waist to
34
in.
did not take one special exercise and did not
diet.
In the course of his daily
half mile at a time.
even better built
work
is
that
make
at 55 years
he
is
an
than at 35 and his capacity
by paying attention
to
your mus-
you can create a good physical
habits,
character
erately
man
Today
appalling to his associates.
I insist that
cular
he
activities
miles a daynever more than
walked about 3
for
It
in.
in.
4 months of correct stand-
breathing,
and decreased
in.
77
you can
intentionally
and
delib-
yourself a higher physical type.
In
other words that you can demonstrate evolution

in
one generation.
It
human trait not to appreciate our

we have them. An active youth
game-playing age does not value his own
is
possessions while
in the
flexibility
because he has never been without
it.
Let him take up a confining business, and after

15 years of
it
try to play his old games.
Then
I78
he will find that because he has not used

joints
all
and muscles, some of them refuse
as easily as they did
to act
when he was younger.
Five minutes exercise a day will keep a

flexible.
his
believe that
when
man
the muscles are
kept in trim through habit, their owner should
be able to jump in any game, after a long
and
lay-off,
and make a good showing
there should be
no
every
after-stiffness.
game
Practically
out-door
requires 3 things: good lungs, for endur-
ance; good legs for activity, and absolute flexibility
On
and smoothness of muscular
action.
Fixed Programs:
If
you take
increases of the
special exercises avoid too rapid
amount or vigor of movements.
Don't do a special exercise 5 times one week,

10 times the next and so on ad infinitum.
You
soon need an adding machine on that plan.

sides
will
Be-
you are soon thinking of the count and
nothing of the
Again, you
way you are exercising.

may have had a busy and
exhaust-
ing day. Five minutes of relaxing exercise would
probably be highly beneficial, but your program

calls
for so
many
repetitions that
50 minutes
FORCE OF HABIT.
79
won't see the end of them. Fifty minutes exercise
under such conditions would be
your-
like forcing
heavy meal when you were not
eat a
to
self
hungry.
Even worse
severity of
Avoid
in action,
to
play
systematically increasing the
exercise.
make
exercises that
and hard
the muscles
to the touch.
stiff
Imagine trying
with your muscles consciously
tennis
Tennis,
tensed.
agility
is
your
and more
in
my
opinion,
more
needs
than any other game.
flexibility
In golf, your professional will ding into your

ears the necessity for "smoothness
in
and rhythm"
your strokes.
In
all
vigorous athletics the prizes are won,
who have
not by those
who
those
can control and use their muscles.
Strength
is
not to be despised, but remember
that "quick strength"
and
in
physical
endurance,
the most muscles, but by
is
you are so slow
man
that
in
games
Speed, backed with
the deciding factor.
use to be able to stun a

fist, if
what counts
is
combat.
It is of little
with a blow of the
you cannot maneuver
yourself into a position to deliver the blow.
l80
As you
value your continued health and vigor,
never enter on a program where you
literally
force the accumulation of external muscles by

steadily increasing the resistance the muscles
have
to overcome.
Special exercises are necessary in cases of
where particularly bad physical
obesity or
have
literally distorted
habits
some parts of the bodily
framework.
A
or a
wry neck
flat foot,
a distortion, so
or a shoulder that
or lower, than
I
is
suppose I
its
is
am happy
flat chest,
carried higher,
mate.
know
as
many
special upbuilding
and corrective exercises as do most

I
is
trainers, but
to say that such exercises are not
necessary for the average person.

Breathe, walk, stand and
these
sit
master
correctly
accomplishments and long
life
and con-
tinued health will be your reward.
ON MODERN STYLES
Since
wrote
in
the
nineties,
protesting
against the wearing of the kind of corsets then
FORCE OF HABIT.
have seen the change to the more
in vogue, I
sightly,
l8l
but scarcely less harmful "straight front
and of
corset/' to the almost rational girdle,

to
no corsets
As
I
at
all.
a factor
improving the national health,
in
would consider the
abolition of the corset
event of epochal importance, were
who abandon
fact that those
who
very ones
ungainly
ach
indulge
"flapper"
women who
late
in
the corset are the
the
grotesque and
Surely those young
pose.
affect this round-shouldered,
undulating
hip
protruding,
an
not for the
it
stom-
have
pose
achieved the acme of physical sloppiness.
The present
limitation of clothing I heartily
Men
who, a generation ago, would
approve.
have at the advent of cold weather been forced

into thick
and
stuffy
under and outer clothing,
now wear winter clothes much the same weight

