xiv MUSCLES AND EXERCISE 201 



Too much exercise is just as harmful as too little. 

 Overwork is likely to cause the heart to dilate and its 

 valves to weaken, the arteries to enlarge, and the re- 

 spiratory organs to become diseased. Excessive exer- 

 cise is always followed by great fatigue. The question 

 of how much exercise to take must be solved by each 

 person for himself. 



140. Physical Training in our Schools. No system 

 of physical culture can take the place of the outdoor 

 games and sports of which children are so fond. But 

 the chief benefit of systematic exercise in the schools 

 lies in the fact that it tends to a harmonious develop- 

 ment of all the muscles of the body under the perfect 

 control of the will. Baron Posse, a great leader in edu- 

 cational gymnastics, says, " It is not to produce great 

 bulk of muscle, but to cause that already present to 

 respond readily to volition ; to improve the functional 

 activity of the body ; and to counteract and correct 

 tendencies to abnormal development, especially those 

 resulting from the artificial life of civilization." In any 

 well-graded system of physical exercise the movements 

 are so varied and numerous that no muscle, large or 

 small, escapes its share of exercise. In the games and 

 sports a few muscles get most of the exercise, while, 

 some are not used at all. In the gymnasium an attempt 

 is made to exercise the weak and neglected muscles, 

 so as to develop them in harmony with the rest; and 

 to bring about a perfect control of every muscle, and 

 economy, grace, and freedom in all the movements of 

 the body. 



