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VLVAK Wl DOTY, M.D. WALKING 
FOR HEALTH By ALVAH H. DOTY, M.D. 
A MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION 
IN THE PRINCIPLES OF 
PROMPT AID TO THE INJURED 
THE PREVENTION OF 
INFECTIOUS DISEASES 
THE MOSQUITO 
ITS RELATION TO DISEASE 
AND ITS EXTERMINATION 
GOOD HEALTH 
WALKING FOR HEALTH WALKING 
FOR HEALTH 
BY 
ALVAH H. DOTY, M.D. 
MEDICAL DIRECTOR, *UNION TELEGRAPH COM- 
PANY: FORMERLY HEALTH OFFICER, PORT OF NEW YORK, 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
NEW YORK : : 1923 : : LONDON COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OP AMERICA INTRODUCTION 
The following pages contain truths of 
great importance in the preservation of 
health and the prolongation of life. 
These truths are not new; they have been 
known for a long time; in fact, so well 
known that they have become familiar: 
and that familiarity has bred contempt. 
However, the attractive, concise manner 
in which they have been restated by Dr. 
Doty will, I hope, impress their value 
upon every one into whose hands this little 
volume falls. 
George David Stewart, M. D. WALKING 
FOR HEALTH 
A person who is seeking an assured rec- 
ipe for long life or perfect health will not 
find it in this little book; nor will there be 
revealed in its pages any novel method of 
accomplishing his physical well-being. 
The author’s purpose will be quite fully 
accomplished if he succeeds in making a 
convincing presentation of the great value 
of the commonest form of exercise, 
namely, walking, as an aid in the pres- 
ervation of health and a safeguard against 
certain forms of disease of internal or- 
gans, particularly the brain. 
It is very important at the outset that the 
reader should understand the system pro- 
1 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
vided by nature for the circulation of 
the blood and the functions of the blood, 
and the organs of the body which consti- 
tute an important part of the circulatory 
system. The tenure of life of a human 
being depends largely upon the soundness 
of the blood vessels, particularly those of 
the brain. It is an old saying, and in a 
way quite true, that a man is as old as his 
arteries, the significance of which state- 
ment will be apparent as we proceed. 
Blood is the great nutritive fluid of the 
body and directly or indirectly supplies 
every tissue with nourishment, and 
through the channels of various organs 
removes from the body worn out and poi- 
sonous matter. It also supplies oxygen 
which it receives from the air entering 
the lungs; of this a continuous supply is 
absolutely necessary for our existence, 
2 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
and if from any cause the supply is cut 
off, death quickly follows, as in drowning 
and other forms of suffocation. In order 
to perform these vital functions the blood 
must be driven to the remotest parts of 
the body, and nature provides a powerful 
pump for this purpose, known as the 
heart. It is estimated that the strength 
developed by this organ during twenty- 
four hours would raise a ton weight 120 
feet. The heart is about the size of the 
closed fist, pear-shaped, with the base or 
large end above and to the right the apex 
or small end pointing downward to the 
left; in health the latter may be found 
in the space between the fifth and sixth 
ribs to the left of the median line. It is 
divided into a right and left side, each 
having two cavities, an upper and a lower, 
which connect with each other but not with 
3 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
the cavities of the opposite side. The par- 
tition between the upper and lower cavi- 
ties is supplied with a valve which, in a 
normal condition, prevents a regurgita- 
tion or backward flow from the lower to 
the higher chamber. The upper compart- 
ment on each side is known as the auricle 
and the lower or more powerful ones the 
ventricle. The blood vessels composing 
the vascular system are arteries, veins, 
and capillaries. 
