HEALTH AND HOUSEWORK

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 187, 12 September 1914, Page 6

HEALTH AND HOUSEWORK

DO you realist that the ordinary little home duties may bo turned into the most beneficial exercises by just a change of thought? If you are obliged to go upstairs-'for something do not hesitate and fret about it, but make that bodily movement a real exercise by throwing the shoulders back, taking in a deep breath, holding it as long as you can, and go

bulk ©f this talking leave their homes to be tended in some fashion by incompetent servants while they go off to some, gymnasium for exercises, where the best the director can do for them is to teach them some substitute for the natural exercises of housework.

There's everything in one's mental attitude toward a thing. Suppose the windows of a gymnasium were opened wide and half a dozen women similarly attired, each furnished with a broom, were sweeping majestically to the slow rhythm of a popular two-step played on a piano in an adjoining room. Wouldn't these women go home to lunch and declare they'd had an elegant time and that they felt ten years younger? Of course. 1 :*">-*»'s

ahead. Do the action of mounting and descending the stairs firmly and quickly, and if possible repeat the journey for exercise. If you drop your embroidery, or needles, or threads do not call for a maid or some one to pick them up, but arise quickly, stand firmly \ipon both feet, heels together, and stoop over without bending the knees, pick up the little innocent offenders, and feel grateful to them for giving you cause for exercise. Dusting is the best exercise one can take. You can stoop over (without bending the knees), reach up, stretching and exercising the arms and shoulders. Hanging pictures is also splendid work. Mounting and dismounting a stepladder is wonderful for balance and poise. If you want an exercise to limber the muscles, just walk quickly around the room and pick up scraps from the floor without stopping in your walk. You can cultivate agility of limb and quickness of eyesight by this little household duty. One does not need to go to a gymnasium for exercise if she have work to do at home; and every girl, no matter how luxuriously she is brought up, should be compelled to make up her own bed and clean her room, if only for the exercise it gives her. Washing and hanging up clothes in the yard and ironing them is all fine exercise, which has been modified for that beneficial purpose by the new inventions of machinery. All in the Mental Attitude. If you will take the trouble to look around you, you will notice that there are more working women with fine figures ; and happy faces than unemployed ones. Just think of those native, dark skinned women of .Jamaica who carry heavy loads upon their heads and walk .miles and yet have the most beautiful backs in the world. :' In gymnastic work you are taught to reach up and down, run and jump, bend and kneel. Why not make every opportunity you can find to do such things at home? A great deal of "tommy rot" has been written and talked about women. being chained to the galleys as household drudges. A good many women who do the

In sweeping use both sides of the body equauy. something in the pleasure of company and something in the delight of movements to music, but it's largely in the mental attitude. Singing Helps Clean the Hug. When you sweep you won't want to wear a gymnasium suit, perhaps, but you can be sure your dress is equally comfortable and your feet are not incased in high heeled slippers. You can't hire a pianist to play the accompaniment to your sweeping, but you can hum a brisk marching tune and sweep in rhythm with it. If you do these things and have the window wide open,

NO NEED TO GO TO A GYMNASIUM FOR EXERCISE

standing erect with your shoulders- well back and your feet firmly planted, you can "play pretending" you are a society belle going through training in some high priced institute and at the same time get the rug just as clean as if you had hunched and grumbled over it. In sweeping use both sides of the body equally. Make one work as hard as the other. Change the broom from side to side. If you limit yourself te one side, soon a difference in the hips will be noticeable. It is well, too, in sweeping to twist just a little at the hips, and this will give the side bending of the trunk which is so beneficial to the internal organs, especially the liver. Floor sweephfg is a little like golf. Scrubbing Develops Shoulders.

Don't think for a moment you are an'abused person if you have floor scrubbing to do. When you get right down on your knees and scrub you are really taking one of the most scientific positions for raising your internal organs. You must remember, however, to keep your back straight, your chest forward, and your abdomen drawa in. Then use your hands and arms equally—first to the left and tfiten the right. This exercise will give your shoulders splendid development. , t As for washing, you will need more care just here than perhaps in any other part of housework. Yov must combine thought and exercise with bending over th« tub. Be careful to s keep your mouth shut during th« work and breathe through your nose. Make frequent stops for exercise and the deep breathing of fresh air. Straighten yourself up with some stretching exercise and breathe deeply for a minute or "two away from the steam. It will do much to rest you and offset the disadvantages of this work. When you hang up clothes the same muscles are brought into action that are used ■in the gymnasium with some of the-dumbell exercises.

Deep breathing can be continually practised in housework. This will develop lung capacity, cultivate a beautiful voice, and give colour and smoothness to the complexion. Remember always to hold your chin in and'let your chest lead. Draw in the abdomen and your shoulders will fall naturally into proper place. Then with deep breathing through your nose you will not run much risk of injury from 'housework.. Remember to bend only at the hips. Do not bend at the waist. But bend fifty times a day if you can. Nothing will so quickly rid you of that accumulation around the wsiist; The great thing to remember in housework is to keep the back as straight as possible. If you are standing to iron or to wash dishes or prepare food, stand as erect as you j>ossibly can, with the abdomen held in, the shoulders thrown back, and the chest rising and falling rhythmically to the measure of deep drawn breaths. •

Let in all the sunshine and fresh air you can, and,

whatever you do, go sunnily about the work, remembering that every fret is an ugly wrinkle. Remember: Opportunities for enhancing beauty are often striven for abroad when they are staring you in the face at home.—Lillian Russell in the Chicago " Tribune. '^