as their summer clothes and put on extra wraps
only
when
Women
the emergency
are
shackles of dress.
freeing
demands
it.
themselves
from
the
The almost Olympian demand
for outdoor athletics
is
partly responsible.
1920 there must have been 50
first class
In
women
swimmers, tennis players, golf players and riders
182
Women now
to every one in 1900.
almost
is
games and
all
not very
I
their average
much below
take part in
performance
that of men.
have seen four young
women
tearing around
a tennis court and making "gets" and strokes

that
would have astonished the
best players of
a generation ago.
If all
women
spicuous.
as
much
dress lightly, none will be con-
a knee length skirt
girl in
noticed as her mother
"hygienic" ankle-length
was
figure,
not
a so-called
skirt.
Ages ago women adopted the

effort to
in
is
corset in an
have a certain conventionally beautiful
and
corsets has
in the time
since,
the wearing of
become a convention, and one from
which only women can
Even when
woman wants
to
Regardless of
rid
women.
slenderness
be painfully
all
is
the
mode,
thin.
modes, every
woman
passing beyond the point of plumpness.

vidual cases where heredity
is
no
dreads
In indi-
a factor, or organic
or glandular disturbances are present, extreme

thinness, or fleshiness
MAY be incurable.
In 99
cases out of a hundred, however, rational dress,
moderation in eating and exercise, together with
FORCE OF HABIT.
correct walking or standing, will give any
an
attractive, well
If
rounded
83
woman
figure.
women understand that

woman stout, and force a
one can ever make
corsets keep a stout
scrawny
reform
woman
will
to remain scrawny, then dress
come with a
Friends say to
me
rush.
"Checkley, what do you
You
think of the automobile?
used to say that
people did not walk enough, but what about
it
now?"
I
cannot see that the present generation
bit less physically
one.
Young
do ride a
is
vigorous than the preceding
people, especially the leisured ones,
lot in
motor
cars,
but frequently they
use the car to reach a place where they can exert
themselves physically.
The immense growth

to the auto
and the
of our suburbs
is
due
Golf and country
trolleys.
clubs have increased ten-fold in
two decades.
If
a group of young people drive to a Club and
play a round of golf, or
very fast tennis that
two or three
now
sets of the
prevails, certainly they
are getting better exercise, and
more varied exer-
184
cise,
than
they strolled two or three miles after
if
the fashion of their parents' youth.
And
if
the
young women of the party dress
so as to give themselves the greatest possible
freedom of bodily movement, so much the better

for their health.
When
commenced teaching
was but
there
Baseball.
one game universally played

Ball
few eastern
tennis
colleges
and
and
clubs,
athletic
was considered a somewhat effeminate
diversion.
I
Foot-
and Track Meets were a monopoly of a
had
this in
mind when on page 151
quoted Doctor Oswald's hopes.

Since then I have seen the spread of tennis,
the introduction of golf and basket

raising of
Our
games
country
adaptive,
like
is
ball,
hockey into major

big,
and whether he
but
and the
sports.
American
the
lives in cold
New
is
Eng-
land or sunny California, he manages to play

athletic
we have
games most of the year; consequently,

today an army of millions
who
practice
some form of sport with more or
less regularity,
and we have displaced the British
in the athletic
leadership of the world.
FORCE OF HABIT.
185
Your grandmother donned a cap and took up

and your grandfather's ambition
knitting at 45
at
50 was to wear a frock
and
coat,
sidered a pillar of conservatism.
ages your mother learns a
to be con-
At
new dance
your father commences to take golf
Which proves
that there
is
the same
step,
and
seriously.
nothing like continued
physical activity to keep one young.
This Greek Dancing, or nature dancing,

almost as good for the growing
is
for the
girl as
is
tumbling
young boy.
Nothing can come nearer natural exercise

than rhythmic dancing, where perfection of per-
formance
is
dependent on freedom of movement,
suppleness, balance
man who
and
flexibility.
stands, walks
and breathes prop-
erly is almost always preeminent in games.
four greatest natural athletes
I ever saw,
The
all,
consciously or unconsciously, stood, walked and
breathed correctly.
solutely erect
Each one was always ab-
and balanced.
Each one had a
straight back, powerful legs, deep chest, capacious
86
lungs and endless endurance.
Not one
of them
ever went in for gymnastics and yet every one
was supreme
Speaking
at games.
collectively, their outstanding
sical characteristics
1.
Run much
were
faster
phy-
their ability to
and further than most
men;
2.
3.
Jump higher;
Throw a baseball and
kick a football for
a tremendous distance;
4.
Stand so firmly on their feet that
it
was
almost impossible to throw them to the
ground
5.
in wrestling;
Push forward against the combined

