HEALTH AND ENDURANCE
_George J. Fisher, M. D.
Secretary, Physical Department International Committee
Young Men's Christian Association_
Fitness
Two things greatly affect the conditions under which a boy lives in
these days. One is that he lives in-doors for the greater part of the
time, and the other is that he must attend school, which is pretty
largely a matter of sitting still. Two things therefore are needs of
every boy: out-door experience and physical activity.
To secure endurance, physical power, physical courage, and skill, the
first thing needful is to take stock of one's physical make-up, put
the body in the best possible condition for doing its work and then
keep it in good order.
Proper Carriage
Head up, chin in, chest out, and shoulders back is a good slogan for a
boy scout who desires an erect figure. One can scarcely think of a
round-shouldered scout. Yet there are such among the boys who desire
to be scouts.
There is no particular exercise that a boy can take to cure round
shoulders. The thing to remember is that all exercise that is taken
should be done in the erect position, then the muscles will hold the
body there.
An erect body means a deeper chest, room for the important organs to
work and thus affords them the best chance to act.
A few setting-up exercises each day in the erect position will help
greatly to get this result.
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[Illustration: Exercise 1]
Position: Heels together, arms down and at sides, palms in.
Movement: Swing arms, sideways, upward to vertical, and return.
[Illustration: Exercise 2]
Same as Exercise I, except that arms
are swung forward, upward to vertical.
[Illustration: Exercise 3.]
Position: Arms extended to side horizontal.
Movement: Swing forward and return.
(Emphasis upon backward movement.)
[Illustration: Exercise 4.]
Position: Arms at side, horizontal, back slightly arched.
Movement: Circle arms backward.
Setting-up Exercises
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[Illustration: Exercise 5.]
Position: Forearms flexed at side of chest.
Movement: Thrust arms forward and return.
[Illustration: Exercise 6.]
Position: Arms at front, horizontal,
forearms flexed, fingers on shoulders.
Movement: Swing backward to side,
horizontal in position.
[Illustration: Exercise 7.]
Position: Same as Exercise 6.
Movement: Swing downward, forward, bringing arms beyond sides
of body. Rise on toes with end of backward swing.
[Illustration: Exercise 8a.]
Position: Arms at vertical, thumbs locked, head fixed between arms.
[Illustration: Exercise 8b.]
Movement: Bend forward as far as possible,
without bending knees, and return.
Setting-up Exercises
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[Illustration: Exercise 9.]
Position: Arms at vertical. Repeat exercise 8b
[Illustration: Exercise 9b.]
Movement: Arm circles, downward, inward,
across chest. Reverse the movement.
[Illustration: Exercise 10.]
Position: Arms on hips.
Movement: Forward bend.
[Illustration: Exercise 11.]
Position: Same as Exercise 10.
Movement: Backward bend.
[Illustration: Exercise 12.]
Position: Same as Exercise 10.
Movement: Sideward bend, right and left.
Setting-up Exercises
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[Illustration: Exercise 13.]
Position: Same as Exercise 10.
Movement: Rotate body of waist.
[Illustration: Exercise 14.]
Position: Same as Exercise 10.
Movement: Raise high on toes. (Hold shoulders back firmly)
[Illustration: Exercise 15.]
Position: Same as Exercise 10.
Movement: Full knee bend.
Setting-up Exercises
Growth
The chief business of a boy is to grow. He may have other affairs, but
this is his chief concern. He should, therefore, have a few simple
rules for living and make them a part of his daily life.
Out-door Exercises
Each day should have its out-door exercises. Walking is a splendid
form of exercise. Walk to school or business; don't ride unless
absolutely necessary because of unusual distance. Walk with a good,
swinging stride with chest well up and spine fairly straight. Slow
running across country is great; it lacks strain and yet affords
splendid stimulation to heart and lungs. Cross-country running and
hiking should be favorite sport for scout patrols and troops. A boy
ought to have at least two hours of sport daily in some good, vigorous
game, such as baseball or tennis, and, if he can possibly afford it,
at least two periods a week, of an hour each, in a gymnasium, where he
can receive guidance in body building. Boys under sixteen should avoid
exercise of strain, such as weight lifting, or sprint running over one
hundred yards, or long distance racing. They should have careful
guidance in all gymnastic work. Work on apparatus may prove harmful
unless of the right sort. The horse {224} and parallel bars should be used
largely to jump over rather than perform upon. Exercises demanding a
sustained support of the body with the arms are not helpful, but may
be harmful. The chief activity should be of the legs, to strengthen
heart and lungs. A boy should be careful not to overdo. In his
excitement to win in a contest he is likely to do this unless
cautioned. A boy should never try to reduce his weight. Now that there
are weight classes in sports for boys there is a temptation to do this
and it may prove very serious. Severe training for athletics should be
avoided. All training should be in moderation.