The lungs are two conical-shaped 
organs with the base downwards, longer in 
the back than in the front, the right lung 
being a little heavier than the left. The 
smaller portion, known as the apex, 
extends to the clavicle or collar bone. The 
lung tissue is composed of millions of 
minute air cells or pouches which connect 
with the bronchial tubes and by this means 
4 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
with the outer world. The enormous sur- 
face represented by these little cells would, 
if spread out, cover a space of 600 square 
feet or more; this is supplied with blood 
vessels which receive oxygen from the air 
entering the lungs, for the purpose of puri- 
fying and enriching the blood. The walls 
of the air cells and the minute blood 
vessels surrounding them are so exceed- 
ingly thin that the absorption of oxygen 
and the discharge of certain poisonous 
products readily take place. It is here 
that the change from venous to arterial 
blood occurs. Each lung, like the heart, is 
surrounded by a closed sac containing a 
small amount of fluid to prevent friction 
during the movements of these organs. 
The sac covering the lung is known as the 
pleura and the one inclosing the heart is 
called the pericardium. The blood in its 
5 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
circuit of the body returns through the 
veins laden with impurities removed from 
the tissues and passes into the main trunks 
and from these is discharged into the right 
auricle of the heart; thence it enters the 
right ventricle and from that point is 
driven into the lungs and through the 
minute blood vessels surrounding the air 
cells already described, where it receives 
oxygen from the air in the lungs. The 
color is now changed from the bluish ve- 
nous blood to the red arterial blood and, 
thus enriched and purified, reaches the left 
auricle of the heart ;then passing to the left 
ventricle it is propelled to every part of the 
body, furnishing oxygen and nourishment 
to the tissues; after reaching the minute 
blood vessels and capillaries it begins to 
take up impurities; these very small vessels 
grow larger and ultimately become veins 
6 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
which form main trunks and discharge 
into the heart as already described. The 
circulation of the blood is thus completed. 
The motive power of the arterial system 
of blood vessels resides in the left ventri- 
cle of the heart, the most powerful part of 
this organ, for this great muscle must 
have sufficient impulse left after forcing 
the blood through the arteries to aid the 
veins in returning the blood to the heart 
and as we shall see later on the veins are 
not nearly as strong as the arteries. In 
order to withstand the enormous pressure 
of the heart action and also to aid the 
latter in the process described, the arteries 
must be strong as well as resisting, for 
they work unceasingly day and night 
throughout life. To meet this heavy 
demand they are composed of three coats: 
(1) the inner consisting of an exceed- 
7 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
ingly smooth membrane which permits 
the blood to flow unretarded and without 
friction, (2) the middle coat of muscular 
and yellow elastic tissue which allows of 
dilation and contraction of the vessels in 
response to the heart’s action, and aids the 
latter in propelling the blood throughout 
the body, and (3) an outer or fibrous coat 
which furnishes great strength to these 
vessels. 
The contraction of the left ventricle 
giving momentum to the current of blood 
passing through the arteries causes what 
is known as the “pulse,” which may be 
easily detected at the wrist or wherever an 
artery comes close to the surface of the 
body. This pulsation is not found in veins, 
chiefly because they are too far removed 
from the action of the left side of the heart 
and because their coats are much thinner 
8 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
than those of the arteries, the pressure of 
blood from within being far less than in 
the lrJ vessels; furthermore the veins 
are not, like arteries, supplied with a coat 
of yellow elastic tissue, and therefore 
when severed they collapse while arteries 
remain open. .The circulation of the blood 
constitutes the most vital function of 
the body. That the heart and blood 
vessels, which are unremittingly in ac- 
tion and always under great strain, 
are able to maintain their integrity 
for many years is one of the marvels of 
nature, particularly as their activity takes 
place in the face of many obstacles and 
with but little concern on our part in the 
matter of voluntarily avoiding undue 
demands upon these organs. The heart 
is the only machine in the world that never 
stops until the close of life. There is, of 
9 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
course, a limit to the protection which 
nature extends in this direction, and, with 
increasing age, the coats of the blood 
vessels, particularly of the brain, become 
weakened, and in the latter organ as a 
consequence rupture sometimes occurs and 
is followed by hemorrhage, causing apo- 
plexy and paralysis of one side of the body, 
a condition which is well known to the 
public. It is usually late in life when this 
happens, but it may be hastened by certain 
diseases, by long-continued and excessive 
brain work and sedentary habits, over- 
stimulation, and other causes. It is of 
more common occurrence than is generally 
suspected and there is good reason to 
believe that it has increased in frequency 
in recent years. The Health report of the 
greater city of New York for the year 
1921 states that during that period 886 
10 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
deaths from apoplexy were recorded. 