sistance of 3 or
All these
men
re-
4 ordinary men.
are today over 50 years of age.
All of them retain their figures and most of their
youthful strength.
Any
one of them
is
physically
a better specimen than 99 out of a hundred
men
at 25 years.
THE TEETH
It will
pay you
to clean
your teeth
religiously.
is
impossible with de-
best dentist
you can afford and
Absolutely perfect health

fective teeth.
Employ the
FORCE OF HABIT.
87
follow his advice as though your health depended
on
it,
as indeed
An
it
individual
does in a great measure.
who
keeps himself young by
moderate exercise,
will
have sound teeth much
longer than those
who
allow their organs and
atrophy through lack of use.
muscles to
All the bodily functions are interdependent.
Modern
dentistry through preserving the teeth,
prolongs
life.
Habitual moderate exercise, through natural
means, keeps your body young and postpones
when you must have
the time of life
recourse to
the dentist's aid.
The Condition of
the
Hair
lustre are, as a general rule,
its
thickness and
an indication of the
vigor of the individual.
Some
and that a certain shaped head
families
to
authorities claim that baldness runs in
become prematurely
I
have
little
made
believe
to
that
bald.
faith in local treatment as
edy for baldness.

be
is liable
a rem-
do not know that hair can
grow on a bald head, although

if
you can rejuvenate the body
through exercise and proper carriage and breath-
188
ing,
you
do much to promote a healthy
will
growth on the
If
you
scalp.
will take notes regarding the
men you
bald-headed
that the majority
I think
see,
come
in
two
you
next 100
will find
classes:
Either they are stout beyond the range of
plumpness, or else they are rather slender, and
have thin necks and carry their heads thrust

forward.
Many have
possible for me
my
body
how am
Here
written
the answer
inches apart,
charts are plain but
be sure?"
I to
yourself as
Your
"How is it
when I am holding
asking
to determine
correctly.
is
me
Stand
arms hanging
tall
as
with feet a few
now
at sides
you can, without
Reach up with your head (but don't

your neck
like
a rooster).
Do
this
will
while your shoulders, hips
your chest
and
feet will fall into proper alignment.
hold your shoulders too far back
you from reaching your

if
stretch
and you
feel
lift,
make
straining.
it
full height.
If
you
will prevent
So
it
will
you hold your hips too far back, or attempt
to protrude
your chest unduly.

FORCE OF HABIT.
Stand that way a
little
you
while
89
will find
that unconsciously your weight has been shifted

to the balls of
lightly
your
feet,
moving with unwonted

slight tensing of the
feel
will
and there
flexibility
is
is
muscles along the lower part
(It won't
of the spine.
you
the heels are resting
on the ground, your upper chest wall
need many attempts
way you
soon gauge your position by the
the position exhilarates you.)
Now,
will
relax into your former position and you
immediately realize that like most people
you have been habitually supporting yourself on

your bones, rather than with your muscles.
In walking simply hold your head high. Don't
lean back
don't push out your chest ; don't hold
neck, shoulders or
arms
rigid.
Everything easy.
Holding the crown of your head high

your
chest.
It is not
necessary to
tilt
will lift
the head
backward.
When
make
practicing
yourself
tall,
"costal
but do not
breathing"
fall into
always
the error
of thinking that extra exertion will bring extra

results.
Some
are apt to figure that
if
they can do
190
well
by making themselves
better
tall,
they will do even
by straining themselves and stretching up
That would only put one under
to the limit.
such a strain that
less,
would be obtained.
rather than
On
more
results
the other hand,
it
is
impossible to acquire the "costal breathing"
if
the body
is held in a slouching position.
Do you
suppose that soldiers are made to
stand erect simply to
parade?
Or do you
make a
pretty picture on
realize that leaders of in-
fantry long ago discovered that
men who
drilled into holding themselves erect, will
further, carry
more equipment and
the fatigue of a campaign than
Take
if
at a certain date.
the fighter
march
better endure
not so trained.
trainers of prize fighters.
to bring their charges to the
are
Their job
is
summit of condition
Besides sparring and ringcraf t,
must enter the ring
pitch of speed, endurance
and
at the very top
vitality.
You
never
hear of a prize fighter in training handling big

weights, or doing heavy gymnastics to put big
hard muscles on the arms and upper body.

conditioning
is
The
mostly rope-skipping and road-
work; leg and lung exercises
to
promote endur-
FORCE OF HABIT.
ance and
work
Of
vitality.
I9I
course such training entails
for the waist muscles.
Every time you
your knee the abdominal muscles contract
raise
and every time your foot spurns the earth
again,
your lower back muscles are busy.

