Making old bodies young

Front matter

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Making Olb^,,^

Introduction

OLD age is a disease.

Premature death is a tragedy.

The young man's age is upon us.

The spirit of youth is now a vital necessity everywhere.

Old men are not wanted. They are in the way. They are an encumbrance to themselves and every one with whom they come in contact.

Years may have crept upon you. You may have advanced far into what is ordinarily considered old age. But do not dispair. You may regain not only the spirit, but much of the vigor, of youth ; and it is your duty to do so.

Square your shoulders. Look the future square in the face. Turn the. old man out of your life.

Keep out the old-age disease.

Your body is being made over every day, and senility results from the debris that accumulates in the process of rebuilding. Maintain proper activity of your body throughout every part, and there will be no little or no debris.

Act the part of youth. Cultivate and rigidly hold on to the spirit of youth. Maintain your energies at high-water mark. Keep your spine straight. Thus the old-age disease will find no opportunity to enter your life.

INTRODUCTION

If you are already in the clutches of old age, begin now to fight for the return of youth. Work with might and main for the restoration of this priceless possession. Train your body as you would that of a race horse. Follow out the clear and definite instructions that you find in this course. Eat food that will give you strength, virility, energy, vivacity, enthusiasm, and make your life a daily struggle for the most precious of all earthly gifts — the power, the joys of youth.

Men and women have been young at fifty, sixty, seventy and even eighty. Some have retained the spirit of youth on to the century mark. Those who live in accordance with Nature's laws maintain that life grows more beautiful year by year ,that its glories, its joys, its delights increase with age.

If you are living the incomplete life, if you are giving up the precious things of human existence for the drunken stupor of dietetic excesses, for the pleasures of luxury, idleness and ease, you are selling your birthright for a mess of potage.

Wake up to the possibilities within your reach !

Rejuvenate your body ! Make your mind keen and capable. Obey the laws of Nature and you will achieve results that you now scarcely dare to dieam of.

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SUGGESTIONS FOR A' DAILY PROGRAM

BE sure to thoroughly ventilate your sleeping room.

Upon waking in the morning, stretch the legs and arms and b.ody throughout as you do when yawning. Continue this stretching process until you feel that every muscle has been properly and thoroughly awakened.

Take several deep breathing exercises while lying in bed.

Make an extraordinary effort to occupy your mind with pleasant thoughts when arising. "Cut out the grouch.."

Stand before a mirror and in night clothing or no clothing, take the vitolyzing exercises illustrated in Lesson II. .

Follow these with general upbuilding exercises explained in Lesson VIII.

• At the completion of your exercise wet the hands in cold water and apply them to all parts of the body until the skin is wet, then rub the body with the open hands and until thoroughly dry. Do not use a towel.

Try to drink a pint or more of water during or following the exercises. The water can be hot or cold, as desired.

Arrange your eating habits with a view of avoiding over-eating. Some people are able to avoid over-eating advantageously by eating only

SUGGESTIONS FOR A one or two meals daily. If you can calculate accurately the amount of food necessary to your requirements, three meals are satisfactory. Do not eat without appetite. Food eaten without enjoyment often turns to poison in the stomach.

It is usually best to begin the day with an orange or some other acid fruit. If you have no appetite for breakfast, the acid fruit mentioned should suffice.

Eat your hearty meal at noon or at night to suit your convenience and your leisure for digestion.

A fast of one or two days or even several days when your appetite fails or your digestion becomes impaired or you are threatened with acute illness, is of extraordinary value.

Walking is highly commended.

To avoid or cure any tendency to flat foot, walk in a straight line pointing the feet directly ahead. If there is a strong tendency to flat foot, then point the feet inward.

Take deep breathing exercises frequently during thp day while walking.

Every night before retiring take the spinal stretching exercise in connection with a deep kne^ squatting position, described in Lesson III.

Always use a little cold cream after shaving, or better still, some olive oil or other good oil, before applying the soap.

Use the stretching device for stimulating and strengthening the spine once or twice weekly, depending upon the condition of your spine.

DAILY PROGRAM

Take one or two hot baths weekly, using soap freely for cleansing purposes.

If there is a constitutional inclination towards catarrh or pyorrhea, it is advisable to avoid eating "hearty" foods after the midday meal. Your largest meal should then be taken in the morning or at noon, which is most convenient. If you have no appetite in the morning, it can soon be developed by avoiding an evening meal. Acid fruits can be taken in the evening to the extent desired and if especially hungry, milk or some liquid food, though in this condition it is usually safer to avoid these foods.

