NEGLECTED MUSCLES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18366, 27 April 1925, Page 8

NEGLECTED MUSCLES.

CULTURE OF THE ABDOMEN. • • <TBOM OUB OWN COBRESFONDIHT.) LONDON, March 10. Mr P. A. Hornibrook, who .was for a number of years a teacher of the Sandow methods in Christchurch, continues to specialise in the culture of the abdomen. He maintains that the defect of tho popular systems of physical training is that while they develop the limbs and the lungs they pay relatively little attention to the abdominal region of tho body. Yet the abdominal wall, is the only boneles? part of the body, and hence is capablo of most mo vement. The per sis tent neglect of the lower hall' of the trunk leads to the accumulation of fat in that particular region and to other unpleasant consequences. In the vohune recently written by Mr Hornibrook, "The Cnltnre of the Abdomen"—which, by the way, has had a most gratifying Press through'out the United Kingdom —he gives a simple set of exercises which have proved of inestimable value in curing cases of obesity and constipation. In. furtherance of his campaign, Mr Homibrook gave a demonstration of his system at the Mortimer Hall a few days ago. Here he had an audience of about 300 people,'many of whom were well-known personalities, including Signer Mareoni, Professor R. H. A. Plimmer (of London University), Sir Arbuthnot Lane (the well-known surgeon) and Lady Lane, Sir Douglas Shields and Sir George Turner (other eminent surgeons). Lady Shields, Dr. Harold Chappie (gynecologist), Mrs Chappie, Dr. C. Lane Boberts (obstetric surgeon), Dr. White-Bo bertson, Dr. Geikie Cobb and Dr. D. G. DobeD (wellknown physicians), Mrs Cobb, Mrs DobeD. Sir Lyndon and lady Maeassey, Mr w. Henry (Boyal Life-Saving Society), Colonel Etherton (Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defence, London), Mr H. Hudson (Edneation Department, London), Lady Austin Harris, Lady Burrell, Lady Constance Butler, Miss Margaret Bruce, Mons. Dinh GiTly (operatic singer), Colonel and Mrs de la Garde Grissell, and many others, some of whom are interested in public welfare work. In the course of his address and demonstration, Mr Horgjhrook pointed

out how the exercise of the lower part of the trunk was specially valuable in that it brought about a movement of the contents of the abdomen. Hence the internal organs of digestion and evacuation particularly' benefited. When the abdomen was rotated from side to side in a hip-rolling movement, or alternately pressed backwards and forwards by a diaphragmatic movement, the whole of the contained organs were subjected to .a vigorous swinging and churning; the waste matter was'hurried along its proper coutso. Primitive men arid women performed these movements ! as a part of the "native dance." Civilised men and women had even greater need of the same muscular movements, because their food was heavier and more _ clogging, and they could get these movements readily in the new systems of exercise which the lecturer most interestingly demonstrated.

He showed how his exercises were arranged so as to get the least strain on the heart. ,And ho mentioned that, prior to one of tho most vigorous of the abdominal museul.ir movements, which he demonstrated before a number of medical men not long ago, Ms pulse was taken before and after, and that it showed no change, whereas when his pulse was taken' before and after certain exercises which are quite frquently used, the doctors found that there had been a considerable increase —proof that while the first had not taxed the heart, the second one had had this undesirable effect. The series of exercises for th 3 cnlture of the abdomen were therefore suitable for men and women of all ages, and especially suitable for those coming through a period of convalescence! "While walking, rowing, swimming, running, climbing, jumping, and all forms of natural exercise were good—because they involved plenty of fresh air as well as muscular exertion —the alternate tensing and retracting of the abdominal, gluteal, and pelvic muscles were most\ rapidly and efficiently done by suitable abdominal and pelvic exercises. Those parts of the trunk are free-hung and capable of a wide range of rotary and rhythmic movement, whereas the limb 9 are merely appendages of the body, and the upper hslf of the trunk is encased by the rite and of relatively small mobility. "We should drop the fetish of ehnck out the chest," said the lecturer, "which is largely valueless and often mischievous, because it involves heart-strain; and adopt as our motto tuck in the belly. This automatically gives ns the right posture, and posture is the keynote of this dcw of exercise."-'. ,