Energy Enhancer #8 Regular Exercise
Inspirations Excerpted from Dr. Herbert M. Shelton's Volume IV of The Hygienic System: Exercise!
All parts of the complex human organism must function properly else the whole body suffers. It is the chief function of muscles to contract. Physical Exercise is muscular function. If some organ of the body fails to function properly, every other organ of the body is hurt by this failure. Proper muscular function thus becomes important to Superlative Health. If some part of the body is neglected or abused, it is weakened; and to the extent that it is weakened, is the body's power to live and sustain itself damaged. Every part of the body, even the hair and nails, is served by the beneficial effects of Regular Exercise. It is a grave mistake to think of Exercise as merely "a program of muscle-building." It is a program of life-building! Of mind-building! Of heart-building! Of blood-building! Of bone-building! Of character-building! Every part of the body is directly and immediately involved, both in the effort and in the effects of physical activity. If we can grasp the vital fact that the human body is a complex of interrelated, integrated, self-sustaining parts, each part dependent upon every other part, we cannot miss the importance of Regular Exercise to our health and to the strength and stability of each part of the body! The body was formed for great activity and exertion, and such activity and exertion are indispensably necessary for the healthy performance! Hygienists have said from the outset: "The mind is intimately connected with the body, suffers by its infirmities, is debilitated by its undue use, and is made much more efficient by its perfection."
Energy Enhancer #8 Regular Exercise is a most valuable and effective means of restoring health. No Health Seeker suffering from chronic disease or convalescing after some acute disease should omit Regular Exercise from her or his health-building program. It must, of course, be fitted to the particular needs and capacities of The Health Seeker.
It is proper here to list the most important, general, and specific results of Energy Enhancer #8 Regular Exercise. It builds strength and endurance; increases the functional powers of the involuntary muscles; improves nutrition and metabolism; develops coordination and agility; increases the flexibility of the joints, establishes and maintains a correct relationship among the bones, muscles, and other organs. Regular Exercise assures good posture; develops grace and poise and beauty and symmetry of the body; stretches and strengthens shortened muscles and ligaments; shortens and strengthens stretched and weakened muscles; increases efficiency of nervous system tissues; breaks up adhesions; hastens the absorption and excretion of wastes, deposits,
exudates, and effusions; is indispensable in correcting deformities and defects of physical development; aids in developing the mind and emotions and moral character.
Intense muscular use produces great muscular development. Moderate use, moderate development. Little use, little development. No use at all atrophy. Exercise must be persisted in, as part of the daily routine if we are to continue to reap its benefits!
Health is a condition of perfect development, a state of wholeness and harmonious development and growth and adaptation of part to part, of organ to organ within the organism, with no part stunted and no part in excess. In this state of organic development lies the perfection and symmetry of beauty. Beauty is but the reflection of wholeness, of health. And is it not easy to demonstrate that the forms and proportions of man and woman, which are in their highest and most perfect state, are also the most beautiful? Health Seekers, I urge you to exercise regularly! Women, you may now reculture the pink roses blooming in your cheeks and rekindle the sparkling luster of your eyes and hair and reclaim your girlish figure with Energy Enhancer #8... Regular, Vigorous Exercise! Men, you may now reculture the vigorous vibration of your youth and rebuild the muscle tone and circulation of vitality and virility and reclaim your body idea with Energy Enhancer #8... Regular Exercise!
If we say that woman and man are physical, mental, and moral beings, we must not lose sight of the important fact that these 3 "elements" of their make-up cannot be disassociated without doing violence to their beings in their wholeness. An understanding of this principle is essential to a proper appreciation of the importance of developing the body so that our physical nature is able to express our intellectual and moral nature in the highest and noblest sense. La Favre appropriately asks: "Who can know that we are beautiful, good, and true if we do not show it forth through the body instrument that is given us for that very purpose?"
