[3]. Setting-up exercises. The object of the setting-up exercises, as the name indicates, is to give the new men the set-up,—the bearing and carriage,—of the military man.
In addition these exercises serve to loosen up his muscles and prepare them for his later experiences and development.
[4]. Calisthenics. Calisthenics may be called the big brother, the grown-up form, of the setting-up exercise.
The object of calisthenics is to develop and strengthen all parts and muscles of the human body,—the back, the legs, the arms, the lungs, the heart and all other parts of the body.
First and foremost a fighting man's work depends upon his physical fitness.
To begin with, a soldier's mind must always be on the alert and equal to any strain, and no man's mind can be at its best when he is handicapped by a weak or ailing body.
The work of the fighting man makes harsh demands on his body. It must be strong enough to undergo the strain of marching when every muscle cries out for rest; strong enough to hold a rifle steady under fatigue and excitement; strong enough to withstand all sorts of weather, and the terrible nervous and physical strain of modern battle; and more, it must be strong enough to resist those diseases of campaign which kill more men than do the bullets of the enemy.
Hence the necessity of developing and strengthening every part and muscle of the body.
[5]. Facings and Marchings. The object of the facings and marchings is to give the soldier complete control of his body in drills, so that he can get around with ease and promptness at every command.
The marchings,—the military walk and run,—also teach the soldier how to get from one place to another in campaign with the least amount of physical exertion.