

MOTION AND LOCOMOTION 113 



as a rule, is more desirable than power, do not require so much 

 exercise; and the fact that gymnastic exercises are commonly 

 carried on indoors is a great drawback to their value. When the 

 weather permits, out-of-door exercise is far better than that 

 carried on in even the best ventilated and lighted gymnasium. 

 For those who are so fortunate as to possess a garden there is no 

 better exercise, at suitable seasons, than an hour's daily digging 

 in it; since this calls into play nearly all the muscles of the Body; 

 while of games, the modern one of lawn-tennis is perhaps the best 

 from a hygienic view that has ever been invented, since it not 

 only demands great muscular agility in every part of the Body, 

 but trains the hand to work with the eye in a way that walking, 

 running, rowing, and similar pursuits do not. For the same 

 reasons baseball, cricket, and boxing are excellent. 



Exercise in Infancy and Childhood. Young children have 

 not only to strengthen their muscles by exercise, but also to learn 

 to use them. Watch an infant trying to convey something to its 

 mouth, and you will see how little control it has over its muscles. 

 On the other hand, the healthy infant is never at rest when awake; 

 it constantly throws its limbs around, grasps at all objects within 

 its reach, coils itself about, and so gradually learns to exercise its 

 powers. It is a good plan to leave every healthy child more than 

 a few months old several times daily on a large bed, or even on a 

 rug or carpeted floor, with as little covering as is safe, and that 

 as loose as possible, and let it wriggle about as it pleases. In this 

 way it will not only enjoy itself thoroughly, but gain strength and 

 a knowledge of how to use its limbs. To keep a healthy child 

 swathed all day in tight and heavy clothes is cruelty. 



When a little later the infant commences to crawl it is safe to 

 permit it to as much as it wishes, but unwise to tempt it to do 

 so when disinclined: the bones and muscles are still feeble and 

 may be injured by too much work. The same is true of learning 

 to walk. 



From four or five to twelve years of age almost any form of 

 exercise should be permitted, or even encouraged. During this 

 time, however, the epiphyses of many bones are not firmly united 

 to their shafts, and so anything tending to throw too great a 

 strain on the joints should be avoided. After that up to com- 

 mencing manhood or maidenhood any kind of outdoor exercise 



