Health—and Beauty

Radio Record, 17 June 1938, Page 41

Health—and Beauty

The Viewpoint of the _ Physical Culturist

by

ERNEST A.

WILLIS

ANY times I have been asked to give my viewpoints concerning beauty. And invariably I have stated that my ideals of beauty consist, first, of a healthy body; secondly, a beautiful and graceful form; thirdly, personality ; and only lastly good facial features. No ambition is really more important for either men or women than a desire to make the most of themselves physically. It is my contention that a welldeveloped, well-proportioned healthy body must be good to look it. Improved Figures UNDOUBTEDLY the girls of to-day are healthier and better looking than the generation that preceded them. Like all good things there must have been more than one contributing cause in so far as this change is concerned. Perhaps the largest single change has been in the great spread of athletics and athletic training among girls. When croquet was a violent sport, it neither claimed nor got much in the way of physical development from the devotees of the game. I am not an expert.in the gentle pastime, and may underestimate the degree of skill required for attaining excellence, but no one can under-

estimate the amount of physical energy burned up in an afternoon spent at the grand old game. YET not all good figures are produced in swimmingpools or on athletic fields. Some of us get them in spite of ourselves. But, and here a hig but, the number that are on the screen, the stage, and in fact in every sphere of activity where a figure counts, purely ‘and simply as a result of hard work in producing a beautiful body is much larger than the average person realises. For all that, it is surprising the number of women there are to-day whose waistlines are so much out of proportion with the rest of their bodies. What I am going to suggest, if yon he among the number, is that you should exercise. For the average woman no claims too great can be made for the benefits of exercise. Probably most of the "made" henauties in this world first determined that diet would be the means by which they would gain a perfect physique. This is undoubtedly true of the great class who fare most interested in weight-reducing. Nowadays, it is not unusual in girls’ schools, shops and offices all over the world to come in contact with girls who have resolutely adopted and are resolutely following a well-planned diet

scheme, and who are getting resulis from it. Any number of them do not eat white bread or potatoes, give up sweets altogether, never take a second helping of anything else, and so on. More Difficult A WELI-PLANNED diet scheme will work wonders. Jn most cases, however, the diet scheme is combined with exercise in some form or other, and the combination is doubly effective. Real as the problem of the woman or girl who wishes to reduce may be, there is no question that she can achieve much by exercise and diet, and the practice of exercise and diet hy women has become so universal that private gymnasiums and = training schools have arisen in practically every city of importance throughout the world. Girls who are rather thin, and want to develop rather than reduce, have a much more diffienlt problem on their (Continned on page 43.)

Striving For Health And Beauty

eee THE OBJECT OF SCIENTIFIC EXERCISE (Continued from page 41).

hands. Still they have no need to be despondent, for it is an aecepted fact that their problem is not nearly so serivous us that of the man or boy whe wishes to develop. This is due to the facet that the texture of their muscular tissue is not so firm and therefore not so hard to break down, the first step in building new tissue. Of course, the ultimate object men and women have in mind is quite different. Many men are interested in attaining the maximum of physical development, whereas most Women wanl 2 graceful symmetrical body and aim at the minimum of physical development which will make them seem to he nuilt proportionately. ROPER physical proportions are the real foundations of a perfect body, and women have in their smaller and more delicate bones a decided advantage in the appearance side of their physique. It is necessary to have a larger calf than knee, something not nearly as unusual in girls who have neyer exercised as in men. Also, since their knees are smaller to begin wiih. they do not have to get the full de velopment of the calf to attain their proportion, Against this most men are underdeveloped from the waist down, wherews most Women are under-developed in their upper body. Everyone realises how much easier upper hody work is und how much more quickly results cau be obtained, This fact also gives women a decided advantage in exercise, and is one more good reason why more and more women are bound to realise how much they can gain in this way. Most women who are too fat realise

that & combination of exercise and diet will reduce them any time they really wish to reduce. Not so many people who are too thin believe that anything will help them. J have ad mitted that their case is a little harder, but most certainly ean the thin woman make noticeable headway right at the start of ber exercising, and much more easily can she achieve her object than can the thin man or boy. Really, any girl who desires to have an attractive form and does not attain her desire, has every reason to he disappointed with herself. With all the inducemenis of the outdoors, and all the information given her in magazines and papers and in lectures, there is no excuse for her remaining undeveloped, unhealthy and unhappy. It is only because she lacks the initiative to go ahead and do something for herself, to exert a little effort. In a nutshell, she must exercise regularly, eat wisely and sleep well.