Keep the scalp clean and the teeth in a cleanly condition. Carefully read over all the suggestions made in the various lessons and apply the suggestions that seem to fit your individual case.

And at all times, remember the value of good humort

Part One Maintaining Youth — The Foundation

Comprising Lessons One to Seven

I. You Are as Young as Your Spine.

II. Stand Up Like a Young Man.

III. Keep-Young Spine Exercises.

IV. Mechanical Spine Stretching and Straight-

ening.

V. Strengthening the Back and Backbone. VI. Long-Life Sitting Posture.

VII. Longevity and the Sleeping Position.

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LESSON I.

You Are as Young as Your Spine

HERE is one structure of the body that may be regarded as the foundation for everything else. It has more to do than any other with determining one's state of health and one's physical age.

The importance of the spine in its relation to the general make-up of an individual has been recognized from the earliest times. When our forefathers referred to the value of ^'backbone," speaking in a moral and psychological sense, they merely expressed their recognition of the supreme importance of the spinal column. The same idea is brought home to us today by a clever humorist and cartoonist some of whose work appears under the significant title, "Are You One of These Spineless Creatures?" Speaking in either the moral or physical sense, these expressions mean simply that without backbone one does not amount to much.

The spine is the dominating and central structure of the body. It is the supporting structure. It gives stability, and at the same time flexibility, to the entire body. From the purely mechanical standpoint it is a marvel of adaptability.

Do you realize that in practically every effort you may make the spine is involved? Do you appreciate the fact that in lifting a piano, or carrying a trunk, it is this marvelously strong, yet exquisitely constructed and flexible spinal column that bears the brunt of the burden? When you have seen the Arabian acrobat hold on his shoulders, in pyramid style, the entire troupe of his fellow acrobats, or when you have seen the strong man of the circus lift a horse clear of the ground, you have had a graphic illustration of the strength possibilities of the spine. And yet this degree of strength is, as we have seen, combined with a flexibility which is nothing short of marvellous.

But what has the spine to do with youth and with age? Simply this: When your spine becomes old you become old. So long as you can keep your spine young you may remain young. As we advance in years the spine naturally tends to become bent and stiifened. It does not matter how early or how late in life this condition develops, but as soon as the spine has taken on these signs of age you may know that you are old.

Your problem, therefore, should be to keep the spine strong and straight and flexible. You have probably noticed that among those who have lived long, and especially those who have kept young and healthy and vigorous while living long, almost the first physical characteristic to be noted is a good straight back. An old person with a bent back seems very old. The man

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YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE

of seventy or eighty whose back is as straight as that of a boy seems young.

It is, of course, understood that when we speak of a straight spine, we do not use the word ^'straight" in the same sense in which we apply it to a stick. The "straight" spine is one that gives the body an erect carriage. There are certain normal curves in the perfect human spine which are incidental to the vertical position assumed by man, and which are also valuable as a means of relieving the head from the jar, or shock, which would otherwise be experienced in walking, running, or jumping. In other words, the slight curves of a healthy spine help to give it spring. But apart from these normal curves, which are essential in the perfect erect posture, any variation from what one may call a straight spine involves a condition of weakness, if not worse.

The human backbone consists of a series of twenty-four peculiarly constructed bony structures arranged in a column in such a way as to provide a canal for the spinal cord. These twenty-four bones, or vertebrae, are separated from each other by a series of plates, or rings, of elastic and compressible material known as cartilage. To get a more perfect and immediate idea of the nature of this cartilage, pinch your ear, or the tip of your nose. It is a gummy material, yet more firm and resistant than gum. When you meet it in a lamb stew you call it "gristle." It is the presence of these elastic plates of cartilage between the vertebrae which gives the backbone as a whole its flexible quality.

The spinal vertebrae are grouped in three divisions, according to the curves in which they are found. The cervical vertebrae, seven in number, are those of the neck and take the form of an anterior curve (curving forward) . The next twelve, known as the dorsal, form a posterior curve (curving backward), and extend down to about the waistline, or the small of the back. It is the dorsal vertebrae to which the ribs are attached, twelve on each side. The lumbar vertebrae, numbering five, form another anterior curve at the bottom of which is the sacrum. The sacrum is both the base of the spinal column and the keystone of the hip and pelvic bones, which in the good old days were dignified by the name of "haunch bones." Below the sacrum the spine tapers off abruptly in a series of tiny bones called collectively the coccyx.