Prize fighters are selected physical specimens.
I
do not recommend running as a curative exer-
cise except
majority of
get
for the comparatively young.
men
the leg
all
The
past the meridian of life can
work they need from vigorous
walking.
seems to
It
me
that
many
authorities, while
realizing the destructive influence of

habits,
fail
bad bodily
to emphasize the constructive value
of good habits.
We
are told that a round-shoul-
dered position cramps the chest and interferes
with the free play of the lungs, and are then

told
to
"hold the shoulders back," apparently
merely to avoid an
further,
evil condition.
and show how a correct
Why
not go
carriage,
com-
bined with a specified method of breathing, will

not only keep you from cramping the lung-space
but will actually

If
we
make
the rib-box larger?
are told to hold ourselves erect, the
192
emphasis
more on the
is laid
on the beholder
effect
than on the beneficial health-giving effects to

ourselves.
We
are
more or
all
of habit,
less creatures
and these habits mold not only our minds and

well.
The
drill at
West
visible in the erect carriage of
many
our characters, but our bodies as

effect
of the four years' constant
Point
is still
a retired
Army
officer.
peering in books
ders and
is
The
effects of life-long
evident in the round shoul-
wry neck of many an
elderly scholar.
Habitual employment at a sewing machine warps

Habitual moun-
the frame of most operators.
climbing
tain
gives
highlanders
strong
legs.
Habitual work on the flying rings and trapeze

gives
the circus performer an
Such
gait
right shoulder stronger than its mate.
instances are familiar to
our notice
top-heavy
Habitual use of the right arm
development.
makes the
odd,
is
all.
What
escapes
the effect of slight differences in the
and bodily
carriage.
man who
takes a
long step, and always has the knee slightly bent,

not only visibly shambles but also has slender,
shapeless legs.
stride
The man who walks with a
and a quick firm
step,
short
usually has pro-
FORCE OF HABIT.
93
nounced development of certain muscles in the

Moreover,
leg.
that a
man
we can
state,
almost as an axiom,
with a firm walk has a firm character,
and that physical slouching
frequently accom-
is
panied with mental and moral indecision.

Individual characteristics of bearing are often
transmitted from one generation to another.
have seen sons
and
their fathers in
and manner of walking.
face, figure
man
who resembled
But
if
has inherited a certain bodily conformation
and gesture,
tricks of gait
that he cannot improve his

finer physical type
son
oldest
body
until
and
is
tailor's
than his father.
his
body
will
mean
he
may become a journeyman
father's shop,
daily
does not
it
of a
in
his
be molded by his
work; while a younger son
will
become a
farm-hand and acquire a much more rugged

type of body.
It is
very
much
easier to drift into a
than to cultivate a good one.

ing (or body molding)
habits of posture
if
But
bad habit
in body-build-
the rewards of correct
and breathing are so great
that,
such effects are intelligently explained, most
people will immediately strive to cultivate the

required habits.
194
Among
those
who
take up a definite program
of gymnastics more than fifty per cent quit immediately,
on account of the muscular
consequent on the
When
first
stiffness
day's exercise.
forming muscular habits there
The adoption
such deterrent.
of
the
is
no
correct
standing and walking positions will not produce
any soreness of muscles nor
The only
tion
noticeable result
and of increased
is
vigor.
stiffness of joints.
a sense of exhilara-
And
makes you
that
eager to continue the experiment.
Even
the first definite practice in the effect to
acquire costal breathing
any soreness
is
not accompanied by
in the respiratory muscles.
several days before any real flexibility

in the
upper
ribs
is
and consequently there
It takes
apparent
is
no
dis-
turbing strain on the muscles involved.
The
habit of carrying the head high has a
most noticeable
the neck.
If
effect
on the
size
and contour of
you increase your chest girth three
inches (which
is
quite possible)
by adopting the
suggestions in chapters II and III, you will find

that
your neck has increased three-quarters of
an inch to an
inch,
and has become
more smooth and rounded.
distinctly
The appearance
of
FORCE OF HABIT.
the neck
dition
95
a visible gauge of your physical con-
is
and measure of vigor.
The
habit of
a measured elastic stride, of
stepping out firmly and vigorously, will add
more
than an inch to the girth of the calf and more
than that to the size of the thigh.
men have
very large number of
the failing
of striding from the knees instead of from the

hips.
As one abandons games
ning, the hip muscles
that require run-
and those of the upper
thigh are apt to be used less and

business
so
stiff
men
will
Most
less.
admit that their shoulders are
that they cannot
throw a
ball for
any
dis-
tance and yet do not realize that their hips are
even more
Stout
stiff
through lack of proper use.
men blame
their "corporations"
their inability to lift their knees,
whereas the
ness of the hip- joints has a lot to do with
A
loose
for
stiff-
it.
woman, providing she wears a comfortably

