How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern ScienceFisher, Irving
Science
How to Live: Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science
Fisher, Irving
Hygiene
One of the organs which is most commonly strained in modern life is the
eye. In its modern use, the eye is constantly focusing at a short
distance. To look at the horizon is a rest. The reflex evils from
eye-strain are great and numerous and are often incorrectly ascribed to
entirely different causes. Headaches, nausea, and dizziness are
especially frequent results of eye-strain. Probably some of the
breakdowns in middle life are due primarily to the reflex effect of
eye-strain.
Eye-strain is to be prevented by scientifically adapted spectacles, by
care to secure the right kind of illumination, and in some cases by
systematically resting the eyes. Reading on moving trains or looking for
a long time at moving pictures may overstrain the eye. One should be
especially careful not to read in a waning light or, on the other hand,
to read in the glare of the sun. If one works facing a window, it is
advisable to wear an eye-shade; otherwise there is a struggle between
the tendency of the bright light to close the pupil and the tendency of
the work requirement to keep it open.
To offset the evils of a sedentary life, it is advisable to spend one
hour daily, or at least 15 minutes, in some kind of vigorous physical
exercises.
[Sidenote: Mechanical Home Exerciser]
The rowing-machine is probably the most beneficial form of mechanical
home exercise that is likely to be followed faithfully. Simple
stretching in bed when one wakes up is helpful, especially if combined
with breathing exercises.
[Sidenote: Stimulating Heart and Lungs]
The most beneficial exercise, as a rule, is that which stimulates the
heart and lungs, such as running, rapid walking, hill-climbing and
swimming. These should, of course, be graduated in intensity with
varying age and varying degrees of vitality.
[Sidenote: Exercise after Meals]
Gentle muscular activity after meals promotes normal digestion and
should be practised for a quarter or half an hour after each meal, but
violent exercises immediately after meals should be avoided, as a large
amount of blood is then engaged by the digestive system.
[Sidenote: Outdoor Exercise in Winter]
A very important fact for the average man to take into consideration is
that, whereas he naturally gets considerable out-of-door exercise in
summer, he allows it to lapse in the winter. Such a decided change in
the amount of exercise is dangerous and should be avoided by taking
regular gymnasium exercise. Even though a gymnasium is not elaborately
equipped, use can be made of such games as hand-ball, volley-ball and
other available games.
[Sidenote: Enthusiasm in Exercise]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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