Medical Examinations
Every boy ought to have, as he takes up his boy-scout work, a thorough
medical examination. Some physician who is interested in boys will be
willing to act as examiner for a patrol or troop. A boy should know
the condition of his heart and lungs before entering any contest. If
he has any defects in his breathing apparatus--nose, throat, or lungs,
these should be attended to or they will seriously interfere with his
endurance tests.
Baths
Beside exercises a boy should have simple, workable rules for living.
A boy ought to take a good soap bath at least twice a week and always
after he has played a hard game or performed work of a nature that has
caused him to perspire freely.
Each morning a quick sponge bath should be the first order of the day,
in water as cool as he can stand it, followed by a good rub with a
coarse towel. If there is a feeling of warmth after the bath, it is
helpful, if not, the water should be slightly warm or only a portion
of the body should be bathed at a time.
Pain
One thing that should be regarded seriously is pain in any form in any
part of the body. If there is a dull headache frequently, find out
what causes it. Pain in the knee, the arch of the foot, or at any
point, should be taken seriously. Pain means something wrong. It may
be brave to bear it, but it {225} is not wise. It may mean something
serious. Remember that pain felt in one part of the body may be the
result of something wrong in another part. See a wise doctor about it.
Eating
And now in reference to what one shall eat. The average boy ought to
have and usually does have an appetite like an ostrich. Three points
to remember are; don't eat too much, most healthy boys do; don't eat
meat more than once a day; and, third, don't eat anything that you
always taste for several hours after you have eaten it, even though
you like it.
Digestion
The fact that you taste it is an indication that your stomach is
having a wresting match with the food. Some people can't digest
onions, others thrive upon them. Some can't eat cucumbers, others can
do so readily. The one must give them up; the other can continue to
eat them. Each person has some peculiarity of diet and must observe it
to be happy. Many a race has been lost through failure to obey this
rule. A simple diet is best. Most boys eat too much of a mixed nature.
They mix pickles, soda water, frankfurters, and chocolate without fear
or favor. No wonder there is so much stomach ache. In boys' camps the
chief trouble is indigestion caused by this riot of eating. Such boys
are laying up for themselves for the future some beautiful headaches
and bilious attacks, which, when they become chronic later, will cry
out against them and seriously impair their value. Don't eat when very
tired; lie down a while and get rested. Don't eat heavily before
exercising, or, better, put it the other way around, don't exercise
immediately after eating. Never eat when excited or angry and very
lightly when worried or when expecting to study hard. We should learn
to eat slowly and chew the food thoroughly remembering that all food
before it can be taken up in the blood must be as thin as pea soup.
Chewing well will help the digestive organs greatly. Always wash the
hands before eating. Be careful about eating food that has been
exposed to the dust unless it has been washed. Drink freely of clean
water between meals. Never use a public drinking cup without
thoroughly rinsing it. Don't touch your lips to the rim of the cup.
Boys who cook their own meals when in camp should be {226} careful to
have their food well done. Half-baked and soggy food proves
indigestible.
Coffee and Tea
Should a boy drink coffee or tea? This is a question often asked by
boys. Coffee and tea are the greatest stimulants known. But does a
strong boy need a stimulant? What is a stimulant and what does it do?