skirt,
bends
her
and walks from the
leg
hip,
less
at
the
knee,
much more than man
does.
I
once caused a good deal of discussion by
recommending
that,
undulate the hips.
in
walking, a
That
is,
man
should
he should, when
I96
advancing the right foot, reach forward with the

right hip,
My
and vice versa.
critics
claimed that this would produce an
unsightly swaying of the hips from side to side.
They did not understand
that the hip-movement
forward and backward
in line with the stride,
is
and
that,
tion
is
when
in ordinary street attire, this
not noticeable.
mo-
This alternate reaching
forward with the hips adds an inch or so to the

length of every stride without increasing the exertion of walking.
More important
still,
the habit of thus walk-
ing will keep the hip- joints flexible, develop the
muscles of the hip region and add to the strength

of the loins.
A
erally
walk.
person with a slow, languid walk will gen-
sway from
Such a
muscles of the
inated
if
side to side, rocking as they
gait indicates
sides,
which
a vigorous stride
a weakness in the
will quickly be elim-
is
adopted as a habit.
ON RETAINING YOUTH.
97
XIV
ON RETAINING YOUTH
yî
^^
AN
man by
definite intention
keep himself
young?
Is the duration of
an individual's
dependent on hereditary vigor,
or,
life entirely
can
we by
governing our physical habits become more vigorous than our forebears?
Does the continuance of the proper functioning

of our internal organs depend entirely on chance ?
Or
can
we
preserve such organs in their youthful
vigor by a definite program of exercise?
Old age
is
a physical
decay.
Eliminating
death from epidemic diseases, most people die
from the
debilitating,
or improper functioning
of some one of the vital organs or glands.
Men
of fine build and in apparently vigorous
health drop dead of heart disease.
Such cases
are hardly unusual enough to cause comment.
Men who
suffer
from
diseases of the liver, lungs,
THE CHECKLEY
I98
SYSTEMi.
kidneys or from glandular troubles usually bear
outward marks of those

Certainly
it
is
diseases.
axiomatic that individuals ad-
dicted to excess (whether such excesses are in
the line of intoxicants, drugs, overeating, sexual

indulgences, or muscular exertion) are apt to die
when they should be

versely, that those
who
living are apt to last
What
An
a long while.
are the indications of youthful vigor?
a vigorous
stride,
flat
head held high,
back and
flexibility
of
and muscles.
The
back,
con-
exercise moderation in
erect carriage of the body, a
joints
And
in their prime.
signs of age?
feeble
step
and
drooping head, bent
stiffness
of
joints
and
muscles.
Most men of sedentary occupation unquestionably rust out.
out
is
And
this process
of rusting
simply due to lack of exercise
use of the muscles and joints.

recognize this and act accordingly.
lack
Sensible
of
men
Now-a-days
you frequently hear an elderly man say that he

is
by
"keeping himself young'' by playing golf, or

light
work
in the garden.
Golf and gardening have unquestionably been
ON RETAINING YOUTH.
many a man.
the physical salvation of
is
The
gymnasium.
99
think
two beat the most
the combination of the

orately equipped
elab-
only trouble
that ninety per cent of us have neither gardens
or golf clubs, and the remaining ten per cent play

or dig, only a few months in each year.
My
point
that
is,
all
men and women,
of us,
can keep ourselves young by merely "watching
That
our step."
such a
way
that
is
by walking, and standing,
we
in
convert a disagreeable but
necessary exertion into a pleasurable and beneexercise.
ficial
Since
first
writing
my
book
have been able
to check up, in hundreds of cases, the effect of
my
theories
and teachings.
can truthfully say that I have taken
men
in their forties, thin-necked, flat-chested, stoop-
shouldered, spindle-shanked chaps, and by
instill-
ing an enthusiasm for correct walking, changed
them
in a
few months
backed, round-necked
and a
men with
stride that denoted their
What
will
into deep-chested, flat-
did
it
cost
them?
well knit legs,
inward vigor.
Nothing but a
power and watchfulness for the
weeks,
for during
that period they
first
had
little
few
to pur-
20O
make themselves walk and
posely
After a month or so
rectly.
it
breathe cor-
became a
habit.
If a vigorous, springy step, flat back
head
high
held
are
signs
of
youth,
and a
we
can
prolong youthful vigor by forming the habit of

so carrying ourselves.
You may
youth"
correct
is
deny
easier,
is
say "That
and say emphatically that
far easier, to keep oneself
young by
it
have already said that the organs could not
when
the habitual position of
Anatomy and
body was markedly improper.
physiology are
now compulsory
public schools,
and no
that a
is
it
golf.
properly function
the
simply counterfeiting
method of walking and breathing, than
by playing
it,
is
man who
child is allowed to forget
stoops and holds his chest
not as apt to have as
man who
subjects in our
much lung power
flat,
as a
stands erect and holds his chest out.
All of you
know
that.
But how many of you
realize that the proper functioning of the organs
in the
abdominal cavity
is
largely dependent on
the proper position of the body, and the condition
of the muscles of the waist region?
ON RETAINING YOUTH.
The owner
lazy
of a torpid liver
individual.
know
stout
is
201
generally a
men who
can
harden their arm muscles because they are proud

of their biceps, and keep mental control of that
muscle.
lie
But they cannot harden the muscles
that
(rectus abdominus).
If
over the stomach
they could, they wouldn't be paunchy.

