Standing on one Leg

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 March 1914, Page 2

Standing on one Leg

the people wailing- for : I rain or lor a ear at the end of ill" days work! How many of tni in air standing' on one leg? All : \\ ell, nearly all. Yd, .vhen yon come to think of it, it ,N 'I neei - that it should be more lesllul lo put your whole weig'hl "lie leg until it is tired, then •I! tlie other, and so lorth, moving" backward and forward constantly, instead of .supporting- the weigiit e\enly all the time on two fe«t, liich would then, one would imagine, inn grow so tired. Yet flint this one-leg- plan is a true and wise plan for securing l a rest is made clear by tlie fact that in :l ' ; lli«' armies of the world "stand '•it eas ■ in a position in windfall iue weighi is put 011 one foot and il-e knee of the other leg- is flexed. I lie whole matter depends on the biet that man is not yet sufficiently accustomed to the upright position. As a relief from standingupright he will lean against a pillar or Jump-post, and if it is possible to find a projection slightly abo\ e the level of the ground lie will put his foot on it. Witness the low brass foot-rail of ilie bar-room which is placed there for ihat purpose, and that purpose only, because men will stav longer and be more comfortable if tliev (,|| i put ilieir feel in such a position that one of . them .gives the idea of a band holding on to something-. And if our feet were bare, instead of booted, tliev would curl around that brass rail in jnsi l lie same .way thai our hands close instinctively on'anvfiling 1 they touch. Because as yet we cannot stand I'pi-i.ylil without difficulty, the muscles have a greater piece of work to do (ban they can bear. I lie erect position is only maintained by a very eomplicated crosssirain, one set of muscles pulling 1 '"'ward and the other backward] :il| d every movement we make eauses a new adjustment. Of • ir ,ll( ' '"I' hone (femur) vertically info (|,e bones of •he pelvic girdle, instead of at an ; V ''' ! "" 1 ifl <l>al was directl v uiu <J, «' *P»''. we could stand erect ■■mi.v more muscular strain ! ,i;m 1 ' rI;• hi amount of balanc,!l" . !' ul joints work af i 7 y ' , i ,s ' \" M ;,s iho knee, and ■•Imi-i.v ii,,,! r<,.. ps „„ tn „„ I '* lII'- «lrc-„Bl|, ..I ! 11,,,1 IM.M f|„, s , j„;„ N naturally throw the Wei-hi ,h( ' '""'y on one side.