FITNESS EXERCISES

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20740, 25 February 1939, Page 10

FITNESS EXERCISES

MOVEMENTS EXPLAINED CAMPAIGN BY BROADCAST At 7 o’clock each morning next week, the YA stations will broadcast physical fitness exercises. There arc a few things to remember when doing the exercises: Perform them with vigour; put plenty of effort into them; yet keep the rhythm and work with j the music. Try to keep good positions. All the time keep the body upright, chest up; yet don't hold yourself stiffly. Allow the muscles free movement; try to achieve suppleness, and above all try to breathe naturally when dointg the exercises. Read the explanation of the exercises, follow the diagrams, and get a mental picture of what to do, so that you will have no difficulty when you come to do your “daily dozen - ’ with the music. One word of warning to those who find it a little hard at first: Just do what you feel you can cope with; then add a little more each day as you get more fit, till finally you can go the full distance. Here is an explanation, with diagrams of the exercises that will be lb road cast; each morning at seven o’clock. Exercise I. Stand with feet astride, body erect, arms hanging relaxed at the side. Count 1 : Keeping the knees braced back, beml the trunk forward, arms still hanging, to a position where the hands are about 12 inches from the floor. Count 2—Now raise the body about six inches and allow it to drop downward, to beat the floor with the hands. Count 3 Raise the body upright, bringing the arms to the upward bend position—as in fhe diagram—chest up. Count 4: Now lower the arms t: the sides.

Exercise 11. Count I—Standing astride, bend the truck sideways to the left—hod; square to the front Reach down the left leg with the left hand—the right arm being in the under-bend position —as in the diagram—hand lightly clenched and well up into the armpit. 'Count 2—Raise the body upright a little—now swing right down to the left reaching down with the left hand as far as possible—body square to the front—right hand well up into the armpit. Uounts 3 and 4—Now swing over to the right, changing the position of the arms and further over to the right.

Exercise 111. Standing astride, place the right hand on the hip. Turning the body slightly to Ihe left and with the arm straight, hand lightly clenched, swing the arm forward, upward and to the rear, describing as big a circle as possible. Do eight circles to the left, then change the hands, left hand on hip, body slightly turned to the right and repeat eight times to that side.

Exercise IV. Standing astride, hands on hips, now’ bend the body forward, circle round to the left, the rear, over to the right and then to the front, and from there repeating the exercise back the other way. Trunk circling —done with a free, rolling movement.

Standing at attention, across bend the arms in front of the body—elbows just below the level of the shoulders —elbows, wrists, and fingers in a straight line. Chest up. Count i—Now with a swinging movement, straighten the arms level with the shoulders, stretching them as far back as possible. Count 2 —Return the arms to the original position.

Exercise VI. Lie on the back, arms at the side, palms on the floor. Count I—Bend the left knee to the chest. Count 2—Point the toes and stretch the left leg straight upwards. Count 3 —Bend the knee again. Count I —Lower the leg to the floor. | Repeat with the right leg in four j counts.

Exercise VII. Count i—Slanding astride, body ! •ct, cross the wrists in front of the I dy. arms relaxed. Turning the ds fully lu the left swing the

left arm to a position midway between sideways and upward stretch, right hand moving up in front of the left shoulder. Count 2—With a swinging movement, turn the body fully to the right, bringing the right arm to midway up and the left to in front of the right shoulder.

Posture.—Check the carriage. Feet parallel and in line, about three inches apart—weight of the body evenly distributed, no more pressure on the toes than on the heels—knees braced back—arms hanging relaxed at the side—not in front—head erect —held squarely on the shoulders—eyes looking their own height in front—chin in. Try this in front of a long mirror.