system 56

THE BEST HOURS FOR DOING THE EXERCISES and their proper seąuence when learnt

There are two or three times of day which are suitable for performing these exercises; namely, when the clothcs are being changcd for any rcason, (r) Tn the morning (before breakfast) ; (i) when borne frotn business (before dinner or supper) ; and (3) when going to bed.

The normal way is to do the first eight excrcises (do not take breakfast or a tup of tea in bed !) in your pyjamas or a jersey (if you want to reduce fat. or if you feel the cold vcry much, wcar a sweater) ; then take the balii and rough towelling, hnishing up with the ten rubbing exercises. If preferred, the bath can be taken first, then the rubbing excrcises, and when partly dressed the "tirst eight” exercises. This plan may be a good one if you are accnstorned to jump straight into your bath front the bed ; but it is not so good if the eight excrcises make you perspire. in your clothes. In that case it is better to do all the cxercises stripped, performing alternatcly a rubbing and an ordinary excrcise in the following order : The bath, Excrcises Nos. 11. 10, 1, 12, 2, 13, 3. 14, 4, 15, 5, 16, 6, 17, 7, 18, 8 and 9. This alternate sequence is also the most comfortable tn vety warm weather ; hut then you should naturally take the bath at the verv end of the proceduro, owing to your probably heavy perspiration.

The whole “ System ” perfornted in the morning will give the arerage healthy individual a feeling of physical buoyancy and good eonscience for the day, but for rathor weak or very tmsy people it is better to divide the " System " into two, or even tlrrec parts, to he performed at the abore-mentioned practical hours, for five to ten minutes each tiiue. When dividing up into parts you may follow your own course, or the first eight exercises can, for instance, be performed in the morning, with bath tx:fore or after, and then the rubbing exercises in the eeening before going to bed.

Should it he found that this causes disturbed slumber. a diflerent time should be chosen first of all, but later on, when the nerees have grown steadier and stronger. you will slcep the better for your eecning exercise, supposing you do not take a late supper. It should be rerami-bered. when the rubbing exercises are taken by themselres, always to begm with No. 11 and finish with No. 9. These ten rubbing exercises with deep breathing during and in between them, take but a bare seve» minutes to go through, yet the result is that you lic down in bed with a delightful feehng all over the skin, and fairly Ccrtain of a good night's rest. No one ought to deny himself these seven minutes, espccially during cold weather.

Exercise should not be indulged in too soon after a meal. A child may do it without harm. but a grown-up should let at least one-and-a-