HOW TO GET STRONG
anything, back of the vertical, and the step short and springy; quicken later into a lively pace, doing six, eight, ten steps a breath if you can without discomfort, and, holding that as long as you easily can, return to your room. If your skin is moist, do not hesitate a minute; but strip at once, and with coarse towels rub your skin till it is thoroughly red all over; and then put on dry under-clothing. If you then feel like taking a nap, take it. When well rested, do thirty more strokes at the exerciser. In the afternoon try more walking; or some horseback work if you can get a steed with any dash in him. After you are through, then more weight work. Finally, just before retiring, take another turn at the exerciser. Breathe through the nose only.
After the first week run the exerciser-work up to fifty at a time; and increase the outdoor distance covered both morning and afternoon, being sure to go in all weathers, and to eat and sleep all you comfortably can. Vary the indoor work also somewhat. In addition to the exercise on page 204 practise now twice as many daily on the exerciser, but this time facing it; and with elbows always straight, arms parallel, and neck firmly back draw your hands down close past your sides and far back of you. After the first fortnight try hanging by the two hands on the horizontal bar and swinging lightly back and forth. Before breakfast, before dinner, before supper, and just before retiring, take a turn at this swinging. Of it, and the two sorts of work on the exerciser a weak-lunged person can scarcely do enough. These open the ribs apart, broaden and deepen the chest, and inflate the lungs—the very things the consumptive needs. The out-door work secures him or her ample good air, vigorous exercise, and frequent change of scene. On the value of this good air, or rather of
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