takes a
little
It only
thought and practically no
exercise to keep your waist down,
special
you carry
yourself correctly.
I
am
not foolish enough to claim that organic
diseases can always be cured either
by
exercise,
posture or diet; but I do devoutly believe that
one can ward
off
such diseases by taking mus-
cular exercise that helps the organs to function.
For generations, physicians have prescribed

horse-back riding as a curative for certain liver
troubles.
Riding
is
fine exercise,
but
"have a liver" and can't afford a horse,

try a
liver,
same
little
rope-skipping?
It will
if
why
you
not
shake up your
and develop your legs and lungs
at the
time.
Leading physicians
tell
me
that the higher
they go in their profession, the more they search

for and try to eliminate the underlying causes
202
of organic disease; and that the correction of
such causes
patient,
some
involves
the
co-operation
of
the
submitting to
generally in the line of
fixed regimen of exercise, diet, or abstention
from indulgences.
Doctors today prescribe mountain-climbing to
up weak hearts; open-air
build
trouble, exercise for stomachic
orders.
And
if
(drugs)
cure
will often tell
your
your mode of
ability to
own
disease, the
that medicine
it
even
if
said that practically every
to correct your
he makes you so healthy that
he loses you as a patient.
you
detail in
to the eternal credit
show you the method
trouble,
to advise
intestinal dis-
change some
And
living.
of the profession, be
doctor will
you
lung
merely an alleviation, and that the
is
lies in
and
you have an organic
modern physician
for
life
physician
who
to take moderate exercise
as rare as the dentist
who
tells
is
fails
just
you that you need
not clean your teeth.
People have such odd ideas about abdominal

fat.
They seem
external fat
that
to think that a big

is
fat interlarding
the abdominal muscles.
paunch
is all
and overlying
Such external
fat is al-

ON RETAINING YOUTH.
most invariably accompanied by
internal
fat
surrounds and clogs up the
that
tissue
fatty
203
organs, that interferes with the free travel of the
diaphragm and which may eventually invade and

degenerate some of the organs themselves.
And
anything
shortens
The
life.
that
internal
economy
derful that the heart, for instance,
work
part of the
in turn affects
Abdominal
take
up
it.
fat
is
caused just as
much by
by overfeeding and lack of
man who
and protrudes
holds his shoulders too

his
abdomen,
accumulate a paunch.
surely
may
won-
of an inert liver or kidney, but
faulty carriage as
far back
so
is
an undue strain on the heart which
that throws
exercise.
one organ
deteriorates
will almost
The bigger
the
paunch becomes, the farther he has to lean back

to
balance
it,
so that
the
paunch continually
augments.
A
duce
the
man
it
few
in
with a moderate corporation can rea few weeks by correct walking, and
special exercises for
given in Chapter VII.
Thereafter, correct stand-
ing and walking will keep

fat in the waist region.
abdominal muscles
him from accumulating
204
When
is
in
the trunk
held naturally every organ
is
proper place and
unimpeded
is
in
its
functions.
Further than
that,
you cannot carry the trunk
properly without developing the muscles of the
lower back; and when these muscles are well

developed, they have an incredible effect in pro-
moting the
and continued health of
activity
cer-
which have a controlling influence
tain glands
over a man's vitality and vigor.
This one
effect alone
would make the correct
posture worth while.
Have you
how often people speak of

man as being "erect and vig70." The "erectness" has a
noticed
a great or successful
orous, at the age of
great deal to do with the vigor and the success.
The few weeks
spent in creating the habit of
holding the body properly erect will pay divi-
way
dends in the
So,
my
persistently
and you
of increased years and vigor.
advice
is:
Even
walk and stand
will
be surprised
if
you are
old,
like
a young man,
how
soon you will
approximate the figure and, in a measure, the

vitality of
your
own
youth.
SOME MEDICAL AND PERSONAL COMMENTS

ON THE CHECKLEY SYSTEM AND "A
NATURAL METHOD OF PHYSICAL TRAINING"
Original Theories
Dr. Jos. Rodes Buchanan in the Anthropologist
His methods and discoveries
differ so
widely from
everything that has been done in that direction heretofore,
and are indeed so marvelous, as to suggest that
something more than the common reasoning power of

man may have guided him as by intuition to doctrines
so novel, of which there has never been a hint in any
production of physicians,
artists, hygienists
or philoso-
phers heretofore.
Natural and Reasonable System

