Athletics of To-Day for Women

2 Athletics of To-day for Women activiti in such a manner that the gr at. st benefit may be d rived by the future mothers of the race and all risks of injury to their proper functions may be avoided. Thi subject of women's sport has been consid red in its widest aspects by many learned bodies. Their delib rations have produced a con ensus of opinion that games and physical exercises have beneficial effects upon the character and dis– po ition of the girls taking part; that football, boxing, and wrestling are totally unsuitable ; that wimming is good, although women show a tendency to stay in the water too long, thus imposing too great a degree of h art train; that a short time should be devot d eh day to training and prac– tice, inst ad of a longer tin1e once or t\ ic a we k; that women should ubject th ms I to medi al e~'amination both before and during training; nd that athletics in moderation will tend to improve a r I ti e deficit in \ om n's physic I assets as compared with m n' . Lady H ath ( ictur s 114 and rrs and rgr to 194), a great athlete and a great authority u on th matters, aid: "The pr s nt adaptation of womanhood of its If to the d mands er ated by the labour mark t, bring her still clo r t n1anhoo in h r habits of lif ." agr s th t thi i so, an , 1 ing th g n ral for p rticular, it i hard to e how it c n be ont n d that throwing of a light ja lin, w ighing oo gramm , an impose a gr at r str in upon a woman than th u of th o rh ad tenni rvic , sine both ctions 11 for th mployment of xactly the sam s t of muscl s. Again, how can it be said that a short cro -country ra e of 2 ,~ mil i lik ly t prove any mor harmful than a day out with th b agl s ? Or what argument c n b a vane d to prove th t a san syst m of athl tic will not the bett r fit a young \ oman f r th daily hous hold t ks, whi h fr qu ntly in olv th moving and lifting of heavy pi s of furniture ? othing I h v y t en among worn n, \ heth r civilised or oth rwi , h convin d me that an v rage normal and p rf tly h althy woman has relativ -ly 1 ss pov ers of