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
=Shoulder-blade Exercises= (Fig. 32).—_First Position._—Stand erect,
with the feet nearly together, and the palms of the hands brought
together above the head in the manner shown in the figure.
_Second Position_ (Fig. 33).—Throw hands and forearms backward,
keeping the arms on a line with the shoulders, the elbows bent,
and turn the palms forward, as represented in the second position
of the figure. Return to the first position, and repeat ten times.
These exercises strengthen particularly the muscles between the
shoulder-blades, whose function it is to hold the shoulders back.
The first point in taking each exercise is to learn the correct
attitude before a mirror; after this has been mastered, the exercises
should be taken with a considerable amount of rapidity and force, but
not so forcibly that the collar-bone projects at its junction with
the breast-bone. In throwing the hands and forearms back, the force
of the motion should come at the elbows, not at the hands, and the
shoulders should be carried as far back as possible.
=Shoulder-blade Exercises, Number 2= (Fig. 34).—Stand erect, with the
feet nearly together, and with the hands clasped behind the neck, as
seen in the figure. Then force the head and elbows strongly back.
Relax, letting the elbows come forward. Repeat ten times.
It will be readily seen that these shoulder-blade movements are
exercises for the arms and chest as well. The object being to raise
and broaden the chest.
=Respiratory Exercises= (Figs. 35, 36, 37).—_First Position._—Stand
with the feet nearly together, the chin down, the arms extended
downward, with the backs of the hands touching, as shown in the
figure.
=Second Position.=—The chin should be raised with the arms, so that
in the second position the head is held erect.
_Third Position._—The movements of the hands are carried upward still
further and separated as shown in the figure. From this position the
hands should be brought downward in the large sweep of a circle to
the original position.
When these various movements have been accurately acquired, forcible
respiratory movements should be added. Begin to inhale forcibly as
the hands are raised, and hold the breath as long as possible while
the hands are held above the head, and exhale forcibly while the arms
are being brought down. These exercises bring into play the muscles
of natural and forced respiration.
=Exercises for Forward Projection of the Chest and Retraction of the
Abdomen= (Figs. 38, 39).—_First Position._—Stand erect, with the arms
behind the back, the hands resting in the small of the back, the
fingers interlocked, and the palms facing backward.
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