These, of course, do not include the many 
cases of this affection which are, for the 
time at least, not fatal. Statistics pre- 
sented by the United States Government 
Service give a death rate for apoplexy in 
1919 as 73.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, 
while in 1920 it was increased to 80.9. It 
is further reported that during 1920 there 
were 70,780 recorded deaths from apo- 
plexy in the United States—a rather dis- 
turbing statement which clearly indicates 
the need of greater protection against this 
source of danger. 
Even under normal and healthful con- 
ditions a strong pressure always exists 
within the blood vessels. This is neces- 
sary in order that the blood may be driven 
to every part of the body, and nature meets 
the requirement by endowing the blood 
11 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
vessels with great strength which enables 
them to withstand this continued strain 
for a long period of life.: With this we 
need not concern ourselves. However, we 
should guard against prolonged excessive 
blood pressure and congestion of internal 
organs, particularly the brain, due largely 
to preventable causes—to an improper 
mode of living which goes far to harden, 
weaken, and seriously affect the elasticity 
of the coats of these blood carriers. 
In our study to discover by what natural 
and simple means these conditions may be 
prevented or ameliorated we find that cer- 
tain classes of persons, such as manual 
laborers, farmers, ranchmen, postmen, and 
the like, whose work involves daily physi- 
cal exercise in the open air are far less 
subject to attacks of apoplexy and various 
organic derangements than are so-called 
12 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
brain workers — financiers, scientists, 
writers, and others of both sexes whose 
occupations demand constant use of the 
brain with little or no physical exercise. 
,The obvious significance in the fact that 
the manual laborer or the farmer or others 
engaged in physical exercises are to a 
large extent exempt from diseases of the 
circulation, to which the brain worker or 
man of sedentary occupation is susceptible 
is that in the one case the man is systemat- 
ically exercising all parts of the great 
external muscular system in the open air 
as an incident to his work and in the other 
he is not. 
Constant brain workers, as well as those 
who are victims of prolonged worry or dis- 
tress of mind, and those who are prone 
to excesses of various kinds, imposing 
daily and often nightly undue pressure 
13 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
upon the cerebral blood vessels, with but 
little or no opportunity for or attention to 
systematic and sensible physical exercise 
or proper nourishment of the body, pay 
but little heed to the signals of an over- 
worked brain which nature gives in the 
way of headache, insomnia, mental 
fatigue, and other manifestations indicat- 
ing blood pressure not consistent with 
health; they do little or nothing in the way 
of seeking a natural remedy which will 
furnish permanent relief, provided no un- 
derlying disease is present, but rather deal 
with the case by a resort to drugs and 
various forms of stimulants whose aid is 
but superficial and temporary. 
Briefly, the body contains a certain 
amount of blood estimated at one twelfth 
of its weight. There is a constant demand 
throughout the entire system for this 
14 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
nutritive fluid; however, as certain organs 
or tissues, during increased functional 
activity or in the instance of various forms 
of irritation either internally or extern- 
ally, call for a rapid sending of blood to 
these parts, it follows that when this oc- 
curs the supply of blood in other sections 
of the body is correspondingly diminished. 
