HOW TO KEEP FIT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 October 1925, Page 11

HOW TO KEEP FIT.

MORNING EXERCISE CHART.

THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH.

The following article has been specially written fer The Star by a gentleman who is an.enthusiast in keeping fit. The author does not profess to be a physical culturist —although his exercises have the approval both of a specialised athlete and a doctor but he knows the tingling glow of health which makes one glad to be alive, and he wishes others to share in that feeling, particularly when it may be secured by so small an effort.

OR the young lad his football, running F‘ and kindred strenuous sports. For the office man what ? Consider him fat, panting and unwieldy, or scraggy and anaemic. It is one, of those strange anomalies in human nature that the desk man will not spare out of his manifold energies a fragment for the main purpose—the maintenance of li is human machinery. His car he will keep in good running order, but not so his body. Ilis week-end game at cricket or golf is well enough, but it is not enough. All that is required is a little stretching of t.lie body each morning. Perhaps one of the main deterrents is the exaggerated notion some have of wliat healthgiving gymnastics are. They haA r e tried lying flat with toes beneath a chest of drawers and raising themselves from the waist thirty times. Puffing and panting they have felt the worse for it and' have given up the attempt. The remedy is half-way. The desk man lias no need of huge muscles. All he requires is a few exercises designed to stretch and keep free the various movable parts of the anatomy. 'Only five or six of each should be attempted to begin with. This will be sufficient to prevent the body from becoming “set.”

1. Stand erect. Hands by sides. Raise- amis very slowly up and then back as far as possible, arms stiff, completing the circle.

2. Fingers touching, arms outstretched,, opposite nose. Swing both hands as far back as possible, slowly, keeping arms stiff and horizontal.

RULES FOR THE INDOOR MAN.

3. Rig-lit fist tucked under armpit; left hand near knee; body bent to left. Slide right hand down to k„.ee, drawing left hand up into armpit, bending bodv > tio right. Repeat. 4. Stand erect, feet close together. Bend to right and left from waist as far as possible- Keep hands on hips. s . 5. Turn head from light to left and repeat, slowly. o! Stand erect,, arms stretched straight above head. Bend down slowly from waist till finger tips- touch floor (if possible). Don’t bend knees. Repeat. 7. Stand erect. Raise up slowly to tiptoes and slowly back to heels. Keep shoulders hack, finger tips stretched full out by side.. Thirty to fifty times foi tills exercise. 8. Practise running on one spot, drawing up knees hi'di. On.lv a few to begin with, gradually' increasing. 9. Standing on toes let body down, into a sitting position, then slowly' rise and stretch up to a full height. Draw shoulders well back. Now* slowly subside to sitting position. Keep on toes whole time. 10. Contract muscles of abdomen and release. Difficult at first. 11. Draw in slowly a deep breath, then exhale completelv. Rest for a few ordinary' breaths, then repeat deep breathing. - Three times enough at first. Raise arms outstretched, sideways and upwards, when inhaling, and lower when exhaling. Most desk men are poisoned with, indulgence in food. For the older man the following diet will be found good. ' Breakfast: One apple. Dinner: Ample, with plenty of vegetables. Tea: Porridge, whole-meal bread, butter and cheese. Last thing at night, an apple. To be healthy one ought to be really hungry part of each day. The foregoing does away with drugs for constipation. These exercises should take from seven to ten minutes each morning.;