Personal hygiene and physical training for womenGalbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)
Science
Personal hygiene and physical training for women
Galbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)
Physical education and training; Women -- Health and hygiene
“(2) During school life physical training is quite as important for
girls as for boys.
“(3) Systematic physical training is necessary both for country and
town children.
“The daily walk to school is exercise, but not exercise which
develops the body as a whole, or counteracts the liability to stoop,
to be round-shouldered, or to be slovenly in gait. Moreover, all
children during school life must spend many hours with but little
change of position, the effects of which can only be corrected by
systematic physical exercise.
“It should aim at the healthy development of the body, as well as
of the mind, by the regular development of all the muscles, the
quickening of the intelligence and activity, and the formation of the
habits of prompt obedience, precision, smartness, and discipline. The
exercises should not be for mere display or entertainment, but each
should have its particular purpose and value to develop all parts of
the body.
“A certain amount of physical exercise once a day or oftener
is preferable to even a greater amount, at longer or irregular
intervals.
“Games are very useful and ought to be encouraged, but they cannot be
played by all children, and usually the weaker ones go to the wall;
that is, those most needing systematic development are excluded.
Games affording opportunities for violent exercise are useful for
the development of reserve strength, and form an admirable field for
the cultivation of social and public spirit. We strongly favor their
organization and development at all schools.
“For boys, in addition to the regular games, country runs, leaping
and dancing the Highland Fling; for girls, skipping and hockey. For
both, swimming is strongly advised.”
=Physical Training Among the Ancients.=—Greek culture regarded the
individual as valuable in and for himself, and sought to promote
first of all his full and free development. The idea was symmetry and
balance of parts, and, to attain complete and harmonious manhood,
mind and body were trained together.
Games played an important part in the life of the Athenians, and
their importance in the education of children was early recognized.
From the age of seven to sixteen it is probable that one-half of
the day of the Athenian boy was spent in intellectual and the other
half in physical education. The aim of the Athenian education was
to produce men, independent but respectful, freedom loving but law
abiding, healthy in mind and body, clear in thought, ready in action,
and devoted to their families, their fatherland, and their gods.
Gymnastics included everything relating to the culture of the body.
The culmination of the Athenian education was dancing. As a
supplement to gymnastic culture, it toned down the ardent exercise of
the gymnasium and the over-energy of muscular development to the ease
and grace which was the Athenian ideal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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