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454 IDEAL HOME LIFE
how steadily his diaphragm acts. By practice, by thinking about it a little, and trying it each day, you will soon become good at diaphragmatic breathing. And every day that you improve at it you are getting stronger for almost anything you want to do, whether of work or sport.
Outdoor Spins for Schoolboys
Most of our schools have poor yards and grounds, while Eton, Rugby, and the great English schools have beautiful acres of greensward tempting the pupils to vigorous play. # Some of our schools are as well off, but only a few, for we are very far behind in this important matter; and no schoolhouse ought to be built without a roomy playground. Never mind: let us take an average school—one with nothing worthy of the name of playground. On one or two sides of the block the street is paved with asphalt. That is good so far. Now, if you can get the authorities to have the other two streets asphalted you will have all the tools you need. If you cannot, run on the sidewalk.
Now start a squad of boys—say four abreast—at running slowly around the block once. Yes, slowly. This is important. Most of them are not fit at first for anything worthy to be called running. Have each hold his chin up all the way, as high as he can; breathe through the nose; breathe slowly; holding the arms straight down at the sides, hardly moving them at all. Before they are half way around many will begin to find that they are not good runners. No matter. See that they do the things named.
The slow running has not called upon the heart to do more at first than it had been trained for, or was equal to.
All boys can run a little, as in baseball and other games. But it is usually short, jerky work, harder than is good for them, and does not build them up much. Keeping the arms still, and letting the legs do all the moving, does not tire one half so quickly. But this slow, careful, steady running has already begun to teach them what most of them do not know —that is how to run. Tell them that if any boy feels that he |
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