THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS 



the subject without a counter word of warning. Most 

 good things may become evils through overdoing, and 

 physical exercise is no exception to the rule. The 

 muscular system must be allowed to operate sufficiently 

 to keep it in tone, if the organism is to maintain a good 

 degree of health; but it does not follow that every 

 muscle must be developed to its physiological limits. 

 Indeed there is little desirability of such extreme 

 development; it would often defeat the end it aimed 

 to accomplish. Extreme development comes only 

 through strenuous efforts, which are very likely to be 

 carried to such excess as to put an undue strain on 

 the heart muscles, leading to abnormal enlargement of 

 that organ. Such enlargement of the heart becomes 

 a menace to health, and may be instrumental in short- 

 ening the life of the individual. 



Again the amount of time required to produce ab- 

 solutely complete muscular development would be out 

 of all proportion to the benefits derived, for the average 

 man, even were the training so judiciously conducted 

 that no direct evil resulted. A habit of exercising, or 

 the practise of an athletic sport, may in this sense 

 become a vice. We see this illustrated in the undue 

 devotion to football among the students of some of our 

 colleges. 



But such abuses only illustrate anew the human pro- 

 pensity to go to extremes. The number after all of 

 those who exercise to excess, in the hope of acquiring 

 great skill, is relatively small; and even these have a 

 good influence in stimulating the interest of multitudes 

 who otherwise might not be led to practise athletics 



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