Each of the vertebrae is pierced with an opening through which the spinal cord passes. Branching off from the cord is a series of so-called spinal nerves, each consisting of a bundle of nerve fibers. The spinal nerves emerge from the cord through small openings provided between the vertebrae. It will be seen, therefore, that if these vertebrae are misplaced, or out of line, these openings may be more or less closed up, and so the spinal nerves may be pinched and their capacity for carrying impulses or impressions impaired. In the same way, if the cartilage

YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE

cushions between the vertebrae become flattened or hardened, a narrowing of the openings through which the spinal nerves emerge must occur, and at the same time the flexibility of the spine will be impaired. This necessarily means impaired functioning, poor health and a rapid development of those bodily conditions which we find in extreme age.

Another factor in the maintenance of a normal and beautiful spine is the condition of the muscles and ligaments along the course of the backbone and of the back generally. If these ligaments are relaxed and stretched, they do not hold the spinal vertebrae in their proper relation to each other, and misplacements are likely to occur. In the same way a lack of development of the muscles of the back is conducive to faulty posture and chronic conditions of spinal curvature. Remember that the spinal column in itself, because of its very elasticity, will not hold one properly erect. This is a matter that depends upon the muscles of the back. If these muscles are strong and well developed and so trained as to preserve correct posture, one will experience no difficulty in keeping the spine straight and the body erect. If, on the other hand, they are weakened and debilitated, and not properly trained, the individual is liable to go about in a drooping, stoop-shouldered condition, and to develop various forms and degrees of chronic spinal curvature. The necessity for proper exercises to keep the spine strong and normal will, therefore, be apparent. Such exercises will not only strengthen the muscles, but will tone up and strengthen the ligaments as well.

Now when we say that "a man is as young as his spine," it will be seen that we do not allude merely to the mechanical advantages involved in good posture, but also to the relationship of the spine to the vital processes of the body. These vital processes are dependent upon a straight and healthy spine, because they are dependent upon the currents of nerve force derived from the central nervous system.

The nervous system may be called the electrical department of the body. You, of course, know how much an electrical system depends upon the wires and connections, and what it means if the wires are interfered with, or if there is anything wrong with the motors, dynamos and electrical machinery generally. It is the same with the nervous system of the body. If anything goes wrong with the spinal column, or if its communications with the rest of the body are interfered with, the whole system must be upset. This means, naturally, that the vital processes of the body cannot be carried on properly.

The processes of digestion and the work of the liver, kidneys, heart and other vital organs are prompted and controlled by nerve impulses. More directly, they are carried on and controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.

The central nervous system, so-called, consists

YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE

of the brain and spinal cord, with the nerve branches radiating directly therefrom.

In addition to this central nervous system, and connected with it, there is a system of nerve structures in all parts of the body which collectively make up what is called the sympathetic nervous system. Each separate organ of the body has a ganglia, or mass of nerve cells, which has to do with its activities. The main or central sets of ganglia in the sympathetic nervous system, however, are situated a little in front of the spinal column, in a series of pairs, one on each side. These are all connected with each other.

Now these sympathetic ganglia control the entire sympathetic nervous system, which in turn controls those processes of life which are unconscious, and which are sometimes called the * Vegetative" functions of the body. They go on when we sleep, as well as when we are awake, without conscious effort or knowledge on our part. The digestion of food, the work of the liver, the secretions of the glands, the beat of the heart and all the muscular contractions which are involved in digestion, or other vital processes, are carried on in this involuntary way without our knowing anything about it. These involuntary activities of the body are infinitely more important — we may say one hundred times more important — than our voluntary activities, in so far as life, health and energy are concerned. If the sympathetic nervous system is not properly keyed up or energized, all of these involuntary functions will suffer. Your stomach, your liver, your kidneys, your glands will not then work properly.

If a man is as old as his spine, it is chiefly because he is as old as his sympathetic nervous system, for the reason that the condition of the spine and of the spinal cord determines the health and activity of the sympathetic nerve ganglia. If the spine functions properly and the spinal vertebrae are perfectly placed, the circulation in and about the spinal cord will be normal, and this means also a normal circulation in and about the sympathetic ganglia in front of the spinal column. On the other hand, if there is stiffness of the backbone and a lack of motion, or any misplacement of the vertebrae, the circulation is interfered with, the currents of nerve force are obstructed and one cannot have normal functioning of the sympathetic nervous system. This means that the dependent organs deteriorate or degenerate, and one becomes "old."

