MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WORK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 13 July 1929, Page 11

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WORK

Advocating moderation in physical exercise foe mental workers, the medical correspondent of the “Times” says a man cannot exhaust himself in physical exercise and yet remain as active mentally as he was before he began, for the former tires the brain, as well as the muscles and draws on the store of nervous energy. "It is. for example, a mistake to spend the day preceding a day of strenuous mental labour in strenuous physical labour. Two rounds of golf on Sunday are a bad, not a good, preparation for important decisions on Monday morning. Play the golf on Saturday, vest on Sundav, and vou do yourself justice.” he advises. “Golf has saved manv a life, hut it has imposed on some of its r.lavers a burden of the natiire of which they seem to he wholly unaware. These people are so anxious to he fit that they remain permanently in a state of exhaustion. Thev grow dull-witted, that is. weary-witfed. and find their work a burden. Again, if heavy mental work Is in prospect or in process heavy phvsieal work ought to he avoided. It. is rot neepssarv to cease taking exercise, but it is necessarv to take the minimum and not the maximum amount. A litMe nr.u-deniru: js an admirable help to mental vigour: so is a dav’s fishing. But. mental vigour and hard games of tennis Jo not make oasv partners—on the same dav. Gardening is a form of exertion web suited to the needs of the mental worker. It is not, very heavy labour and it can he carried on slowlv with manv rest Pauses. It can he taken up and nhandoned at any moment. There is no need even to nass beyond the limits of enthusiasm. Heavy mental work is never so h°aw that a few minutes spent in the garden “domf odds and ends” need impose anv strain. On the contrary, these few minutes will clear the mind and refresh if by imparting refreshment to'.the body.”