258 
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS 
write, bend straight from, the hips. At Scout meetings 
practice sitting without support for the back. When “at 
ease” during drill, stand with feet apart and parallel and 
with hands hanging free. When resting, lie flat on the 
back without pillows. Correct posture is obtained by 
balancing the different parts of the body — hips, head, 
chest in a straight line, so that the bony framework bears 
the weight. The muscles and ligaments will not then be 
strained, and the bones will not be forced into an ab- 
normal position. Two rules to remember are: “Stand 
tall” and “Keep your spine long.” 
2. Take Exercise — If you have watched soldiers obey 
commands in drill you know how quickly their joints 
and muscles work. The setting-up exercises given in 
the Handbook have been planned to preserve the power 
of joints and muscles, and to prevent them from becom- 
ing like rusty machines. These exercises should be taken 
with windows open, if not out of doors. Clothing should 
be light and loose, and corsets removed. These exercises 
are not to be considered a substitute for vigorous outdoor 
work or play, but only as supplementary to or when 
these are impossible. The day should be planned to 
include at least an hour and a half of vigorous activity 
in the open air. This will take different forms, accord- 
ing to the place and season, so that in the summer one 
may swim, row or paddle, or play tennis or any other 
game outdoors, and in the winter skate, coast or snow- 
shoe. However, the best all year round exercise, and 
the simplest and easiest to get is walking. Five miles 
a day is an adequate average. Even walking alone is 
good exercise, but walking in a group or two and two is 
better, because keeping step, singing, whistling and talk- 
ing and laughing together add enormously to the exhil- 
aration of motion and of sun, wind or rain in the face. 
A Girl Scout should avoid unusual exercise before. 
