PHYSICAL CULTURE FOR WOMEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2961, 27 December 1916, Page 3

PHYSICAL CULTURE FOR WOMEN

It was "the fashion" fifty years ago h for girls and ivo'men to havo "tem- u pers, and "megrims," and "nervous" a leadaches, and faint witli or without C tho least provocation, says a writer in c "Women's Work." Men—and many b reflections of men clothed in petticoats li —were of the opinion that these little d afflictions were natural to women, were d part of their physical construction, and s that the only thing- to be done ahout f the whole business was/to. follow the i time-honoured example expressed lacon- \ ically as "grin and bear it." 1 -But, luckily for the race, there had 1 ; always been soine women'who were I healthy, and who believed,, if girls and * women took care as to their food and 1 clothing, and gave their bodies a fair < chance to grow properly, there would 1 ,he a resultant disappearance of a great ] many physical weaknesses "natural" ! to women. ] Every woman should learn to breathe properly; This no one can do with corsets on or bound around by any tight clothing. Therefore, take your breathing exercises either before or, . after your "dressing," preferably, be--fore. Place your heels together, and, with" your hands resting lightly on your hips,, draw your breath slowly through your nostrils until you feel your lungs quite full, then, expel, the breathy slowly - through tho open mouth. Begin with' half-a-dozen repetitions of such breaths,, and day by day increase the number as your time permits. A half-hour thus spent will bo invaluable in promoting the general "tone" of your health. Another useful exercise is that of rising on the tips of your toes (all exercises should be taken with as few clothes on as' possible) counting five slowly, and then balancing the body on the heels for the same length of time. ■With the arms raised above tho head (palms together), slowly bring your hands down and out, until tho tips of your fingers (palms towards body) touch the floor in front of j r our toes. Do not let the heels rise from the floor. Standing with lieels together and hands on hips, bend the body (keeping heels on floor and weight equally balanced on both feet) as far as possible to the right, back to upright; to the left, back to upright, backward and then forward and again upright. Do not hurry your exercises—slowly, easily, with just a sufficient number of repititions to make you feel refreshed — should bo your rule.