Why? The Science of Athletics

HEALTH ASPECTS AND HEALTH TRAINING 3 I obtained and that nasty "early morning" taste in the mouth; which is so well known to "mouth-breathers", is avoided. The pillow should be so arranged that the head reclines in a position perfectly natural to the function of respiration. The question of getting up is important. It has been suggested that an athlete in training should get as much sleep as he can between the hours of IO p.m. and 8 a.m., but the eight, nine or ten hours sleep rule must not be too slavishly followed. It is better for a man waking naturally at seven o'clock to rise then, than to turn over and try to sleep for another hour or two. He may succeed in doing so, but the sleep thus secured is likely to be heavy and unrestful. A ma.n waking naturally, which is a very different thing to being awakened, is being told by Nature that his body is ready to resume its normal functions, whereas an acquired habit of over– sleeping, or merely stopping in bed, may be as harmful to the athlete as lack of sleep. At this ·stage a remark as to procedure on rising may be usefully interpolated. "Eariy to bed and early to rise" is an excellent motto for the athlete, because by going to bed early he avoids the boredom of a long evening and also the psychological effect of the association of ideas which .comes from keeping late. hours, while rising early affords him ample time to perform certain functions before breakfasting. It .is an excellent thing to yawn and stretch once or twice before ever you get out of bed. After that a few deep breathing exercises performed in front of an open window may follow, then a very few abdominal exercises and some trunk rolling exercises to stretch the side muscles and loosen the internal organs. A cold bath is good for those who can stand it, and a half-hour's stroll before breakfast does not come amiss. Anything in the way of more strenuous exercise than has been mentioned is quite · likely to prove harmful. During long hours of recumbency in a warm bed the