n
that they are living without exercise, but existing does not mean
living. To live in the full sense of the word means that you are
thoroughly alive, and you positively cannot be thoroughly alive unless
all the physical processes involved in the various functions of the
body are active. Functional activity means pure blood, of superior
quality, and when one fails to give the muscular system its proper use,
the functions stagnate, the blood is filled with impurities of various
sorts, and under such circumstances the body is not really alive. When
the body is harboring an excessive number of dead cells and other
waste material one cannot say that he is entirely alive. Under such
conditions you are literally half dead and half alive. It is well
known that the body is dying at all times. Minute cells that constitute
the bodily tissues lose their vitality and life, and are taken up by
the venous blood and carried to the various organs which take part in
the work of elimination. Now these dead cells and minute corpuscles
linger in the tissues if one lives an inactive life. Therefore it is
literally true that you are half dead if you do not give the muscular
system its proper use.

Physically the muscular system is such an important part of the body
that failure to keep it in good condition by failure to keep it
active seriously affects all other parts. The greater part of the food
we eat is consumed by the muscles. Most of the heat produced by the
body is generated in the muscles. Therefore to neglect this part of our
organism means to disorganize, to a large extent, the workings of
all other parts. The appetite, under such conditions, fails and the
entire functional system loses tone. In fact, I may say that exercise is
the first and most important of all the methods of building functional
strength. When the muscles are exercised the vital, organs are
energized and the activity of the entire functional system greatly
increased-all clearly indicating that in taking physical exercise the
internal organs are aroused and stimulated.

Gigantic strength is not especially needed. It is not necessary for one
to strive to eclipse the feats of famous strong men. Unusual muscular
development is of no great value in this age, but a normal degree of
strength is absolutely necessary in the struggle for health and
vitality. No one should be satisfied with less than what might be
regarded as a