A stimulant is a whip, making the body do more at a given time than it
ordinarily would. It doesn't add any fibre to the tissues, doesn't add
any strength, isn't a food, but merely gets more out of the tissues or
nervous system than they would ordinarily yield. Of course there is a
reaction, because the tissues have had nothing to feed on. Herbert
Fisher says that Peary's men, who drank lots of tea on their voyage
north, during the most trying time of their trip showed it in their
haggard faces and loss of tissue. Their own tissues had turned
cannibal and fed on their own material. Stimulants are not foods. They
add no strength to the body. They exact of the body what ought not to
be exacted of it. There is always a reaction and one is always worse
off as a result. Growing boys especially should have nothing to do
with tea, coffee, or any stimulant.
Alcohol and Tobacco
Alcohol is not a stimulant, but is really a narcotic that is very
depressing. It dulls rather than stimulates. The same is true of
nicotine in tobacco. No growing boy should use either. The first
athletes to drop out of a race are usually drinkers and all trainers
know that smoking is bad for the wind.
Constipation
Those boys who find their digestion sluggish and are troubled with
constipation may find the following plan helpful in overcoming the
condition:
Drink a cool, copious draught of water upon arising. Then take some
body-bending exercises. Follow this with the sponge bath. Then, if
possible, take a walk around the block before breakfast. After school,
play some favorite game for at least an hour. In the absence of this,
take a good hike of three or four miles or a longer bicycle ride. At
least twice a week, if possible, enter a gymnasium class and make
special emphasis of body-bending exercises.
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Have a regular time for going to stool. A good plan is to go just
before retiring and immediately upon arising. Go even though you feel
no desire to do so. A regular habit may be established by this method.
Always respond quickly to any call of nature. Toasted bread and graham
bread and the coarser foods and fruit will be found helpful.
The Teeth
Closely related to the matter of eating is the proper care of the
teeth.
Perhaps--without care--the mouth is the filthiest cavity of the body.
We spend a great deal of energy trying to keep food clean and water
pure, but what is the use if we place them in a dirty cavity as they
enter the body. Full 90 per cent. of the children examined in our
schools have decayed and dirty teeth. These decayed teeth provide
cavities in which food particles decay and germs grow, and through
which poisons are absorbed. These conditions need not exist. Now just
a few suggestions about the care of the teeth. Every boy should own
his own tooth brush. The teeth should be scrubbed at least twice a
day. At night they should receive most careful cleansing, using a good
tooth paste or powder. Then again in the morning they should be rinsed
at which time simply clean water is sufficient. Time should be taken
in the cleansing of the teeth. The gums should be included in the
scrubbing, as this acts as a good stimulant to the circulation of the
blood to the teeth. Not only should the teeth be brushed with a
backward and forward stroke, as we ordinarily do, but also upward and
downward the length of the teeth. In addition to the scrubbing,
particles of food which are lodged between the teeth should be removed
after meals, or at least after the last meal of the day. This is most
safely done by the use of a thread of a fair degree of thickness.
Dentists and druggists furnish this thread in spools. Hard toothpicks
often cause bleeding and detach fillings. A dentist should be visited
once every six months so as to detect decay immediately. Never have a
tooth pulled unless absolutely necessary.
Care of the Eyes
Most troubles with the eyes come from eye strain. Styes and red lids
are usually due to this cause. See how foolish, therefore, it is to
treat these conditions as causes, when really {228} they are only the
result of something else. Of course there are exceptions. Sometimes
wild hairs and skin disease affect the eyes. Eye strain should be
removed by wearing well-fitting glasses and then these other
conditions will disappear. If constant headache is experienced or the
eyes itch or become tired easily, there is possibly eye strain.
One way to test the eye is for vision. Place the following letters
fifteen feet from you. If you cannot read them clearly with both eyes
and with each eye separately, consult a first-class oculist.
C L V F O T
E A C F D L O T
D V C L A E O T F
Never buy eye-glasses unless fitted by an expert. Such glasses should
be worn in proper relation to the eyes. They should not be permitted
to slide forward on the nose or tilt. They may need to be changed
often as the eyes grow better.
For reading, a good, steady light is needed. Never sit in front of a
window facing it to read. Always have the light come from the rear and
over the left shoulder preferably. The book should be held on a level
with the face and not too close. Sit {229} erect. Reading when lying
down or from the light of a fireplace is unwise.
