Physical drill is all very well as a disciplinary means of development, but it does not give the girl any responsibility in the matter.
It is therefore deemed preferable to tell each girl, according to her age, what ought to be her height, weight, and various measurements (such as chest, waist, arm, leg, etc.). She is then measured and learns in which points she fails to come up to the standard. She can then be shown which exercises to practise for herself in order to develop those particular points. Encouragement must afterwards be given by periodical measurements, say, every three months or so.
Cards can be obtained from the “Girl Scouts” Headquarters, which, besides giving the standard measurements for the various ages, give columns to be filled in periodically, showing the girl’s remeasurements and progress in development. If each girl has her card it is a great incentive to her to develop herself at odd times when she has a few minutes to spare.
Games to Develop Strength
Skipping, rowing, fencing, swimming, tennis, and hand-ball are all valuable aids to developing strength.
Remember that sitting still is one form of exercise. How can that be? Well, if you remember how you ought to sit and keep yourself up to it you will gradually strengthen the muscles of your back so that in a few weeks you will sit upright naturally without any effort or thought.
You may ask why shouldn’t I sit like that if it is more comfortable. Well, do it if you like, but remember that a large part of your time is spent sitting, sitting at lessons, at meals, when reading or talking, and so on. Nearly one-third of each day you are sitting, and therefore forming yourself into one shape or the other. The thing is to form yourself into the right one.
The wrong one makes you look pretty dowdy and sloppy when you are going about, but worse than that it lets your lungs slack down and the muscles of the stomach relax, so that instead of drawing the full breath of air into your chest for renewing your blood you are only breathing in a little driblet almost down in your stomach.
So buck up: correct your position while your muscles are still young and forming themselves; later on, when they are “set” you won’t be able to alter them. So it just depends on you yourself whether you are going to be a fine upstanding healthy woman or a sloppy old thing.