An Alphabet of Athletics

The chief object of tM eS eriee mto point out what is twrmal and hwU ihy, and many of the eimpleat helps touxtrds that condition, rather than to lay etress on what ie abnormal and morbid; to emphaaiae Fitness rather than the effects of unfitness. Thus, in thinking of digestion [if, indeed, toe think of the matter at aU), we need to get into our mmds a reasotiable view of good digestion as a regular and not urtileasant process, which should be ours, OT td to make ourselves realise it against all comers espedaG yagainst unfavourable conditions, temiptatiotta to obviously siU ymistakes, and harassing descriptions of the results of bad digestions. Jft attractive nature ofF itness must he emphasised, even though Urnay be the unpleasant nature of unfU neas that first intereststhe individual and leads him to pay attention to sensible selftratmng, a hitherto neglected duly. It is important that Fitness should be set forth not only as a duty but also as a satisfactory and enjoyable duty. Till now, it haa not been regarded as a duty, partly because our ideas of physical duty are of a despicably low type; partly perhaps, because Fitness is associated vth happinieas Io extraordinarily unhappy and gloomy and pathological is our notion of duty, as if we were destined, forsook, to resist all our strongest desires, for ever and ever, and never to follow wilk safety any single pleasant inclination lest, being pleasant, it could not possffdy be dutiful and mrluous as wdl. We ahaU try to keep in mind a pleasqtU state and sense ofF ilhesB, arid, since (A wia no leas vital, to keep in mind an aU-TO und Fitness, as distirtct from redneas of face, largeness of muscle, or even the power of physical endurance. A ll-round Fitness is, as we shall show, physical and hygienic, aesthetic {which word may include the notion of enjoyable), intellectucd, economical, social [which word must i
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)