The Campaign Is On

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Campaign Is On

No good purpose is served by criticising the Government for launching the fitness campaign in the middle of February, njor the City Fathers of Whangarei in starting the local celebrations so late as Feburary 6, which obviously left too little time for the detailed organisation the occasion deserved. The fact is the campaign is on and the ready good-natured response to the rushed organisation has been wonderful. "' ‘ ’ FOUNDATIONS of efficiency « We should all be in. it to make it successful, for .no better object could be put before a people than the avowed object of N.Z. Fitness Week; viz., to arouse nation-wide interest in organised and balanced physical culture as the basis of national health and national efficiency in both body and mind.■ “Man.is an animal first and a long way after that, anything that civilisation can make of him.” Mens sana in corpore sane (sound mind in sound body) is not a vain and meaningless word; it represents a text on which all the prophets have preached the law from, time immem.- i orial. Mind is the monopoly of man: it is dependent, on the brain, and you can no. more have a healthy brain in an unhealthy body than you can have a good fire in a dirty grate with a flue. / THE FOUNDATIONS OP FITNESS That interest in balanced physical culture, once aroused, will not think of physical health as something to be sought and; developed from school days to 25 or 30 years of age. It will push further back and further for-

ward. It, will realise that the foundations of fitness should bo lai’ji lin the pre-natal efficiency of motherhood. It will push forward by realising that men and women over 30 and 40 should exercise and cultivate flexibility and fitness of body not less than at 15 or 20, though, of course, in ways suitable to their .age. GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY But I am wandering from my first intention, which was to offer my readers one or two quotations from hooks that make a tremendous and reasoned appeal on this subject; books that would, I think, be appreciated by others. One I have already quoted is “Growing Old Gracefully,” by Dr. Leonard Williams, of London, who is also the author of “The Science and Art of Living.” The other is a more recent book, "Physical Education,” by M. L. Jacks, just published by Nelsons in their “Discusison Books.”

Here is,an extract from Dr. Williams: Nature’s ways are simple and obvious. So obvious and simple that folk cannot believe that so kingly and transcendental a creature as man can possibly be expected to conform himself thereto. It is this arrogant impression which leads man to disI’egard Natui’e and follow false and

fleeting goddesses, who lure him to destruction. Nature bids him live

hard, but he prefers to live soft. He does not use her gifts; he abuses

them. Because he finds warm atmospheres agreeable, he suffocates

himself; because he likes eating, he poisons himself; because he likes armchairs, he fails to exercise himself. \

HEALTH BUILDING AND RESTORING

This book tempts quotation on every page. It is tonic reading. But this one further quotation must, do:

“Thus It has become the unfortunate fashion for man to argue, and act, as though Nature were his worst enemy. The fresh air which she provides for him he excludes by every possible means from his microbe laden rooms, lest lie should contract ‘a chill.’ The bounteous fruits of the earth for which he perfunctorily

thanks the Lord on Sunday, he carefully placer, in an index expurgarorius for the rest of the week, in order to eat large quantities of thoroughly devitalised meat, offerings and burnt offerings which he deems necessary to ‘keep up his strength.”

THE REAL SOURCE OF STRENGTH The real source of his strength, both external and internal, his muscles, he seldom exercises, save when he must, because forsooth lie is afraid of “wearing himself out.” Exercise is not only the greatest upholder of health; it is also the greatest restorer.” UNDERWRITING THE FUTURE This is a striking phrase from Mr Jack's book, in which is summed up what can be done for a nation by physical education on broad systematic lines. At the beginning of the book he says: Physical education is no exception to the doctrine which declares education .to be a lifelong process. If in the wise man the mind and the character, the senses and the emotions. are always at school, the body

can be so no less, and there are many departments of physical education which can be entered at any age.

REJUVENATING AT SEVENTY A distinguished scientist took to dancing at the age of seventy, and experienced a rejuvenation of his whole personality! We need not wait as long as that; we can begin earlier to stave off the approach of old age, to awaken any faculties which we may fear are becoming dormant, to develop ’ some latent and half forgotten , skill, to discover new interests in life; and it is significant how often new interests prolong life—there is a tale of a tribe dying out because it had lost interest in life. To all these ends physical education widely interpreted may have some contribution to make,”