Science
The method of
and taught in this

once to the good sense of the
reader. It requires no machinery or apparatus of any
kind, except, of course, the bones and muscles of the
person training, and it may be taken up and pursued at
any time and in any place, either with or without an
instructor. The aim is not to produce champion rowers
or boxers or sprinters, nor even to develop good "allround" athletes, but to do for the body what education
does for the mind. The aim is to put the body into the
best possible condition for doing the work it has to do,
and to keep it in that condition. The author believes
that there is more "straining" than "training" in some
little
training advocated
volume appeals
at
COMMENTS.
206
of the popular systems of physical training practiced in
and out of the college gymnasium, and his method departs radically from those systems in many respects.
But we find nothing in it that physicians could take
exception to in the case of any person physically sound.
The book is fully illustrated, many of the engravings
being made from instantaneous photographs of the
author in the different positions assumed in the course
of training.
A
New
Natural System
York Medical Times
A young man educated as an engineer, and accustomed to study in his profession the harmony of parts,
applies the principles thus obtained to the careful study
of the most perfect machine in the world, the
human
body, and finds, he thinks, a solution of the question

which the scientist and philosopher in the past had so
long in vain tried to solve. The essence of Mr. Checksystem is that the ordinary movements of everyday
life, breathing, walking, stooping, etc., can be made to
develop the body so perfectly in the routine course of
everyday action, not only sufficient to prevent any unnatural and unhuman increase of size, but also to bring
the body up to a full natural development, with all that
vigor and beauty of motion characterized by the harmonious action of all the organs. In truth, there can
ley's
be no proper training that does not educate the whole

system of the man. Mr. Checkley's ideas are particularly applicable to women, not only in her movements,
but especially in her dress, which, he claims, if properly
carried out, will not only give a perfect form, but
away with a
do
large portion of those pelvic diseases to
relieve which a very large class of specialists ara

acquiring not only professional reputation but wealth.
COMMENTS.
207
The system of Mr. Checkley promises, by the proper

control of all the organs, much better results than can
be obtained by the exclusion of different kinds of food.
The system in its healthy condition, with each muscle
and bone and
tissue doing
its
proper work, takes up
only the necessary ingredients from the food to accomplish
its
purpose, getting rid of the rest in the form of
excrementitious material.
Safest, Wisest,
Most Practical Method
From Annals
We
of Hygiene
are always heartily in sympathy with any system
of physical culture that aims to accomplish results without the use of apparatus. Of course, all appliances are
not to be condemned, but we, quite firmly, hold that
they are unnecessary.
little volume of "Physical
Edwin Checkley,
and we have been
Training," by
our hands,
pressed with
its
commend
perusal to
has recently fallen into

so very favorably im-
we
can and do strongly

The Annals.
It is a very happy thought of Mr. Checkley 's, and preeminently correct, when he holds that "a man or woman
should get good health and sufficient strength and perfection of form in the ordinary activities of life, if
those activities, however meagre, are carried on in
obedience to right laws."
Mr. Checkley's instructions
about "breathing" are particularly good. While we are
not entirely in accord with the author's commendation
of running, which we do not think a healthy or desirable form of exercise, with this one exception we can
heartily recommend his book as containing about the
safest,
its
wisest,
teachings that
all
the readers of
most physiological and most
practical
exposition of the subject of physical culture that
have yet encountered.
we
COMMENTS.
208
Not for Athletics but for Health

Medical Review
This
is
just
what
it is
of physical training.
his business.
It is
written that "one
claimed to be, a natural method
It is written
by a man who knows
written in a pleasing style, and
who
runs
Well Worthy
New
is
so
may read"
of Study
York Medical Times
Mr. Checkley's investigations have certainly a scienand are well worthy of that careful inquiry
and experiment which every physician can carry out
himself. Bismarck and others keep down the flesh by
a careful attention to diet, but the same plan pursued
by others is a complete failure. A careful study of the
use of every organ and the proper carriage of the
body, so that each organ performs its proper function
and all work in harmony, it would seem, might be a
much moref scientific and pleasant solution of the question than the mere study of the nature and character of
tific basis,
foods.
Will Draw Everybody's Attention

Prof, Persifor Frazer, D. S., in Journal of the Franklin
Institute
The
writer of this small octavo of 224 pages comes

before the public like Francis Galton, without any title
from the school of Medicine, and, like Francis Galton,

he displays a familiarity with the structure and functions of the body which adds very much to the charm
and the convincing force of his book. He has many
points which favor him before the public, such as an
earnest and withal a very clear and pleasant style; a
subject which interests everybody and will draw everybody's attention so soon as the writer inspires confi-
COMMENTS.
209
dence in his knowledge of the subject, which Mr.