As a simple and well known illustration of 
this, reference may be made to the action 
of agents described as counter irritants; 
for instance, the common home remedies 
used locally to relieve pain or congestion 
of deeper parts. An ordinary cold is often 
relieved by a hot foot bath to which a little 
mustard is sometimes added, this being 
promptly followed by an intense redness 
of the skin with excellent results. Hot 
poultice or other stimulating applications 
placed over the chest or abdomen are com- 
15 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
monly very effective in soothing pain and 
relieving internal disturbance of various 
kinds. The palliation thus quickly effected 
is due chiefly to the relief of congested 
or inflamed parts. These simple methods 
seem to show what may be done in the way 
of rapidly changing the blood current 
from one part of the body to another by a 
means which nature permits in the way of 
a long walk in the open air, diverting to the 
external muscular system particularly of 
the lower extremities a largely increased 
amount of blood to provide for greater 
activity of these parts which obviously 
promptly diminishes the blood supply of 
internal organs. It would be difficult to 
conceive of a simpler or more effective pro- 
tection against undue internal blood 
pressure than walking, both for its sim- 
plicity and effectiveness; besides it costs 
16 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
nothing, and it is available at all times for 
any one not physically disabled. Its value 
is quite apt to be minimized by the public, 
for it is a human failing not to appreciate 
aid which we may obtain without effort or 
expense. 
While long-continued congestion and 
overaction of an internal organ is quite 
likely later in life to lead to some disturb- 
ing or very serious organic change, there 
need be no concern as to any danger which 
may follow daily or prolonged activity of 
the great external muscular system of the 
body. We may learn this largely from the 
history of the great professional pedes- 
trians who in public exhibitions have 
walked more than five hundred miles in 
six consecutive days. At other times 
their daily exercise is a walk from ten to 
twenty miles in order to keep in good phy- 
17 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
sical condition. Alfred Payson Weston, 
the greatest professional walker of mod- 
ern times, recently at the age of eighty- 
four walked from Buffalo to New York, 
a distance of four hundred and fifty miles, 
averaging about fifteen or twenty miles a 
day, without any apparent distress or in- 
convenience. 
While it is quite true that exercise in 
the open air is everywhere accepted as 
important in the maintenance of health, it 
is regarded rather as a means of strength- 
ening the general muscular system or cer- 
tain defective parts of the body, reducing 
weight, increasing the appetite, and the 
like; but its great value as a powerful 
agent in the adjustment of the circulation 
and consequent relief of internal organs is 
little understood and less utilized. Un- 
fortunately this, the most important 
18 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
object of exercise from the health point 
of view, is practically unknown and the 
various kinds of exercise selected or fa- 
vored by individuals depend largely upon 
the character of their pleasures. Refer- 
ence will be made to certain forms of 
exercise with a view of appraising their 
value in relieving undue internal blood 
pressure. 
It is a common practice upon arising in 
the morning to open the window and take 
a few deep inspirations with the arms 
raised or in motion. This is more or less 
stimulating and refreshing and is a good 
waking-up process, but it is of short dura- 
tion and follows a period of rest when 
there is less need of defence against undue 
blood pressure, and it has therefore no 
particular value. 
Various methods of floor exercise are in 
19 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
vogue which include all kinds of contor- 
tions, usually with the head at or below the 
level of the body, and, while this may be 
instrumental in reducing the body weight 
or of value in developing certain muscles 
or helping some disabling conditions, it 
does not relieve the brain pressure, but 
rather increases the flow of blood to this 
organ by the recumbent position of the 
body. There are many kinds of exercise 
recommended for special purposes which 
are quite successful in their way, yet they 
play no conspicuous part in the regulation 
of the circulation, at least they do not 
relieve the congestion of cerebral vessels 
or those of other internal organs to the 
desired extent. 
