Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].

special physical culture for women. There is great risk of excessive artificial slackness of muscle in some of the systems of rhythmic gymnastics now in vogue which favour " limp- ness " of tissue and movement, and asthenia generally. These are the two extremes : ultra-athletic and ultra- asthenic. With the exception of No. 19 and its very definite and restrictive contraindications, I do not think there are any special reasons for " warning off " the exercises of the pelvic zone described in Chapter IV. Of course, they are not all equally easy or even equally possible for every woman. This is a relative indication in each individual case. It is always best to begin with what comes easiest to each pupil and pass on to the more difficult tasks and lessons. For this reason, and also for the greatest accuracy in execution, I strongly recommend the services of a gymnastic instructress, at least at the beginning of the course. The following brief hints to beginners—for which I am indebted to Mrs. Lisa Mar—may be of use to my readers :— In the majority of women the pelvis appears to be more mobile in the recumbent position—i.e., lying—than when standing. And, undoubtedly, women who have no previous gymnastic training find the exercises more difficult to master in the upright position than in the supine. Curiously enough, even comparatively stout and heavy women learn to rotate the pelvis more easily not only lying on their backs with raised knees, but even in the knee-hand (quadrupedal) position. Of course, the instructress can help and guide here, and there is less fatigue after these exercises. Therefore, we have begun this sequence with these parti- cular exercises (Films 1 to 4). Stout women and women in middle life—especially if they have no previous gymnastic training—may restrict themselves to these exercises—and, of course, to the perineal and perivaginal—for they will find them sufficient for their purpose. Finally, a humble but very essential matter deserves mention. All pelvic exercises should only be undertaken after emptying the bladder by urination, and, if possible, after evacuation of the lower bowel as well.