Exercise

A course of milk diet alone does not insure a person forever against future illness or encroachment of old age, but it certainly tends to do so when combined with right living, and by right living I mean correct eating, drinking, working, thinking, sleeping, breathing and exercising. Of all these, the last is by no means the least; for many people it is the most important of all.

There are many useful books and periodicals devoted to exercise and physical culture, and I advise all my patients to keep up their interest in the subject by studying them, for it is easy to drop back into the old habits of inactivity and weakness. I cannot fully cover the subject in this work but there are some points that I will speak of, not always mentioned in the exercise instructions.

THE OBJECT of all exercise should be to improve the circulation of the blood, increase the breathing power, and develop organic vigour in those vital parts of the body on which our wellbeing depends.

Exercise simply to build up big muscles and to do imposing feats of strength is largely a waste of vitality.

In exercising any muscle, we also exercise the brain and nerves, because they control the muscles, and when we get tired, it is because the nervous apparatus is tired, not the muscle itself.

When we decide to make a muscular movement, the brain sends an impulse over the nerve or nerves extending to the special muscles involved, ordering the muscles to contract. As a muscle in contracting uses up a certain amount of food carried by the blood, the artery supplying blood to the particular set of muscles in use becomes enlarged or dilated in order that the necessary food and oxygen may reach the part. This, itself, is a muscular act, the little involuntary muscles in the walls of the artery being controlled by the sympathetic system of nerves. After the muscle has been working, the vein leading from it to the heart carries a larger volume of blood containing the waste matter created by the muscular effort. The brain itself requires more blood when engaged in manipulating the muscles, just as it does when engaged in any purely mental process, for tissue cells in any part of the body cannot be active without necessitating a supply of blood in excess of the amount ordinarily sufficient to nourish the part.

So in muscular exercise there must be also nervous exercise. Just as the muscle grows larger, stronger, and firmer by exercise, so the brain and nerve cells become more efficient in the way of rapidity, acuteness, and precision in the execution of the movements. And muscular effort, by throwing into activity a different portion of the cerebrum, and causing a greater flow of blood in perhaps little used channels, may relieve conditions like worry, anxiety, insomnia, nervous exhaustion, and even pain.

The most important effect of muscular exercise is to increase the number and depth of respirations, and thereby the quantity of air passing in and out of the lungs, leading to an increased absorption of oxygen, and elimination of carbonic acid. It is estimated that a man at rest draws in 480 cubic inches of air per minute; if he walks four miles an hour, he draws in five times as much, or 2400 cubic inches; if he walks six miles an hour, he draws in seven times as much, or 3360 inches.

The effect of exercise on the skin is to dilate the cutaneous blood vessels, and increase the amount of perspiration, thereby allowing more water, salts, and acids to pass from the system. The evaporation reduces the temperature of the body, which would tend to rise.

Exercise increases the appetite, doubtless as the result of wear and tear of the muscles and other organs. Digestion is more perfectly performed, and the circulation through the liver and portal system is quickened. There are many different systems of exercise and probably they all have good points, but whatever system is used, especially where no apparatus is required, it must be kept in mind that to be of any benefit real exercise must be taken. That is, the muscles must be firmly contracted, and the brain kept occupied with the matter in hand. It will be of little use to flop the hands back and forth in a languid manner, while the eyes are gazing out of the window, and the brain making plans for the day’s work, or something else.

Throw energy and concentration into ten movements; they need not necessarily be made rapidly, although rapidity is a factor in some exercises, but contract the muscles to the utmost limit. The alternate contraction and relaxation of the muscles is what drives the old blood out and pulls in new, and greater the concentration the more efficient the movement. Make the limb or portion of the body being exercised as rigid as possible. In the arm movements, especially the overhead ones (and these are particularly useful because bringing into play muscles that are otherwise little used) leave the hands open so that the muscles of the forearm will not be much affected. These movements should be concentrated in the upper arm, shoulder, neck, chest and upper back. Taken in this manner they are of the utmost benefit to the chest, neck and spine. A few moments’ exercise of the arms, in this manner stimulates the circulation in the great blood vessels in the neck, and along the spinal column into the brain, and particularly brings into activity the great nerve centres which lie along this tract.

After patients have finished the resting part of the treatment, they dress and situ up an hour or two the first day. This is usually enough where patients have been in bed several weeks, because the muscles, although big and firm, are unused to exercise, and they tire easily the first day.

As soon as patients begin to be up and around, the length of the bath is decreased a little every day, until only a short, 10 or 15 minute, bath is taken. Instead of finishing up with the water quite warm, no more hot water is added, and, when the short bath is reached, a cold sponge bath, or shower, can be used after the warm bath.

