Sufficient Exercise by Ardiel

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 18, 1906

Sufficient Exercise

By Ardiel

TALKS TO YOUNG MEN. No. 3.

Sufficient Exercise.

Exercise comes from the Latin exerceo, ex, out, and arceo to “keep off” or “drive forth.” It is “the easy, natural action of any power,” taken at any time with a view to increase or maintain that power, or because such action is enjoyable.

It has many synonyms, such as action, application, drill, employment, exertion, occupation, operation, performance, practise, use. Exertion is a stronger word, and each synonym has its particular meaning. There are persons who take too much exercise, and shorten their lives in consequence. There are others who take too little, and so shorten life. Yet “it is better to wear out, than rust out,” isn’t it?

In the early days of humanity, outside of cities, exercise was more normal, bringing every organ into balanced action. Nowadays the inventions of men have developed machinery to that extent that much of man’s work is done indoors, but few muscles and parts of his anatomy get exercise, and he becomes a part of the machine he uses. When the machine stops, it rests; when the man stops, a portion of himself longs to work, and other portions are too weary.

To help this condition of affairs gymnasiums are devised and all sorts of devices and apparatuses and systems are planned to help out the lack of normal exercise.

But the best exercise for health, after all, is not gymnasium exercise. It may make athletes, but athletes are not by any means noted for health or longevity. Usually, they are short-lived, and soon age. This is pre-eminently true of professional pugilists.

No exercise, taken for the purpose of exercise alone, is greatly beneficial, and this is mostly the case with gymnasium exercise. The exercise is taken with constant effort to be benefited by it. More than half its virtue is lost in the effort.

Not so when the exercise comes in the pursuit of some object, and the mind is on the object rather than the exercise. Mark the little child playing horse astride a stick. Muscles, limbs, trunk, and lungs find united, healthful, harmonious exercise. The eye sparkles, the cheeks glow, the lungs expand, and the boy beams with health and life. He is not thinking of the exercise, but of what the exercise brings.

Good manly sport among young men is beneficial if not indulged in to excess. Let it be in the open air and the sunshine, and let it be honest, generous, soul-opening, heart-quickening.

There is no better exercise than sawing, chopping, and splitting wood. This is especially true of the use of the ax. The whole man is in action from head to foot, and the lungs are open and free. The writer attended a seminary once where the leading professor, not the best type of health, by the way, boasted of his dumb-bells, and their virtue. He had two pairs, one of forty pounds, one of sixteen. And he really did very creditable work with them, and developed good bunches of muscle. But one day while expatiating upon their benefit, his younger brother, a picture of health and activity, remarked to the professor, calling him by name, “I have two splendid dumb-bells in the basement.” “What are they?” said the professor. “The buck saw and the ax,” was replied. The professor was embarrassed and blushed, but he had little more to say. The careless boy’s argument had struck home.

Get you a wood-pile, and take a few minutes vigorous exercise with the ax; you will find that it will pay far better than any gymnastic exercise, and you will have the consciousness that it is doing somebody some good.

Plenty of Sunshine.

We will not take space to consider this topic in this number; but let us not put off the sunshine till next week. ARDIEL.