That is really what old age means. In the natural order of things, the stiffness or rigidity of the spine which comes on in advanced life reacts upon all of the organs and structures of the body. The result is an active change or alteration in the structure of most of these organs, which usually takes the form of atrophy, or, in other words, a withering or wasting away of their tissues. The walls of the arteries become thickened and hardened, and their normal elasticity gives place to a greater or less degree of brittleness. The working capacity of the kidneys is impaired.

YOUNG AS YOUR SPINE

It may be said, indeed, that Bright's disease is really a disease of old age. If a man has Bright's disease at the age of forty, it is because his kidneys have become old twice too quickly. This may result from direct abuse of the kidneys through overwork, excessive meat-eating and alcoholic indulgence; but, on the other hand, a deficient supply of nerve force from the spine may be responsible. If the spine is properly "loosened up" and in normal condition, so that the sympathetic ganglia involved in the work of the kidneys are healthy and vigorous, one may avoid or even overcome Bright's disease, unless the strain upon the kidneys through improper diet and improper living is too great.

In the same way the ductless glands depend upon the sympathetic nervous system and through that, indirectly, upon the condition of the spine. The relation of the ductless glands to age is such an important matter that we will have a special discussion of the subject later on. These glands, and especially the thyroid and pituitary body, the adrenal glands and the sex glands, are all tremendously important in maintaining that state of vigor which is synonymous with youth. These glands control what is called metabolism; which is the word by which the series of tissue changes involved in the building up and tearing down of the cells of the body is technically designated. And as we shall see later in the discussion of the influence of these glands, if they do not function properly ,old age will come on prematurely. The spine, through the sympathetic nervous system, determines, to a very large extent, the healthy, active functioning of these glands. I am informed that investigators have definitely proven that lesions of the cervical vertebrae produce malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.

The condition of the spine, furthermore, determines the character of the circulation. The vaso-motor nerves directly control the blood vessels. The blood vessels may be contracted or narrowed, relaxed or enlarged, according to the requirements of the body and the necessity for sending larger or smaller quantities of blood to different parts. If a large blood supply is required in any particular region, the vaso-motor nerves expand the blood vessels of that region, with the result that the increase is brought about. Now if the sympathetic nerves or ganglia are interfered with, in even the slightest degree, so that the vaso-motoT nerves cannot control the blood-vessels, one cannot possibly have normal circulation. If you do not have normal circulation, that is, if your blood cannot supply to the different parts of the body the necessary food and oxygen, and cannot carry away the waste material, the result will be impaired metabolism, and this faulty function will result in old age.

Now that we have seen the importance of the spine, we will take up the more practical considerations of what to do to keep it young,

LESSON n Stand Up Like a Young Man

THERE is a fundamental relationship between good posture and youth, on the one hand, and bent posture and age, on the other. To maintain the posture of youth actually means the maintenance of youth itself, because of the basic relationship between the healthy, normal spine and the condition of bodily vigor which signifies youth, irrespective of how many years one has lived.

A great deal of attention has been given in recent years, by physiologists, physical trainers and students of hygiene, to the relationship between good posture and health. There has been considerable discussion of the need for improvement in seats and desks for school children. A few progressive spirits have even suggested the need for improvement in the furniture in our offices and homes, and the world may well be thankful for this agitation. The subject is one of vast importance both to the health and development of the growing body and to the maintenance of health and strength in the mature.

As has been already noted, the most easily recognized sign of old age is the forward bend of the spine, combined with the "round shoulders*' which necessarily accompany it. Very old persons often exhibit this condition in a very marked degree, almost bending over double. But peo-

To overcome a bent or slouching posture the simplest method is to stretch the arms high above the head. This straightens the back and elevates the chest. Now, keeping head, chest and shoulders in the same position lower the arms and you find yourself standing in perfect posture, 20 pie sometimes show this sign of old age rather early in life. On the other hand, men of advanced years, by simply straightening their spines and walking erect, make themselves look from ten to thirty years younger than they really are.

Therefore, the man or woman who has passed middle age and who wishes to maintain the condition and the appearance of youth — for they go together — should make continuous and persistent efforts to bring the body up to an erect position and to keep it erect, as well as to take those exercises which are essential in straightening the spine and giving it youthful flexiblity.

In the absorbing cares of business life one is liable to forget this fundamental necessity. Particularly in the sitting posture one is likely to slump carelessly into an improper position. Therefore, it may be said, one's entire life should be a constant fight to maintain the erect position. One should stand erect, walk erect, sit erect and try to maintain a straight and normal position of the spine even during the sleeping hours.

