Massage & Exercises Combined / A permanent physical culture course for men, women and children; health-giving, vitalizing, prophylactic, beautifying; a new system of the characteristic essentials of gymnastic and Indian Yogis concentration exercises combined with scientific massage movements; with 86 illustrations and deep breathing exercises

by Albrecht Jensen

THE COMBINED MASSAGE EXERCISE No. 11

Beating with the clenched hands (women may use the palm of the hand with the fingers outstretched), upward over each side of abdomen and chest, and bending the upper body backward at the same time; then beating similarly downward, bringing the upper body forward to an upright position, while the hands are beating downward over the chest.

Detailed Description

Position.—Standing erect, legs and feet stationary.

Exercise No. 11.

Fig. 11 A. Fig. 11 B.

Clench the hands. With the palm and the outer side of the fingers, which are thus turned toward the body, strike first a light and quick blow with the right hand on the right side of the lower abdomen (Fig. 11 A), then similarly with the left hand on the left side of the abdomen, at the same level. Then strike with the right hand again, one or two fingers’ breadth further upward on the lower right half of abdomen, and again, with the left hand, a little further up on the left side, and so forth, up over the chest. When the hands reach the lower ribs, and while they are thus beating upward, on each side of the chest, to the collar bone, the upper body is bent backward, as far as possible, but without strain (Fig. 11 B). From there, beat the same way back and downward again over chest, at the same time bringing the upper body forward to an upright position. When the hands continue down over the abdomen, the upper body is thus in a natural position.

The hands should give light, quick blows and rebound from the body each time, as in the beating of a drum.

Note. Women may use the palms of the hands, with the fingers outstretched and close together, when beating over the chest. Inhale the air while the upper body is being bent backward, exhale while it is brought forward to an upright position.

This exercise done five times will take about ten seconds. If counting every time when commencing to beat upward over the abdomen, it will make five counts.

Analysis and Effects of the Combined Massage Exercise No. 11

This exercise is combined in such a way that there is obtained the movements of the arms and the bending of the upper body backwards, together with the beating of the abdomen and of the chest.

The beating, which in massage is called tapotement, stimulates the nerves and contracts and stimulates the muscles, if the blows are given very lightly and quickly. Stronger and harder blows cause a benumbing effect upon the nerves, and should therefore be avoided.

The movements of the trunk and the arms and hands, in applying the beating, exercise the muscles and nerves of the arms, the shoulders, the back and the abdomen.

The beating influences the nerves, vessels, organs and muscles of the abdomen and the chest. It stimulates the heart and loosens the execretion from the lungs.