{"id":595657,"date":"2023-01-09T05:49:17","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T11:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/walkers-manly-exercises\/"},"modified":"2023-01-09T05:49:17","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T11:49:17","slug":"walkers-manly-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/walkers-manly-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em> was one of the books recommended as a suitable Christmas present in a recent post<\/a> on this blog.\u00a0 This \u2018practical book devoted to the science of manly recreations\u2019 comprised sections on the importance of physical exercise; locomotive exercises; aquatic exercises;\u00a0 and riding. The sixth edition<\/a> published in 1839 added chapters on racing, hunting, and shooting. Active exercise could \u2018confer beauty of form\u2019 and contribute to \u2018an elegant air and graceful manners\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Title<\/a>Title page of\u00a0 Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Elementary exercises are best performed in cool air, but never immediately after a meal.\u00a0 Smooth grass or a sandy beach are the most suitable locations. The coat should be removed and sharp objects removed from remaining pockets.\u00a0 A light covering should be worn on the head \u2013 a straw hat is ideal \u2013 and the shirt collar left open. The trouser waistband should not be tight and shoes or boots should have no iron.\u00a0 Exercising must begin and end gently. Excessive exercise can lead to premature old age and death.<\/p>\n

There is an interesting description of the training regimes of pugilists and pedestrians (professional walkers\/runners). Their diet was strictly controlled and limited mainly to meat, with the addition of biscuit and stale bread.\u00a0 Ale was drunk, or red wine.\u00a0 Sweating was promoted by running four miles in flannel.<\/p>\n

\"Man<\/a>Walking from Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The section on locomotive exercises covers walking at different speeds, running, leaping, vaulting, balancing, carrying weights, throwing the discus, climbing, and skating.<\/p>\n

\"Climbing<\/a>Climbing with ladders, poles and ropes from Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Detailed instructions with illustrations are given for each type of exercise, many of which are the forerunners of modern athletic and gymnastic disciplines. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Running<\/a><\/a>Running from Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Running is \u2018precisely intermediate to walking and leaping\u2019, being a series of leaps from each foot alternately, and it inflicts violent and constant shocks to the internal organs of the body.\u00a0 The record for running a mile is said to be four and a half minutes.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>
Skating from Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The dangers of skating are pointed out: not just falling through weak ice, but inflammation of the chest because of cold winds. After this come two pages of treatments recommended for drowned persons.<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Swimmers<\/a>Swimming from Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The best place to swim is the sea, then running water \u2013 ponds are the worst.\u00a0 The best time is before breakfast during the months May to August.\u00a0 When the sun is at its hottest, thick hair should be kept wet and bald heads covered with a handkerchief soaked in water.\u00a0 Short drawers should be worn, together with canvas shoes in some places.\u00a0 It is important to be able to swim in a jacket and trousers.<\/p>\n

\"Riding\"<\/a>Riding from Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The chapter on riding has a section on driving horses which digresses into a discussion on roads, coaches and carriages.\u00a0 Carriage drivers are warned not to go into the City of London through the Strand, Fleet Street, or Cheapside between noon and 5 pm because of crowding.\u00a0 \u00a0There are droves of oxen in the City around midday on Mondays and Fridays.\u00a0 By an Act of Parliament, drivers of hackney coaches have to give way to gentlemen\u2019s carriages under a penalty of 10 shillings.<\/p>\n

Do browse this book online. The British Library has digitised editions<\/a> published between 1838 and 1860.\u00a0 Its scope is far wider than the title suggests and there are fascinating nuggets providing insights into life in Britain during the nineteenth century.<\/p>\n

Margaret Makepeace
Lead Curator, East India Company Records<\/p>\n

Further reading:
Walter Thom\u2019s ‘Pedestrianism’<\/a>
Victorian Pedestrianism (1) \u2013 Robert Makepeace aka \u2018The American Stag\u2019<\/a>
Victorian Pedestrianism (2) \u2013 1,000 Miles in 1,000 Hours<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Leigha Antes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Walker\u2019s Manly Exercises was one of the books recommended as a suitable Christmas present in a recent post on this blog.\u00a0 This \u2018practical book devoted to the science of manly recreations\u2019 comprised sections on the importance of physical exercise; locomotive exercises; aquatic exercises;\u00a0 and riding. The sixth edition published in 1839 added chapters on racing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":595658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[117810,46,3297],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-595657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manly","category-technology","category-walkers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}