Probably the most common mode of 
exercise and the one which has been in 
practice from very early times is that 
20 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
obtained in the gymnasium; the reverence 
paid this method of exercise, which is so 
familiar to all, has prevented a careful 
estimate of its value. Gymnasium exer- 
cise is of comparatively little importance 
in the maintenance of health; its real value 
is in the cultivation of the athlete or in 
instances where special development is 
called for. It cannot be doubted that it is 
attended with some risk to those advanced 
in years, in view of the strenuous work 
involved, and it not only does not relieve 
cerebral blood pressure but definitely 
increases it, and therefore defeats its very 
purpose as a health measure suitable for 
all ages. While it has a passing impor- 
tance to those engaged in athletic pursuits 
at college and elsewhere, it loses its in- 
terest when one enters a business or pro- 
fessional career, except in the instance of 
21 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
the professional athlete, and does not pro- 
vide the exercise proper for a life-time. 
Again, while gymnasium work may not 
involve much expense, it does require time 
and preparation, and the fact that it is 
conducted indoors robs it of a large part 
of its value. 
None will disagree with the statement 
that horseback riding is most refreshing 
and enjoyable, as well as a useful means 
of exercise; but the expense involved and 
many other reasons put it out of the reach 
of all but a few privileged individuals, 
and excludes it from serious consider- 
ation. 
Golf, which to a great extent is walk- 
ing made interesting, is of inestimable 
value in the way of relieving overcharged 
internal blood vessels, and has become a 
very important factor in the maintenance 
22 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
of good health among persons of all ages 
and both sexes. It is significant to note 
that many individuals, who in former 
years made annual pilgrimages to famous 
foreign springs to follow a course of treat- 
ment there, consisting mainly of the use of 
cathartic waters for the purpose of reliev- 
ing certain congested conditions (a meas- 
ure which in the end, as a matter of fact, 
was quite sure to reduce their vitality) 
have found a most efficacious restorative 
in golf. 
Tennis, which as a pastime divides pop- 
ularity about evenly with golf, is not of 
the same practical value as a means of 
exercise for health because it is too rigor- 
ous for those advanced in years, and is 
monopolized by persons of a less mature 
age. Valuable as both golf and tennis are 
as a means of healthful recreation and 
23 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
exercise out of doors, neither game meets 
all the requirements in the way of furnish- 
ing daily relief for congested internal 
organs, because they are played only at 
certain seasons of the year; they are avail- 
able, as a rule, only to persons of some 
leisure; they involve more or less expense; 
playing is irregular, and the means and 
opportunities for playing at all are denied 
to the mass of people, because golf links 
and tennis courts are not everywhere 
accessible. 
In reaching a conclusion as to the best 
form of exercise, a line of demarcation 
must obviously be drawn between what 
may be termed healthful exercise, which 
is mainly for pleasure and incidentally for 
the development of certain muscular parts, 
or the correction of various defective 
physical conditions, and exercise which is 
24 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
not only pleasurable but has a definite and 
specific value in the direction of maintain- 
ing a healthful adjustment of the circula- 
tion, and it is sought in the comments 
above made on the forms of exercise most 
in use to indicate this line of distinction. 
It must be found where the form of exer- 
cise combines on the one hand regularity, 
availability, economy of time and expense, 
and reaching in its results all the bodily 
ramifications, and on the other hand those 
forms that are unsystematic and only 
occasionally available. 
Fortunately nature has provided us with 
precisely the equipment that furnishes to 
every one the possibility of having the 
right kind of exercise—the daily use of the 
great external muscular system of the 
body particularly of the lower extremities 
—in other words, walking. Nothing can 
25 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
equal in its beneficial results upon the cir- 
culatory system, which we have been par- 
ticularly discussing, a systematic daily 
walk under the conditions hereinafter pre- 
scribed. Arm or chest exercise cannot be 
regarded as a substitute for walking, for 
in the latter process the lower extremities 
which consist of a great mass of muscular 
tissue, demand a very large increase of 
blood during prolonged activity and, more- 
over, with the aid of gravity the blood 
from the interior is then flowing more 
readily into the lower extremities; again, 
exercise with the arms and chest is more 
abrupt and violent and does not preserve 
that regular pistonlike motion which takes 
place while walking, and which, if con- 
tinued long enough, is sure to relieve un- 
due pressure upon the cerebral vessels; 
moreover, the muscular activity of the 
26 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
upper extremities, particularly in gym- 
nasium practice, is quite apt to retard the 
flow of blood from the brain. 
