holding the breath, then lower the arms, slowly expelling the
breath, till they are again at the side with shoulders drooped.
Hold the breath out for a moment, and repeat six or eight times.
EXERCISE V.--(Breathing muscles of chest and abdomen.)
Standing erect draw a long breath, inflating first the lower, then
the middle, and lastly the upper part of the chest. Hold the breath
a moment, then expel the air, first emptying the lower, then the
middle and then the upper part of the chest. Hold the breath out
for a moment, and repeat six or eight times, stopping directly
there is any feeling of giddiness.
EXERCISE VI.--(Muscles of the ankle and calf.)
Stand on each foot in turn and with the other pointed in front,
bend the ankle upwards and downwards, and from side to side, and
then in a circling movement, to its full extent, as rapidly as
possible. Repeat about twenty times.
EXERCISE VII.--(Muscles of the knee and thigh.)
Stand on each foot in turn, and flex the knee as smartly as
possible backwards to its full extent. Bring it back, heel down toe
up, to its full stretch. Repeat ten times.
EXERCISE VIII.--(Balancing exercise for muscles of thigh and calf.)
Stand on one foot, and bring the other slowly upwards and forwards
to full extent of the leg, bending the body back to preserve
balance. Draw the leg back till it is reaching out to its full
extent behind the back, leaning forwards at the same time with the
body, and stretching out the arm corresponding to the extended leg
to its full extent. Repeat with each foot half a dozen times. See
Photograph.
EXERCISE IX.--(Muscles of ankle, knee and hip.)
Stand on left foot and turn the right inwards till the toe is at
right angles to the side of the left foot. Then reverse it as
smartly as possible to its full extent so that the heel of the
right foot is touching the side of the left, and the toe pointing
at right angles outwards. Repeat ten times with each foot. See
Photograph.
EXERCISE X.--(For hips and abdomen.) (From _Health and Strength_,
April, 1902.)
Stand straight, heels together, hands on the waist with thumbs to
the back and fingers pointing forwards and downwards. Then keeping
the legs still and the head facing forward all the time, sway the
body round and round, going as far back, as far forward and down,
and as far to the sides as you can. Do this slowly and see that the
abdominal muscles feel a strong play, and make three circles with
the trunk. Then stand still and straight again and stretch the body
as high as you can, but without rising off the feet, so that the
leg muscles have perfect rest. Stretch out and up after every three
circles, and stop the moment the slightest feeling of tiredness
comes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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