HOW TO GET STRONG
now; and this exercise directly tends to enlarge and strengthen them, and to add materially to the appearance of the arms.
But one exercise more need be mentioned here. Stand erect; now draw the head and neck back of the vertical all of eight inches, until you face the ceiling. Starting with the dumb-bells high up over the head, keeping the elbows straight, lower the dumb-bells slowly, until now you are holding them at arm's length, with your arms spread, as on a cross. Then lift them up again, lower, and continue. If this does not spread the chest open, it will be hard to find anything which will. Do this consecutively twenty times every day for a month. That number will take scarcely a minute to accomplish, but the little one-pound bells will feel wondrously heavy before the minute is over.
Here, then, have been shown quite a variety of exercises, not only safe and simple, but inexpensive, which can readily be adopted in any school. If they are followed up as faithfully and steadily as are the other lessons, they cannot fail to bring decided and very welcome improvement in the shape and capacity of about all the muscles, and hence of the whole body; while they will go far towards giving to all the scholars an erect and healthy carriage. These results alone would delight many a parent's heart. The making this branch of instruction as compulsory as any other would soon accustom the pupil to look for it as a matter of course. If it were conducted with spirit, it would always be sure to prove interesting; and very likely to send the children back to their studies much fresher and brighter for the temporary mental rest.
Besides these exercises, the teacher, insisting on the
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