Progress and Achievements of the Colored People: Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater SuccessMiller, Kelly
Philosophy
Progress and Achievements of the Colored People: Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success
Miller, Kelly
African Americans; African Americans -- Education; African Americans -- Social conditions -- To 1964
The muscles of the lower limbs include those of the hips down to the
extremity of the toes. Persons in sedentary occupations MUST exercise
these muscles under penalty of having them become feeble, flabby and
unreliable. With such persons, as age creeps on, the steps become
uncertain and “wobbly,” presenting the appearance of extreme age even
before middle age has been reached.
Those who walk much should take systematic exercise for the benefit of
the lower muscles, because the occupation requiring the use of the lower
muscles fixes them in a groove or habit not conducive to control. That
is, the muscles become set in a certain direction, whereas, it is
essential to enable them to move freely and easily in any direction.
The best exercises for standing, sitting, and walking are those directed
by the will power or energy acting directly upon all the muscles and
maintaining an equilibrium so that gradual development of the entire
body will be reached.
This is accomplished by what is known as “flexible action,” in the lines
of changing curves which distinguishes the beauty and grace of motion
from mere strength.
There are three phases in this natural development: Angular, circular
and spiral. The human form poised squarely on both feet is the spiral,
the head a convexed curve, the body a concave curve, and the legs a
convexed curve, like a wave line. To preserve this spiral line of
changing curves, the weight is always thrown against the strong side so
as to develop the weak side and maintain an equilibrium. Standing should
be principally upon the balls of the feet, and the exercise should be to
incline the body to and from the opposite curves. There should be no
slouching at the hips. In walking, stand erect, feet together, abdomen
in, chest up, and shoulders firm. Then advance the thigh and let the leg
hang free from the knee down. Straighten the leg and plant the ball of
the foot in advance with the toes straight in front, and so on
alternately with each foot, carrying the head erect with the chin drawn
well in.
To sit down let the muscles come into play and not the bones, as it is
through the muscles only that gracefulness can be acquired. To rise from
a sitting to a standing position, all the muscles should work in unison
and the body arise at once to a standing position. To kneel the same
play of the general muscles should be applied. A cow or a camel is not
very graceful when performing the act of kneeling preparatory to lying
down, but that is because they are animals and not human. The mere act
of touching the hat in salutation is graceful or awkward as the muscles
are trained. A graceful sweeping curve of the arm, a gentle bend of the
muscles of the neck, inclining to a curved bow, and the salutation is
graceful. Otherwise the motion is raw and provocative of an idea of ill
breeding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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