Tokology : $b A book for every womanStockham, Alice B. (Alice Bunker)
Science
Tokology : $b A book for every woman
Stockham, Alice B. (Alice Bunker)
Women -- Health and hygiene
5. Stand with toes at angle of 45°, knees together, hands crossed upon
the back. Bend the knees. The body is kept perpendicular and slowly
descends until sitting upon the heels. Then slowly straightened,
keeping trunk in same position. Count four with each movement, and from
four to ten with the rest. This is a severe exercise, and needs to be
taken cautiously at first by the invalid. There is no better, however,
for torpid bowels.
6. Stand as before. Palms of hands placed over lower ribs, fingers
forward. Inhale through the nostrils and expand the waist as if to
burst the belt. Expel the breath slowly and assist it by pressing with
the palms against the ribs.
7. Same position; inhale through the nostrils; retain, to count twenty;
expel through the mouth as whispering the syllable Hoo! to a person
forty feet away.
8. Sit on the floor; limbs horizontal and parallel; lungs inflated;
hands joined over the head; move backward and forward slowly as far as
possible; rest; same position, move sideways.
9. Horizontal position on back; hands clasped over the head; raise
both feet and head at same time making the body assume a curved shape;
hold to count ten; repeat this only five or six times at first. This
is a powerful exercise, affecting the abdominal viscera and general
circulation.
10. Lie in the horizontal position; hands clasped over the head; the
head and heels only resting on supports, as two stools, while the
body is quite free; hold in this position from five to ten minutes,
according to strength, practicing waist breathing; at first one might
place the stools nearer together.
11. Kneel with one leg; place the other forward with the foot firm upon
the floor; arms parallel, stretched upward to the side of the head;
move backward and forward slowly, while counting four to each movement,
and for rest; repeat three or four times, and change to the other knee.
This is a good exercise for hips, groin and lower abdomen.
12. Upon both knees wide apart, hands on hips, fingers forward. Move
quickly from right to left, and back as far as possible. This is a good
exercise for liver, spleen and muscles of the side.
Nos. 5, 10, 11 and 12 should not be attempted by a weak person until
the others have been practiced at least a month, and then begin with
caution. All these exercises should be taken in a loose wrapper. There
must be no restraint upon any part of the body. One walking or working
need not be deterred from taking them. They bring into action unused
muscles, and consequently rest those that have been overworked. I knew
a lady who did much of the heavy labor of a large greenhouse. She never
retired without performing gymnastics similar to the above. She claimed
that they rested her by the derivative effect, and the sleep that
followed was more satisfactory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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