EXERCISE. By toil the flaccid nerves As man was created a powerful muscular being, destined to lead a life of physical activity, the Almighty Architect of the Universe has imposed upon him the necessity of pursuing it, as that without which he cannot finally insure the enjoyment of sound health, or maintain for any considerable time, or in any thing like perfection, the possession of his bodily or mental faculties. But the growth of civilization has exempted a portion of mankind from the necessity of bodily labour; and they have consequently become subject to the injury and decay of their powers arising from its disuse. To remedy this, modes of exercise have been invented; that is, voluntary but useless labour, serving no other end than that of preserving the muscles in action; and, when sufficiently active, it fully answers its end. But, unfortunately, the habits of modern society have substituted for the primeval condition of man a sort of exercise which is, in fact, not exercise at all. It consists in putting the body in motion by means of external forces; and, as those forces merely agitate the body and do not generally necessitate voluntary action, or, if they do, of a very partial description, I cannot dignify the motion produced with a higher name than passive exercise. Passive as a substitute for active exercise wholly fails of its design, the motion arising solely from without. We may except horse exercise, in which, however, the concurrence of voluntary motion is both slight and partial, none of those powers which are dependent on the will being called into action. Thus a large portion of the system is left entirely unemployed. At the same time, the motion itself is generally so slight that it can contribute but little to correct the evils arising from the full diet which is too often the custom of equestrians. The exercise required by the structure of the human frame is unknown, or not duly considered, by a large part of mankind; and the name is applied to actions which would formerly have been considered mere relaxation. In order, therefore, to arrive at a perfect comprehension of the kind of exercise best adapted to maintain in that uninterrupted vigour so necessary to health, the several organs of the human frame, I will briefly indicate the various duties which these organs have to perform; and I trust, that, after viewing them, and perceiving that their obstruction springs from ill-judged exercise, either as to kind, degree, or extent, none of my readers will remain indifferent to the precise nature and duration of the exercise adapted to promote the unimpeded and healthy working of the human system. The body must be excited to such action and reaction as will call forth the energies of every limb and muscle, and will preserve the flexibility of the joints. The tone and elasticity of the solids must by this means be sustained. The processes of respiration, secretion, absorption, and nutrition, must be kept alert. The abdominal viscera must be assisted by external motion to a degree that will accelerate the passage of the digested materials, and promote their absorption into the system without any deleterious admixture of rejected particles. The lungs must be expanded, and the pores of the skin kept open. Perspiration must be encouraged, the secretion of the bile promoted, the animal spirits exhilarated; and, lastly, the blood must be so propelled throughout the system, that by its perfect circulation, in its course through the smaller vessels and more distant parts of the body, it may be enabled to throw off those impurities which would otherwise clog and retard the vital functions. Without a due performance of all these labours, pure unalloyed health never has been, and never will be, attained; and uniform, daily, active exercise, if not the sole, is certainly the principal means of securing this inestimable blessing. Through deficiency of exercise all the functions languish, and the results become reversed. The next thing to be considered is the sort of exercise best calculated to effect this grand object, and to what extent it should be used. Where the necessity of bodily labour as the means of obtaining a livelihood does not exist, walking, riding on horseback or in carriages, fencing, gardening, rowing, skaiting, tennis, cricket, dumb bells, Indian sceptres, and various others, are the exercises generally resorted to; and they are doubtless all in a greater or less degree beneficial. But of these,* walking is indisputably the most natural, *The late Dr. Uwins, in an excellent Essay on Exercise, says, "It is but lately that I have come to the determination of resting my horse's legs at the expense of my own, of passing no day, wet or fine, without devoting a considerable portion of it to the daily-labour, shall I say? no! daily delight of walking; and I carelessly encounter the questioning gossip of observers: Pray,' a bystander may say, has Dr. Uwins laid down his carriage?' Even this, indeed, I should be tempted to do, did time and practice permit; for sure I feel, that many a stomach is made dyspeptic, many a temper is injured, and many an old age rendered miserable, by the employment of two horses and four wheels, instead of two legs which are always at command." effective, and salutary, and should be adopted by all who are in a state of health not too much impaired to endure it. It is indeed admitted to be that which most equally and most completely exercises every part of the system, even the most minute. The most troublesome disorders have frequently been cured by perseverance in this species of exercise. Next to walking, I deem riding on horseback most beneficial and salubrious; and, being somewhat less fatiguing, it is well adapted to those in an ordinary state of health, or whose constitution is naturally weak, as it agitates the viscera; but I am bound, at the same time, to observe, that those who take all their exercise on horseback lose a material portion of the advantage of exercising the lower limbs, which hang motionless. Riding in carriages scarcely deserves the name of exercise; and the more confined the vehicle is, the worse does it become, even to the invalid. It may, indeed, serve to stir the spirits a little in the absolutely infirm, but can contribute nothing to the benefit of the body, and therefore does not merit the smallest attention. Exercises, as means of amusement, may all be excellent; but walking in the open air in order that the respiration may duly assist the digestive |