Care of the Ears
Affections of the ears are exceedingly serious and may lead to grave
results. Any trouble with them should be given very prompt attention
and a good specialist consulted. Pain in the ear, or ringing or
hissing sounds, and particularly any discharge from the ear, should
not be neglected. Any sign of deafness must be heeded. Sometimes
deafness occurs in reference to some particular sounds while hearing
is normal to others. No matter what the degree of deafness may be do
not neglect to see a physician about it. Ordinarily the tick of a
watch can be heard at a distance of thirty inches. If you cannot hear
it at that distance and can hear it say at fifteen inches then you are
just one half from the normal in your hearing. The test should be made
with one ear closed.
Ear troubles are often caused by sticking foreign objects in the ear,
such as hair pins, pins, matches, toothpicks and lead pencils. Never
pick the ear with anything. Often the ear drum is pierced in this way.
The normal ear does not require anything more than the usual cleansing
with the wash rag over the end of the finger.
If wax to any extent accumulates in the ear it should be removed by
syringing, but ought to be done by a physician.
In camp an insect might crawl into the ear and if alive cause pain.
Putting oil or other fluids in the ear to drown it is unwise. If a
foreign body should get in the ear it should not cause great alarm
unless attended with severe pain. If a physician is not available at
once such objects may remain for a day or two without serious results.
Syringing usually removes them, but it should be remembered that some
objects like peas or beans swell if made wet. In swimming water is apt
to get into the ear and cause annoyance. A rubber ear stop can be
secured and placed in the ear at the time of swimming, thus keeping
the water out. Cotton should not be stuffed into the ear to keep water
out, as it may get inside.
One thing to keep in mind is that catarrh of the nose and throat often
extends into the ear passages through a tube which reaches from the
throat to the ear and that syringing of the nose and throat frequently
causes trouble in the ear.
Care of Nose and Throat
Always breathe through the nose. Air passing through the nose is
warmed and moistened and cleansed; thus it gets to {230} the lungs in
a better condition. If you cannot breathe clearly through the nose,
have it examined. There may be a growth present which needs to be
removed. To become a good runner this is important. Adenoids, which
are growths far back in the mouth, often interfere with nose breathing
and are serious in other ways. Don't stick anything in the nose; and
nose picking is not cleanly. If crusts form in the nose, use a little
vaseline to soften them. Don't blow the nose too vigorously. It may
cause trouble.
Frequent sore throat may be due to enlarged tonsils which either need
treatment or removal. To one who has frequent colds in the head, the
out-of-door life and morning sponge bath and moderate eating will be
of help.
Care of the Feet
This is an important matter with scouts, as they will make frequent
hikes and tramps. The first thing to do is to walk right. The straight
foot is the normal foot. The normal foot is broad at the ball with
space between the toes. How different from the awful feet we see with
toes twisted upon each other and crowded together. Walk with feet
pointing straight forward. The feet that turn outward are weak feet.
Shoes therefore should be straight on the inner border, broad across
the ball, and have a low, broad heel. The shoe adopted by the scout
movement is a good design.
When a foot is normal, the inner border does not touch the floor. By
wetting the foot one can see readily whether he is flat-footed by the
imprint made. The following exercises are good to strengthen the
arches of the foot if there is a tendency to flat feet: (1) Turn toes
in, raise the heels, and come down slowly on the outer borders of the
feet; (2) Walk with heels raised and toes pointing inward, or walk on
the outer borders of the foot, inner borders turned up.
Shoes should fit the feet comfortably. Tight shoes, or shoes that fit
loosely, will cause callouses or corns. The way to get rid of these is
to remove the cause--namely, the badly-fitting shoes. Soft corns are
due to pressure between the toes. The toes in such cases should be
kept apart with cotton. Pointed shoes should be avoided.
Patent-leather shoes are non-porous and hot. Ingrown toe nails are
exceedingly painful. The pain comes from the nail piercing the soft
parts. Allowing the nail to grow long and beyond the point of the
tender spot will help; {231} and on the side of the nail and under it
cotton should be inserted to protect the soft parts.
Hot foot baths will generally relieve tired feet. Boys should be very
careful in trimming corns for fear of blood poisoning. Never buy
plates at a store for flat feet. They may not be adapted to your
needs. Always consult a foot specialist for treatment and buy plates
if needed on his order. Only severe cases need plates.