The reason that systematic walking is 
not more commonly practiced with the 
very important objective of keeping the 
body in condition is that its virtue as 
an exercise is largely unknown or un- 
heeded and, being within the reach of 
everybody, it is, like many other common 
things of value, not prized. About the 
only objection that can be urged to this 
form of exercise is, that it is irksome to 
walk for the mere sake of walking, but this 
objection is not serious enough to deter one 
who is seeking health preservation and he 
will not be impressed by a consideration so 
fanciful., iTo derive the utmost benefit 
from walking it must be taken up as a 
earnest enterprise to be performed daily 
27 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
and systematically, and he who does this 
will not fail to learn its great practical 
value, not alone in the protection that 
it will inevitably afford to the circulatory 
system which must be studiously safe- 
guarded as already admonished, but in a 
general and lasting improvement in health 
conditions, accompanied by a sensation of 
buoyancy and stimulation, which will be a 
constant incentive to continue the exercise. 
In these days, when attention to the 
care of the body is at a rather low ebb, it 
is necessary to emphasize sharply the 
special need of the regular habit of walk- 
ing as a means of health protection and 
the prolongation of life. Furthermore, 
those who follow this healthful course are 
quite sure to give heed to the importance 
of proper food, sleep and the like, most 
essential aids in the conservation of 
28 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
health. Children should be early taught 
to know the value of this natural means 
of maintaining health which should be 
continued throughout life; to teach a child 
the value of walking establishes a practice 
that in no way interferes with gymnasium 
drill or other forms of athletic activities 
for some special purpose. It should form 
an important part of the instruction at 
schools and colleges where unfortunately 
little or no attention is paid to this most 
valuable health protective measure where- 
as the good that would thus accrue by 
well directed education along the lines re- 
ferred to is incalculable. 
A careful analysis of this subject will 
quite clearly prove that no other form of 
exercise is comparable to a daily walk in 
the open air, that it is the proper exercise 
for a lifetime and that it supplies the most 
29 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
effective and natural means of protection 
against the congestion of internal organs 
when not caused by some form of organic 
disease. Concerning the practical opera- 
tion of walking it may be said that it not 
only exercises the great muscles of the 
legs, which is most valuable in the way 
described, but it also furnishes exercise 
for the rest of the external muscles of the 
body, and in this way increases the capac- 
ity of the chest and provides all necessary 
exercise, except that called for in the in- 
stance of special athletic work. 
It should be clearly understood that the 
real virtue in walking as recommended in 
this book is to be found only when it is 
performed daily and systematically as a 
serious, as well as a pleasant, undertaking 
and according to the suggestions which are 
about to be made. 
30 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
We are now prepared to deal with the 
following questions: 
1. What distance should be covered in 
the daily walk? 
2. At what speed should the walk be 
made? 
3. What preparations are necessary? 
4. At what time of day should the walk 
be taken ? 
5. When should the walk be taken in 
relation to mealtime? 
