A WOMAN’S HOUSEWORK AS A PHYSICAL-CULTURE SCHOOL
America possesses thousands of girls who find a large part of their physical culture to perfection in “helping mother,” and they are not blushing because they do so. For them the vista of possibilities is long and alluring.
For the arms, fingers, and wrists, they find washing and wiping dishes admirable; perhaps water helps to make supple the joints, which is an advantage that dish-washing has over the drying. However, there is a fine elbow movement in the wiping, too.
Bed-making is still taught in the homely physical economics and cannot be too highly recommended. With the folding of the counterpane and sheets, the arms are stretched to their utmost, and while standing erect, with chest thrown out, breathing is bound to be correct.
Shoulder, torso, and limbs are developed in mattress-lifting, but it requires a strong woman to do this easily; any hint of spinal affection is an embargo on the exercise.
Sweeping gives much the same motion as is used in handling golf-clubs. For perfection of arms and shoulders there is nothing better.
Scrubbing, like lawn tennis, is rather violent and not to be attempted unless one is sure of the heart. In the beginning it will be as severe on the knees as is paddling a canoe, but so soon as one becomes familiar with the work it affords a subtle satisfaction all its own.
Running up and down stairs when mother needs anything is a first-class exercise; and an interesting diversion, as well as an upper-arm developer, may be found in egg-beating.
Dusting should have a chapter by itself. First you are down on all fours, then on tiptoe to see how far the cloth will reach. The tiptoeing for calf-development is superb.
You twist yourself into all sorts of positions to get at the corners of the carved furniture. You are on one knee, then on the other. Every muscle, every tendon is brought into service before you have finished.