(34^ 



Reading-Course for Farmers' Wives. 



EXERCISES WHICH MAY BE USED DAILY TO ACQUIRE 



STRENGTH. 



One-minute exercises for rest from the strain of work and for keeping 

 the body young. — I. Stand erect as nearly as possible in the position of 

 Fig. 9 and Fig. ii. Raise the arms level with the shoulders, turn them 

 so that the palm of the hand shall face directly forward. Stretch the 

 arms well outward and at the same time push vigorously backward. 

 Care should be taken to keep the head well up; it is even better if it 

 inclines slightly backward. After pushing for a moment relax the arms 

 and let them fall. Repeat two or three times. 



II. Stand erect, the weight of the body being entirely on the right 

 leg. Raise the left arm upward until it is close beside the ear; then, 



keeping the fingers pointing 

 toward the ceiling, stretch 

 upward as far as one easily 

 can. Hold this position of 

 stretched muscles for a 

 moment and then slightly 

 relax the arm ; again energize 

 and stretch; then let the 

 arm completely relax and 

 drop by its own weight to 

 the side. Without changing 

 the weight of the body from 

 the right leg, raise the right 

 arm and stretch and relax as 

 before. Repeat the entire 



Fig. i6. 



Fig. 15. 



exercise, standing with the weight on the left leg. 



III. Stand well poised over the balls of the feet, (a) Lift shoulders 

 as high as possible, (b) With intense energy slowly crowd the shoul- 

 ders backward as far as possible and simultaneously bend somewhat 

 forward from the hips — the head moving backward in opposition to 

 the direction of the movement of the trunk. After holding this energized 

 position for about half a minute relax the muscles and allow the body 

 to come to a buoyant, normal position. Repeat the exercise until a 

 positive glow or warmth is felt between the shoulders. 



IV. Sitting well back in the seat of the chair, shoulders resting against 

 the back of the chair, greatly energize the lower part of the spine, curv- 

 ing it inward away from the chair back. The shoulders remain against 

 the chair. Hold this energized position a moment or so, then relax 