What distance should be covered in the 
daily walk? is rather difficult to 
determine, although it is the most impor- 
tant factor in connection with this form of 
exercise, for its value depends on covering 
a sufficient distance to stimulate an in- 
creased flow of blood to the surface of the 
body and thus insure internal relief; so 
it is incumbent upon each person to study 
31 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
carefully the distance which seems to give 
the desired result. Those of sedentary 
habits who make but little use of their 
muscular system should at the outset bear 
in mind that the muscles of the legs have 
had comparatively little exercise, and that 
it will take some days to fit them for 
use in the way of a prolonged daily walk; 
a straightaway walk of a mile or so will be 
sufficient for the first few days, then a 
gradual increase to from three to five miles 
a day depending upon the makeup of the 
individual and the result obtained; this 
must be decided by the walker, for, 
within the maximum distance referred to, 
there should be relief for every one un- 
affected by some form of organic disease 
or physical deformity, without producing 
physical exhaustion which is undesirable 
and may defeat the end in view. On the 
32 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
other hand, there are many who can ex- 
ceed this distance with the best results. It 
is hardly necessary to state that the dis- 
tance referred to should be decreased in 
the case of children. A very important 
point to bear in mind is that the walk 
should be continuous and not piecemeal, 
for under the latter condition it would lose 
its valuable feature of withdrawing from 
the interior of the body sufficient blood to 
relieve the internal parts. 
For the first mile or so after the practice 
of walking has been established, a person 
is not conscious of any appreciable change 
of feeling and a sense of weariness may; 
persist but it shortly begins to disappear 
and is succeeded by a feeling of well-being 
as the blood is being brought below the 
belt, a term which may be used to indicate 
that the circulation has been largely di- 
33 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
verted from the internal organs, partic- 
ularly the brain, which have now passed 
to a period of comparative rest. 
It is a great mistake to assume that a 
long walk on Saturday or Sunday answers 
the purpose of a daily walk of a reason- 
able distance which is not to be a test of 
strength nor taken with the intent of 
tiring a person physically, but as already 
stated for the purpose of withdrawing a 
sufficient amount of blood from the inter- 
ior of the body to relieve the brain and 
other internal organs and in this way to 
secure for them a daily period of repose. 
At what speed should the walk be made ? 
In discussing this part of the subject it 
should be borne in mind that the object of 
the walk is a matter of health and the 
adjustment of the circulation and not for 
athletic purposes or to reach a given point 
34 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
at a given time; a pace should be taken 
which is easy and comfortable with no 
undue exertion, with body erect and with 
a natural swing of the arms. A bent-over 
position of the body and contracted chest 
interferes with proper expansion of the 
lungs and should be carefully avoided 
while walking. With these general points 
in mind and an ordinary course with 
no unusual obstruction a person can easily 
cover three miles within the hour—in 
New York City this would be about equal to 
sixty city blocks, twenty blocks to a mile. 
Even in cities not so well arranged as 
New York for computing distances, a per- 
son can calculate quite closely as to the 
distance which should be covered in the 
daily walk. Hills should be avoided if 
possible for to mount them requires an in- 
creased action of the heart which to a cer- 
35 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
tain extent defeats the end in view, par- 
ticularly in the case of those who are not 
in robust health or are advanced in age. 
What preparations are necessary for the 
daily walk? No special preparations are 
necessary, for the walk is not intended as 
a test of physical strength or for exhibi- 
tion purposes, but rather to divert the 
blood from overcharged internal organs 
and to obtain the pleasure of outdoor exer- 
cise. It would seem hardly necessary to 
refer to the importance of proper footgear, 
yet a person will often walk long distances 
wearing a pointed or close-fitting shoe, 
both of which are very unpleasant and 
undesirable; thin shoes do not offer a 
proper protection or support to the feet. 
Tight, ill-fitting or darned stockings 
should be avoided. Other arrangements 
in the way of comfortably fitting clothes 
36 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
are matters which the walker will be able 
to decide for himself in order to prevent 
any annoying or undue restrictions about 
the body. There is, however, one detail 
in connection with the preparation for 
the daily walk which should never be 
overlooked and that is protection against 
wet feet; this condition renders a person 
uncomfortable, but, more important still, 
is frequently the cause of a cold or pos- 
sibly some serious pulmonary trouble. 
During the summer months walking is 
far less liable to cause sweating than are 
the more vigorous forms of exercise, but 
at the end of a long walk, if a person 
is perspiring, he should not rest in a cool 
place, particularly if exposed to drafts; 
nor ride in open cars or automobiles. It 
is safer to make a change of clothing. 
