These exercises are from a wonderfully illustrated book published back in 1909*. The aim is to stretch out, get your circulation flowing and flex your joints and muscles, all especially important if you spend a lot of your day sitting down. They were originally designed to keep children alert, supple and healthy in the classroom, and were to be performed between the desks, so that should make them perfect exercises to do at home, in your ordinary clothes (presuming you don’t sit around in high heels and a pencil skirt!).
The original text is a bit obscure in places for those of us who are not PT instructors from 1909 so I’ve decoded it into modern language. They seem like safe gentle exercises similar to those I’ve seen used as warm ups in various settings, but obviously if any of them feel uncomfortable to you don’t do them. The only one I’d personally prefer to avoid is the backward bending bit in Exercise 5, and the squat in Exercise 8 looks a bit deeper on the illustration than I’d go for. There’s no indication of the number of repetitions so just play it by ear. I think 2 or 3 of each should be enough to loosen you up.
*Physical Training for the School and Classroom by GR Borden, Physical Director of the YMCA Pennsylvania (1909)
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| Exercise 1. Fingers - curl and stretch (a) With arms down by your side (Fig 2) (b) With arms out at side horizontally (c) With arms out at front horizontally (d) With arms vertically up | Exercise 2. Wrists - bend forwards and backwards (a) With arms down by your sides (b) With arms out at side horizontally (c) With arms out in front horizontally (d) With arms vertically up |
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| Exercise 3. Arm bends (a) Arms by your sides, bring up sideways to touch shoulders. (Fig 3.) (b) Arms by your side, curl arms up forwards to touch shoulders. (c) Arms out at side horizontally, touch hands to shoulders. (Fig. 3.) (d) Arms out in front horizontally, touch hands to shoulders. | Exercise 4. Shoulders - starting with arms by your sides (a) Swing arms out sideways and up to vertical. (b) Swing arms forwards and up to vertical. |
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| Exercise 5. Foot flexing (a) Hands on hips, rise up on toes. (Fig. 4). (b) Rise on heels. (c) Alternate toes and heels. (d) Spread feet outwards, keeping heels together. | Exercise 6. Waist bending (a) Hands on hips. Side body bend to left. (Fig. 5) (b) Side body bend to right. (c) Side body bend left then right combined. |
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| Exercise 7. Toe touches Hands on hips. Keep the leg extended, and as you swing it out squat a little on the leg your weight is resting on. See Fig. 6. (a) Toe touch sideways left. (b) Toe touch sideways right. (c) Toe touches sideways alternate left and right. (d) Toe touch backward left. (e) Toe touch backward right. (f) Toe touches backward alternate left and right. (g) Toe touch forwards left. (h) Toe touch forwards right. (i) Toe touch forwards alternate left and right. | Exercise 8. Half squats (a) With hands on hips. (b) With arms out at sides horizontally (Fig. 10) (c) With arms out in front horizontally. (d) With hands on back of head. |
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