The Right Way to Begin the Day.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 September 1914, Page 2

The Right Way to Begin the Day.

(By A. L. WOOD, M.D.)

There is a right way and a wrong way to begin the day, and the method you choose may have a decided ellect upon the success or failure you will achieve during your waking hours. Try to plan your activities as far *as you can the night before. Five minutes of calm looking ahead in the early evening will go a long way towards lessening the burdens of the morrow. This done, take a bath, not too warm nor too cold, u\\<\ be careful not to remain in the water. This nightly bath, followed by eight hours sleep in a well-ventilated room, is the best preparation one can have for a successful day. When your alarm clock arouses you, or, better si ill, the morning sun—don't jump out of lied and rush into your clothes as if the house were afire. Hurry in the early morning interferes with your heart action and your circulation and irritatos your nerve centres. Ingoing slow for the first few minutes you will be able to do more arid better work throughout the day. First of all, remove the pillows from under the head and take a score or more of long, floe]), breaths. Next, place the hands above and back of the head, separate the feet and stretch the arms and legs to the fullest extent, pushing upward with lhi>, ni'ins and downward with the legs six times. Alternate the motion of the arms and legs, pushing up with the right arm and down with the right leg, at the same time drawing the left arm and shoulder down and pulling the left leg up. Keep the arms and legs strain-lit. Repeat this six times and rest, for a minute. I'lace the hands, palms down, un- ' der the small of the back, one hand resting on the other. Draw up the j knees, placing the feet flat on the bed, and keep them' bent. In this position raise and lower the hips as far as possible, using the hands under the small of the back as a fulcrum. Repeat this exercise ten times. ! With the hands in the same posi- ' tion, rotate the knees upon the hips in a large circle ten times. Then reverse the motion times. I These exercises limber up some of the most important joints of the body, accelerate the circulation of the blood and cure indigestion.

After your bath or a brisk rubdown with a coarse towel or a stiff brush, drink one or two glasses of cool water.

Dress and take a short, brisk walk, with deep breathing, and you will be ready to enjoy breakfast.