Aug. 9, 1913- 
FOREST AND STREAM 
167 
How to Prepare for Your Summer Outing 
T O obtain the greatest benefit, both physically 
and mentally, and realize the most enjoy¬ 
ment with the least exertion and fatigue 
from your summer vacation among nature’s 
grand old mountains and forests and along her 
winding streams, you must make certain prepara¬ 
tions in advance, and now is the time to begin. 
I do not mean in the line of camping out¬ 
fits with which you are doubtless familiar, but 
in preparing your body so as to enable you to 
take the long jaunts necessary in hunting and 
fishing, as well as to put your muscles in good 
trim for rowing and paddling, for climbing 
mountains and following the woodland trail with 
ease and pleasure. The practice of the follow¬ 
ing exercises will fit you for your trip: 
1. The first and one of the most important 
things to learn and practice is deep breathing. 
The practice of this and the other exercises I 
shall describe further on will be of great help 
to you, not only in properly preparing you for 
your vacation, but will be of great benefit to 
your general health and strength, no matter 
what your occupation may be. It will add years 
to your life, and what is more important, enable 
you to accomplish more and enjoy more. 
The object of breathing is to supply the 
lungs with a sufficient quantity of oxygen to 
keep the blood pure and clean by burning up 
the waste matters of the system which are con¬ 
tinually being deposited in the blood from all 
the tissues of the body. 
The more you breathe, the purer will be 
your blood, and the stronger, healthier and freer 
from disease you will become. 
While standing or sitting with head erect, 
chest well out in front and shoulders back, fill 
the lungs to their fullest capacity, always breath¬ 
ing through the nose and inhaling slowly. Then, 
by forcibly contracting the chest and abdomen, 
expel the air as completely as possible. 
Continue this practice for a few T minutes and 
repeat often through the day. In a short time 
you will unconsciously and regularly breathe 
freer and deeper. 
Practice deep breathing while walking. This 
is the best of all times to practice it. Inhale 
deeply while taking four steps and exhale while 
taking the next four. 
2. Walking in connection with deep breath¬ 
ing should be practiced daily. Not the slow, 
aimless, listless walk, but a walk with a light, 
springy step as though you were on important 
business, as you would be, the business of in¬ 
suring your health. 
In walking, always hold the head erect, neck 
and shoulders back, chin down, chest well out 
in front and hips back. The idea of this position 
can best be obtained by standing with the back 
to a door or other perpendicular surface with 
the head, shoulders, hips and heels touching it. 
A short walk with deep breathing soon after 
rising is a good preparation for breakfast and 
the labors of the day. 
A brisk walk with deep breathing just be¬ 
fore retiring at night is one of the greatest- 
aids to sound and refreshing sleep. 
3. Rawing, where one has the opportunity, 
By A. L. WOOD, M.D. 
is one of the very best exercises to prepare one 
for the summer vacation. For special and im¬ 
portant directions to get the greatest benefit from 
it, see my article, “Complete Physical Develop¬ 
ment by New Methods of Rowing,” in Forest 
and Stream for May 31, 1913. 
4. A splendid exercise for preparing one 
for long walks and specially for mountain climb¬ 
ing is, while standing in the position described 
for walking and with the hands on the hips, to 
squat down as low as possible, holding the body 
upright, then slowly rise to the erect position. 
Repeat until tired, sit or lie down, and com¬ 
pletely relax until rested. 
5. A simple yet very effective exercise to 
strengthen the muscles of the legs is to stand 
on the right foot, holding up the left foot, then 
slowly bend the right knee, keeping the body- 
erect, and sink .down until the left knee touches 
the floor. Then slowly return to the upright 
position. Repeat until slightly fatigued. Stand 
on the loll foot and touch the floor with the 
right knee. Rest and relax. 
In commencing this exercise one may not 
be strong enough to carry the knee to the floor 
and recover. In such case only sink so far 
down as to be able to recover without straining 
the muscles. After a short time the complete 
exercise may be taken with ease. 
6. Stand erect with heels together, toes 
spread apart and arms straight above the head 
with the palms of the hands forward. Bend 
slowly forward, carrying the hands as near to 
the floor as you can without bending the knees, 
at the same time expelling the air to the fullest 
extent from the lungs. Return to the first 
position, and as far beyond it, bending the body 
backwards as far as possible without straining. 
During this upward and backward movement in¬ 
flate the lungs to the fullest extent, breathing 
through the nose. Expel the air during the 
downward movement. Repeat ten times. Rest 
and relax. 
Very few can bring the fingers near the 
floor at first, while after a time they can do it 
with ease. A few can in time place the palms 
of the hands flat upon the floor without bend¬ 
ing the knees. The writer can do this with ease, 
although seventy-four years of age. People 
generally think that as a person grows old in 
years, he must necessarily become stiff and rheu¬ 
matic, but this is wholly^ unnecessary. The 
writer is more flexible and. elastic to-day r than 
he was half a century ago. It all depends upon 
self care and self culture. 
This is an exceedingly valuable exercise for 
anyone, as it not only gives strength, but flexi¬ 
bility and elasticity to the body, improves the 
circulation of the blood, and is a valuable aid 
to digestion. 
7. Same position as No. 6, but with the 
hands clasped back of the head. Bend the body 
ISN’T THIS WORTH PREPARING FOR? 