Many boys are troubled with perspiring feet and are frequently annoyed
by the odor resulting. Those who are thus troubled should wash the
feet often and carefully, especially, between the toes. By dusting the
feet with boric acid the odor will disappear. At first it may be
necessary to change the stockings daily. In severe cases two pairs of
shoes should be used, changing alternately.
Care of the Finger Nails
The chief thing in the care of the finger nails is to keep them clean.
Each boy should possess and use a nail brush. Always wash the hands
thoroughly before eating, and use the end of a nail file to remove the
accumulation still remaining under the nails. Keep the nails properly
trimmed. They should not be too long nor too short. If long they are
liable to break and if short to be sensitive. Biting the nails is a
filthy practice and mutilates the fingers dreadfully and makes them
unsightly. It is a very hard habit to overcome ofttimes and will
require persistent effort in order to succeed. By keeping the nails
smooth the tendency to bite them will to some extent be overcome. A
bitter application to the nails will often remind one of the habit, as
often the biting is done unconsciously. The nails should never be
pared with a knife; a curved pair of scissors is better as the cutting
should be done in a curved direction; but the best method is to use a
file. The skin overhanging the nails should be pressed back once a
week to keep them shapely. Rubbing the nails with a nail buffer or
cloth will keep them polished.
Sleep
One thing a growing boy wants to be long on is sleep, and yet he is
most apt to be careless about it. It is during sleep that a boy grows
most and catches up. During his waking hours he tears down and burns
up more tissue than he builds. Good, sound and sufficient sleep is
essential to growth, strength, {232} and endurance. A boy scout should
have at least nine or ten hours sleep out of every twenty-four. If you
lose out on this amount on one day, make it up the next. Whenever
unusually tired, or when you feel out of trim, stay in bed a few hours
more if it is possible. A boy should wake up each morning feeling like
a fighting cock. When he doesn't he ought to get to bed earlier that
night. Sleep is a wonderful restorative and tonic. It helps to store
up energy and conserve strength.
Sleeping Out of Doors
The conditions under which one sleeps are as important as the length
of time one sleeps. Many people are finding it wonderfully helpful and
invigorating to sleep out of doors. Often a back porch can be
arranged, or, in summer, a tent can be pitched in the yard. But, by
all means, the sleeping room should be well ventilated. Windows should
be thrown wide open. Avoid drafts. If the bed is in such relation to
the windows as to cause the wind to blow directly on it, a screen can
be used to divert it or a sheet hung up as protection. Good, fresh,
cool air is a splendid tonic. In winter open windows are a splendid
preparation for camping out in summer.
Conservation
In this chapter much has been said of the active measures which a boy
should take in order to become strong and well. We should be equally
concerned in saving and storing up natural forces we already have. In
the body of every boy, who has reached his teens, the Creator of the
universe has sown a very important fluid. This fluid is the most
wonderful material in all the physical world. Some parts of it find
their way into the blood, and through the blood give tone to the
muscles, power to the brain, and strength to the nerves. This fluid is
the sex fluid. When this fluid appears in a boy's body, it works a
wonderful change in him. His chest deepens, his shoulders broaden, his
voice changes, his ideals are changed and enlarged. It gives him the
capacity for deep feeling, for rich emotion. Pity the boy, therefore,
who has wrong ideas of this important function, because they will
lower his ideals of life. These organs actually secrete into the blood
material that makes a boy manly, strong, and noble. Any habit which a
boy has that causes this fluid to be discharged from the body tends to
weaken his strength, to make him less able to resist disease, and
often unfortunately fastens upon him habits which later in life he
{233} cannot break. Even several years before this fluid appears in
the body such habits are harmful to a growing boy.
To become strong, therefore, one must be pure in thought and clean in
habit. This power which I have spoken of must be conserved, because
this sex function is so deep and strong that there will come times
when temptation to wrong habits will be very powerful. But remember
that to yield means to sacrifice strength and power and manliness.
For boys who desire to know more of this subject we would suggest a
splendid book by Dr. Winfield S. Hall, entitled, "From Youth into
Manhood." Every boy in his teens who wants to know the secret of
strength, power, and endurance should read this book.
NOTES
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