Page:Japanese Physical Training (Hancock).djvu/67

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Heart, Lungs, and Arms
35

tation just referred to is that it does not go far enough to embrace all of the Japanese ways of increasing muscle, strength, heart, and lung action.

Having acquired the principle of these resistant exercises, raise the arms, held straight before the shoulders, slowly from in front to a position where the tightly clenched fists are just over the head. Take two or three deep breaths, then lower the arms to starting position. On the downward movement, resist by a counter-pressure upward, allowing the arms to reach the starting position only after a struggle. After a little deep breathing, hold the arms slantingly at the sides, at the same position below the hips as in the other exercises. The fists, of course, must be tightly clenched, as before. Raise in the same manner to a position over the head. Take two or three breaths and then lower the fists to the starting position along the same lines of resistant work. None of these resistant exercises for the arms can injure the heart unless taken with extreme immoderation. Palpitation or panting will give the warning signal far ahead