Part 1

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by underscores.

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

LITTLE BLUE BOOK NO. 1435 Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius

Constipation and Its Correction by Exercise

C. O. Benson

(Instructor of Physical Education, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.)

HALDEMAN-JULIUS PUBLICATIONS GIRARD, KANSAS

Copyright, 1929, Haldeman-Julius Company

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CONTENTS

Page

Causes of Constipation 7

Exercises for the Prevention and Correction of Constipation 20

CONSTIPATION AND ITS CORRECTION BY EXERCISE

Constipation or dyskinesia is one of the important influences in making people old before their time. The breaking down of the faculties and functions supposed to be due to old age is in reality due to the accumulation of waste and bacteria in the intestines. A habit of life which keeps the bowels clean will set “old age” back to the time when men will enjoy perfect health to the utmost limit of a normal span of years (at the present time the normal span is fifty-eight years).

There are many people who think they are quite normal, though they never had a regular daily movement of the bowels without the aid of laxatives in years. Yet, these same persons will not let the gasoline line on their automobile stay clogged one day.

The body is a very delicate organism and it must be taken care of in a thoughtful fashion. A poisoned night is spent if a day is missed without a bowel movement, for the body cannot carry waste a great length of time without serious injury to it. Under a normal life the bowels should move at least once a day without artificial aid.

Results of Constipation

When food remains too long in the body it decays, putrefies, and develops into very active poisons. With this decaying comes a depressing feeling caused by these wastes being absorbed into the blood. Then, to make matters worse, this putrification retards the bowel action, thus keeping the poisons in the body. Thus, constipation results. Some of these poisons are not so harmful, yet others are very capable of infecting the body, and these enter the blood stream via the intestines and reach other organs where they may cause a chronic disease.

Constipation brings many other ills besides that of poisoning and infecting the body. If this decay occurs too frequently, very serious infections may develop. Frequently diseases associated with old age, such as rheumatism, kidney trouble, and disturbances of the gall bladder are the result of a constipated condition which has run for years. The retained masses of putrefied food in the digestive tract many times displaces and distends the bowels with the ultimate result that it reacts on the nervous system and the circulation of the liver, and causes much suffering. Appendicitis is often traced to the continuous constipated condition.

Other results of constipation can be dizziness, offensive breath, headache, loss of pep and vitality, bad temper, poor complexion, stomach disorders, skin eruptions, sleepless nights, loss of appetite, stupor, and piles.

CAUSES OF CONSTIPATION

Lack of Exercise

One who leads an inactive life must expect to have a flabby body. Lack of exercise lowers the tone of the whole body and especially the abdominal viscera. This is an unhealthy way to live, for it offers no incentive to the stomach and intestines for the vigorous digestion of food. A good workout daily will stimulate and tone the intestines for better functioning.

Unless your work involves a great deal of outdoor walking, a daily walk cannot be over-estimated in the treatment of constipation. Learn to stride along with the head and chest up, breathing deeply. Walking in this fashion will do as much good the last ten minutes as the first ten. This exercise will stimulate the appetite and increase the physical and mental tone of the body. It is a life-enriching as well as life-purifying habit.

Learn to take a few workouts in the gym every week, that is, if you are physically able. However, before you plan your workout have your health doctor plan your program and limitations and what it should include.

In the back of the book will be found exercises that will aid in the correction of constipation. These exercises will be found very beneficial if used daily.