the strength is being overtaxed and that some change in 

 habits should be made. 



Cultivation of mental poise is a great help in conserving 

 vital force. Worry is as bad as monotony and a fit of anger 

 poisons the whole system and is more exhausting than a 

 hard day's work. 



POSTURE AND RESPIRATION 



Standing still properly is one good form of exercise. 

 p Posture depends on the muscles which con- 



v f trol the position of different parts of this 



. framework. With the same equipment of 



bones, one body may be stoop-shouldered 

 and slouching and another may be erect and well-knit. 

 One of the most immediate good results of military training 

 is correct posture, which involves the exercise of all the 

 hundreds of muscles which help to hold the body well. 



The backbone, as we have seen, is meant to be slightly 



^ m r « j curved, so as to give elasticity. In people 

 Evils of Bad , ' , ., & , , ; . ,. *7u* 

 p who do not sit or stand straight, these 



curves become greatly exaggerated, leading 



to round shoulders and a drooping head. Such bad posture 



is not only ungraceful but unhealthy. If the back and 



shoulders and abdominal wall are not held properly the 



lungs do not get sufficient aeration and the internal organs 



are crowded together and their blood supply hampered. 



Many and grave disorders are traced to faulty posture and 



are cured by improving it. 



When standing correctly, the head, body and legs should 



_ be poised one above the other so that a 



line dropped from the front of the ear falls 



within the forward half of the foot. "This 



is the position of the long-distance walker, the mountain 



climber, the best all-round athletes; it is the position of 



command and authority, and is found predominant in the 



16 



