Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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then on the hands. Raise half-way to the sitting posture, then sink slowly back again. Without the precautions and arm support as described, this exercise is far too strenuous for the expectant mother. Even with due precautions, care is necessary, and medical sanction should be obtained before trunk lifting and lowering are attempted. (17) Opening and Closing the Knees in Resistance to Pressure (no illustration). Recumbent posture with raised knees. The instructress clasps the knees of the patient and the latter attempts to push them apart against the pressure of the instructress's grip. Then the instructress lays the palms of her hands against the inner surface of each knee and exercises pressure against the patient who endeavours to close her knees. The patient must not hold her breath while making these move- ments. The resistance to pressure must be very gradually increased. The instructress must not allow herself to be drawn into any competition or trial of strength with the patient (cf. Exercise 27, Fig. 40). If the patient exercises alone she can use her own hands to press her knees together and/or apart. But she should first, in my opinion, try the exercise with skilled supervision in order to understand the possible and advisable degree of resistance. Note.—In all exercises which have no special directions about breathing appended, it may be taken as a rule that the breath should never be " held." In order to avoid fatigue and overstrain of the neck muscles, it is advisable for the patient to let her head droop easily towards either the left or right shoulder when exercising in the recumbent posture. Further exercises which may be employed with advantage are those described in our next chapter—dealing with gymnastics after child-birth, with the exception, however, of Nos. 24 and 25. These are performed lying face down- wards, so may only be used in the early months of gesta- tion, before the womb has become so enlarged that the abdominal pressure would do harm. But these two exercises (" Leg raising backwards " and " Leg raising backwards S.E. !