Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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mending the presence and, if necessary, the assistance of gymnastic instructress, nurse or attendant. III. Exercises for Relaxation (20) Lateral Pelvic Drop (Figs. 14 and 15). Lie flat on back. Draw up the knees as close to the body as possible, lifting the feet from the floor or couch (Fig. 14). Then drop the legs from below the knee in a quick movement sideways (Fig. 15), thus causing the pelvis to turn sideways too. The legs must not be held rigidly. If there is difficulty in mastering this exercise the instructress should give the pupil's lower leg a quick and gentle push. When correctly performed, this exercise relaxes the three groups of muscles, abdominal, gluteal (i.e., of the buttocks and thighs behind) and perineal. The full benefit can only be derived from this exercise when it is repeated quickly several times in succession. (21) Lateral Position of Pelvis (Figs. 16 and 17). Lie on one side, the knees drawn up towards the body, relax the muscles and lie as easily and restfully as though retired for the night and about to fall asleep. Then draw the gluteal and perineal muscles together, protruding the pelvis forwards (Fig. 17). Keep the muscles tense and the pelvis arched forwards for a few minutes, then relax again. These movements render perineal, abdominal and gluteal muscles supple and elastic. Supplementary Exercises There are certain supplementary exercises in which the pelvic movements are passive and indirect rather than directly active—as we have pointed out in Chapter III. and in the Introduction. These exercises, although not strictly either pelvic or perineal, help to make these regions more supple and mobile. For this reason—and also because they are, on the whole, more comfortable to perform and easier to learn than the specifically pelvic gymnastics—they form an appropriate transition or halfway house between general physical and special pelvic culture. The following brief D 2