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. 12

Massaging transversely over the left shoulder, continuing downward over the upper left part of the chest with the right hand, then, in the same way, over the right shoulder and upper chest with the left hand.

Detailed Description

Position.—Standing erect.

Exercise No. 12.

Fig. 12 A. Fig. 12 B.

With the four fingers and thumb close, place the right hand transversely over the left shoulder in such a way that the fingers are reaching as far down on the upper back as possible, the two or three first fingers resting between the inner border of the shoulder blade and the spine, and the thumb close to the base of the neck (Fig. 12 A).

Stroke thus with the palm of the hand, the fingers pressing more or less between the shoulder blades and spine as they move upward, transversely over the shoulder, continuing down the same side of upper chest (Fig. 12 B).

While the right hand is thus stroking the left shoulder and upper chest, the left arm and hand is brought across and up over the right forearm to the right shoulder, and this shoulder is massaged continuing downward over the upper part of the left chest, in the same way, as soon as the right arm is released from the left side of chest.

The right hand is then again brought over the left shoulder and across the left forearm and that shoulder massaged, and so forth, alternately and evenly.

This exercise done five times will take about ten seconds. If counting each time when commencing to stroke each shoulder, it will be ten counts.

Note. Men may stroke downward over the chest as far as the diaphragm, if desired.

Women should only stroke as far as the breasts, and not over them.

Analysis and Effects of the Combined Massage Exercise No. 12

This exercise is combined in such a way that there is obtained the movements of the arms together with massage of the shoulders and the upper chest.

The movements of the arms and hands, in applying the massage movements, exercise the muscles and nerves of the arms, the shoulders, the upper back and the upper chest.

The massage influences the muscles, vessels and nerves of the shoulders and the upper chest. It increases the flow of blood to the muscles surrounding the lungs.

This exercise, like No. 2, is especially beneficial for stiffness in the shoulders and upper chest, resulting from golf or other over-exertion in kindred sports.