DEEP BREATHING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 150, 15 September 1927, Page 18

DEEP BREATHING

NOT NATURAL TO ALL “LUNGS MUST BE TRAINED” 4<r pHERE yvas once a bull-frog - 1 - who wished to inflate himself to the size of a cow. He started to blow himself up. and blew, and blew, until finally he burst.” Like the frog in the fable, said Mr. W. Noi-man Kerr, in the course of a physical culture lecture broadcast from IYA last evening, “many of the arguments n opposition to conscious deep breathiig have long ago been exploded.” It had been claimed by some, said the lecturer, that natural breathing was accomplished by normal exercise. In his opinion only robust children could rely upon exercise as a means of developing the respiratory organs. Children that had not abundant endurance could not exercise vigorously enough to cause forceful breathing without danger of physical collapse. That was also true of adults. The a.verage man or woman had not the physical and nervous strength to vigorously enough to give the lungs abundant exercise. Hence it was necessary to resort to conscious breathing gymnastics. ASSISTING NATURE “We must assist nature in the physical education of our children,” he urged. There was no greater period of danger in a child’s life, he contended, than the period when growth was very rapid. During that period it was imperative that the development of the chest be given special attention, otherwise the child would develop into a flat-che3ted and round-shouldered man or woman. " Many consumptives could trace the cause of their condition to “growing too rapidly.” “The truth,” said Mr. Kerr, “was that the chest and lungs did not grow rapidly enough.” The lecturer instanced the case of a pupil of his, a little girl 14 years of age, who was passionately fond of fancy dancing. She could dance all the steps, yet owing to her weak chest and restricted breathing, after a few minutes’ dancing she was breathless and quite exhausted. If that child was encouraged to enter into healthful games and sports, considerable harm would be caused and there would probably be a collapse. The lungs and chest would first have to be prepared and brought up to the necessary standard, and that was necessary in the case of all who were not physically strong enough to stand hard physical exercise.