The bent-over position of the spine, with the stooping shoulders that go with it, influences the body in two ways.

First, the body and its functions suffer from the direct effect of bad posture upon the internal organs. The chest is flattened and cramped, thereby crowding the heart and preventing the free expansion of the lungs. It thus means an immediate loss of the proper supply of oxygen

An ideal method of correcting a bad posture is to stand with the back against a wall with heels, hips, shoulders and back of the head touching it. Then by bending the head backward as above, the shoulders are pushed one or two inches away from the wall. This gives you a perfect standing position. When in doubt as to your posture try this nnovement.

in the lungs and consequently in the blood, but it also means a displacement downward of all of the vital organs. This faulty position of the body involves not only a cramped chest but the sagging and protruding of the abdomen.

In the normal position the abdominal region is never extended. In the slumping position, however, characteristic of the extremely aged, or of the one who has prematurely aged, the abdomen is relaxed and prolapsed, and the stomach, liver and other internal organs sag several inches below the normal, crowding upon the intestines and other parts below. There is considerable strain of all ligaments and tissues in this prolapsed condition, and there is also congestion due to the pressure of these organs upon one another. Under such circumstances poor functioning is inevitable.

But impaired functioning also results from bad posture in another way. That is through the obstruction of the spinal nerves, due to the bending of the spine from its normal position and the improper alignment of the vertebrae. Since all of the vital organs depend for their energy upon the currents of nerve force secured from the nervous system, any interference with or pinching of the spinal nerves, whereby part of the normal supply of nerve force is shut off, would naturally interfere to that extent with satisfactory functioning. This is a point that has already been taken up in the preceding chapter.

But what is good posture? It may be said briefly that it is the position in which one stands most perfectly erect. It is this erect attitude that distinguishes man from all other animals, even from the apes. It is the attitude in which one is conscious of the greatest possible energy. It is the characteristic military position, having become so simply for the reason that it is the attitude in which a man possesses the maximum amount of energy.

If you want to know just what good posture is, try the experiment of "drawing yourself up to your full height." That is what the hero does in your favorite novel when he is confronted by his hated rival and some desperate emergency at the same time. It is the attitude expressive of pride.

Another ideal posture corrective is the simple exercise of clasping the hands back of the head, then pulling the head and elbows backward as illustrated. This will straighten the spine, raise the chest and give you good standing position.

Showing^ correct walking position after attaining good posture by the foregoing methods. The position of the head is the dominating factor in good carriage. The head must be Up and the upper spine straight. 25

This is "vitolysing/* the author's favorite exercise for improving the posture, straightening the upper spine and arousing latent nervous energy. It is even a mental stimulant. Instead of tipping the head back, it is brought back while the chin is kept down and drawn inward. Think of drawing the chin inward, downward and backward and you have it. This is done simultaneously with the raising and extending of the chest at the solar plexus. Repeat this movement several times whenever you think of it — if possible, dozens of times each day. 26

This is a variation of "vitolysing"* in which the head is tumea to one side while the chin is drawn backward. This gives the upper spine a twist in conjunction with the straightening movement. Qoth variations of vitolysing should be prac* ticed many times a day.

of self-confidence and of energy. You will find that in this position the head is stretched upward, the chest is expanded and the viscera drawn inward and upward.

It seems to be natural to men to relax and to slump, probably because very few of us have had proper early training in the art of holding ourselves erect. It may be necessary for you, therefore, to exercise constant vigilance over your bodily carriage and to practice certain simple exercises which will give you correct posture.

There are two or three methods which may be specially recommended to "set you up."

The first method consists in standing with your back against a wall, and placing against the latter the heels, the hips, the shoulders and the back of the head. Now if from this position you will thrust the head backward a little bit, keeping the hips against the wall, the shoulders will be thrust slightly forward away from the wall. Try it now. Go over and stand against the door and see how it works out.

You will find that by moving the head backward and thus pushing the shoulders away from the wall, the chest will be raised and expanded, the back will be given its normal lumbar curve and you will find yourself standing in an attitude of perfect poise. After you have done this repeatedly and mastered the idea, you will be able to take the position even without standing against the wall. The backward tip of the head is

These two photographs illustrate the value of vitolysing in correcting a bad posture. The photo at the left shows a careless, slouching attitude familiar to everyone. The mere act of vitolysing, as in the second photograph, brings the head back, straightens the spine and raises the chest automatically. 29 only temporary. The head is brought back to the erect or vertical position as soon as you have established the proper erect carriage.