Checkley very shortly does. Then the means which he
employs are simple and natural, and being always at
hand, leave the would-be physical reformer no excuse
for missing his exercise. The theory put forth by Mr.
Checkley is not new but it is very strongly stated. It
is, in short, that with the attention called to such points
as the correct carriage of the body, the proper manner
of breathing, and the repetition, morning and evening,
for twenty minutes or so, of such motions as bring
on which the daily routine makes

no demand, not only the general health and power of
into play the muscles
sleep
are improved, but also the physical strength
is
greatly increased, the tendency to corpulence checked,
and its unpleasant consequences avoided.

Even were there no examples of the practical success
of this system its simplicity and reasonableness would
take one captive, but the writer has seen a practicable
proof of its beneficent working on a short and very
fleshy man, whose pursuits were so little favorable to
the maintenance of the well-proportioned frame, and
whose occupations were so exacting and numerous that
he had fallen into that bourne of rotundity and flaccid
muscles from which few can return. For years he had
seriously projected correcting this evil by gymnasium
exercise, but had never "found the time," and was
rapidly tending toward the outline of a human sphere.
Finally, this little book fell into his hands, and he made
a determined effort to follow
its
precepts.
Without subjecting himself to any unusual deprivation of diet, he began rapidly to reduce his excessive
corpulence, until in three weeks his trunk had changed
from the appearance of a pear to that of a barrel, his
waist measure had diminished from forty-one inches to
thirty-six and one-half, while his chest measure had
COMMENTS.
2IO
A neck began to be visible; short breath

increased.
became a nightmare of the past, and almost without
effort he assumes the proportions of an athlete.
It may well be that all will not have the strength of
will to carry out this regimen so faithfully, and will
not so soon reap their reward; but that
it
will
prove
The advice it contains as to

women and children is timely
beneficial to all is certain.
the physical training of
and admirable.
The
writer
is
not acquainted with any treatise on the
art of preserving health and comfort, or of regaining
them when lost, by natural and inexpensive means,

which is so sensible, so practical and so clear as this
little book, which is heartily recommended to the public.
Will Bear Good Fruit

William Blaikie, Author of
So easy
to learn,
"How
and so quick
to
Get Strong"
in bearing results of a
kind gratifying and helpful to the pupil, that you cannot

fail to soon have an army of followers.
If the habit
of deep, slow breathing which you urge can only
become general it will add many per cent, to our vitality and staying powers as a nation; while the correct
carriage of the body, as taught by you, will be a boon
especially to young women who wish to be graceful
which can hardly be overestimated.

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I

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS

THE CHECKLEY BUREAU

EDWIN CHECKLEY--AN APPRECIATION

ever was a better exemplification

age of 75, the

resident physician in the hospital that treated him,

denied that he could possibly be that age.

verdict of this doctor.

Not knowing Checkley's

and life-work he was unable

nearing eighty could be pos-

wondrous physique and such

Checkley a few days before his death.

After suffering from a

dose of gas pois-

oning which had overcome even his wonderful

which sprang forward from the base of

the neck in a swelling curve.

Checkley had the

highest arched chest I have ever seen in any

ascribed this to his habit of

The picture facing

Page was taken

years old, and except for

would have been a good

rounded he may have accumulated 5 or 6 pounds

flesh; but there

no bowing of the shoulders or bending of that

back; his head was carried as proudly as

ever on that round columnar neck, and his step

was as springy and

his bodily carriage as buoy-

ant as at any time since he brought himself to

Checkley's physical equipment were his lungs and

for protracted periods.

have seen him

and carry hundreds of pounds of

dead weight, but never once have

have seen him

groups by performing feats of strength beyond

power of most professional strong men, and

slightest catch in his breath.

he could have made a

fully believe that

fortune as a "strong man," but such

not interest him.

never knew him to touch them but

once on that occasion he closed an argument with

a teacher of heavy-lifting by raising weights that

without any claim to special knowledge

of the technique or tricks of the

comprehensive, his control over his muscles so

his ability to call

muscles into simultaneous action so uncanny, that

compare him with the

pages 65 and 66 of this

book, he speaks of the muscles which control the

but with Checkley that

that the rules he laid

both in speech and

propound a revolutionary principle

the most casual way.