The second day the patient is up, a short walk can be taken, and every day afterward the exercises are increased, and the time in bed decreased, until only the necessary time for sleeping is spent in bed.

Two or three days after stopping the complete rest, start in on the following exercises and take them every morning and night. They should be done standing in front of a mirror, with very little or no clothing on. The exercises are simple, and few in number, so as to be easily remembered, and not take too long in execution. It is better to do a few exercises twice a day regularly at home, than to go to a gymnasium two or three times a week and work hard for an hour or two.

All these exercises can be made as hard as desired by simply increasing the tension, or rigidity of the muscles.

EXERCISE NO. 1 – Stand upright before the mirror, arms down, palms facing forward. Breathe deeply and regularly. Make the muscles of arms and shoulders as rigid as possible. Flex the arms at the elbows alternately and bring the hand up in front of the shoulder. As one hand comes up the other goes down. After doing each up and down movement relax completely all the muscles of that side. Do the movements slowly, starting with five for each arm and increasing one day until ten is reached.

EXERCISE NO. 2 – Stand upright, arms extended sideways as far out as possible, palms up. Make as rigid as possible all the muscles of arms, shoulders, and neck. Bend both arms at the elbows, until hands are near face, then extend to starting position and relax. Do this the same number of times as Ex. No. 1.

EXERCISE NO. 3 – Stand upright, arms extended sideways as far as possible, palms facing forward. Make rigid muscles of arms, shoulders, back and neck. Bring hands forward until almost touching in front of face, and while doing so exhale, or empty the lungs as completely as possible. Then return hands to starting position slowly, inhaling as you do so until

lungs are completely filled. Then relax. Always inhale through nose with mouth closed. Repeat same number of times as Ex. 1.

EXERCISE NO. 4. – Stand upright, arms at sides, palms inward. Make rigid muscles of arms, shoulders, back, sides and abdomen. Bend body at waist line sideways to left side as far as possible. At the same time bend right below and bring hand up into armpit, closing fingers. Relax momentarily and straighten up. Repeat to other side. To be done five times.

EXERCISE NO. 5. – Stand upright, arms extended sideways, palms up. Make arms and neck as rigid as possible, and raise hands straight over head, without bending elbows. Return to starting position and relax. Repeat same number of times as Ex. No. 1.

EXERCISE NO. 6. – Stand upright and raise arms sideways until hands are above head. Then bend over forward until finger tips touch floor as far as possible from feet. Gradually straighten up, raising hands with palms facing toward body. As you assume perpendicular, rotate hands outward until palms are facing forward.

This like No. 3, should be made a breathing exercise, exhaling as the body is bent forward, beginning to inhale as body comes up, and expanding chest as much as possible at the moment you rotate hands out. When the expansion is as complete as possible, hold the breath as you raise arms sideways as far as possible, and commence exhaling as body bends over, etc. To be done slowly five times, allowing 8 to 10 seconds to each complete movement.

I have given principally arm exercises, because it is the upper part of the body that stand in greatest need of development, and these movements markedly help the breathing, and also are beneficial to the brain, and nervous system in general.

The body bending exercises are particularly useful in constipation, but should be done by everyone. All these movements assist in maintaining the poise of the body, and tend to gracefulness and agility in men or women; old or young.

The man of 45 would be in greater demand by employers if he would keep up his strength and quickness, and brush the cobwebs out of his brain by vigorous daily exercise. He who is slow of speech and movement and unwilling or unable to stand an occasional “rush” in his work, will likely be superseded by a more alert and active employee.

Age is no drawback, but inefficiency is.

For the lower limbs, walking is good exercise, when properly done, with the head up, the chest expanded, and the limbs swung vigorously and not dragged along. Running is still better and helps immensely to improve the

lung capacity. If outdoor running cannot be practiced, a good substitute may be found in the room by dressing in a light costume, or none at all, and going through the motions of running, but dropping the feet in the same place all the time. Rope skipping is another strenuous exercise that can be practiced in a room.

Handball is excellent, but if you have no court get a light, hollow rubber ball which you can throw up in the corner of you room, near the ceiling. It is perfectly noiseless, often a valuable consideration, and the return direction is so variable that it keeps every muscles on the jump to catch it.

Every year I am more convinced of the benefits of exercise after taking the milk diet treatment. The patients who remain in the best condition are those who systematically exercise.

A simple test that can be made by any one is to perform, night and morning, the tensing exercises as given in this book for, say, ten days, noting carefully the general condition every day, as to strength, activity, appetite, bowel movement, mental condition, etc., and then stop them entirely.

After another ten days, resume the exercises, and I am sure, on comparing your condition, with and without exercises, that you will decide in favour of keeping up the exercises.