In a recent interview with the author, 
37 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
Mr. Weston to whom reference has al- 
ready been made condemned very emphat- 
ically the so-called heel-and-toe method of 
walking, that is, the weight of the body 
being first thrown on the heels and then 
on the toes, and stated that the feet should 
be more evenly planted on the ground— 
otherwise the heels are quite sure to be- 
come tender and sore during a long walk. 
Mr. Weston, in his various writings on 
the subject of walking, makes special re- 
ference to the importance of keeping the 
feet in good shape and free from irrita- 
tion and undue pressure. This may be 
accomplished by frequent bathing of the 
parts, well trimmed nails, the prevention 
of corns and the like and suitable foot 
gear. Careful attention to this valuable 
advice should not be confined to profes- 
sional pedestrians who depend largely 
38 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
upon the necessary care of the feet to 
achieve success in their trials of endur- 
ance, for it also applies to those who wish 
to derive benefit from a daily walk, for if 
the feet become tender and sore and not 
in proper condition for prolonged use, 
walking is rendered unpleasant and un- 
comfortable and this may go far to defeat 
the end in view. 
It may be added as a matter of interest 
to those not familiar with the marvellous 
achievements of this great pedestrian that 
he walked 540 miles in six consecutive 
days and during one of these days covered 
a distance of 120 miles. In connection 
with his professional matches alone he has 
walked the equivalent of more than three 
times around the earth and at eighty-five 
years of age is in excellent physical con- 
dition and at the time of writing is mak- 
39 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
ing arrangements for another cross-coun- 
try walk. He strongly emphasizes the 
importance of a daily walk in the open air. 
At what time of the day should the walk 
be taken ? This of course depends largely 
upon the time most available for the pur- 
pose. For those who work indoors and 
whose habits are sedentary and whose 
daily duties involve mental rather than 
physical labor, the most valuable, effec- 
tive, as well as the most economic period 
is the interval between the end of the day’s 
work and dinner time. Principals as well 
as employees are usually released from 
work about five o’clock. Between this and 
the dinner hour there is usually sufficient 
time to take the needed exercise with the 
best results. This may be opposed on the 
ground that at this period a person is tired 
and unfit for exercise. It is not a good 
40 WALKING for health 
objection for the sense of fatigue and 
weariness is chiefly a mental and not a 
physical condition and the remedy for it 
is physical exercise in the open air pro- 
vided it is not contraindicated by some 
organic disease or underlying condition. 
After this habit is established there is 
a feeling of buoyancy and relief which 
must be experienced to be fully appreci- 
ated. Again, exercise at this time of the 
day acts as a reviver, better fits a person 
for dinner, and is quite sure to promise 
a good night’s rest provided one does not 
eat inordinately. If every brain worker 
sitting all day without exercise and weary 
and irritable, would at its close take a long 
walk, that person would not only be re- 
freshed but far more welcome to the fam- 
ily on arrival at home. 
.There are few who, if they so desire, 
41 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
cannot make arrangements for walking at 
this hour of the day. If for some good 
reason a person cannot walk before the 
dinner hour, then a walk may be taken 
an hour or so after dinner. This inter- 
mission is necessary, for at mealtime the 
digestive apparatus requires a largely in- 
creased amount of blood properly to per- 
form its function. If this is interfered 
with by the activity of the external muscu- 
lar system before a proper interval of rest 
elapses, the digestive function is impaired 
for the want of a full blood supply. In 
view of this, the advantage of walking at 
the close of business hours and before 
dinner is manifest. 
It is a common belief that night air is 
not favorable for outdoor exercise. There 
is but little to sustain this opinion as a 
health proposition beyond the fact that the 
42 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
evening is not as pleasant for walking as 
the daytime. Until recent years it was be- 
lieved that night air caused malaria; now 
we know that this disease is due to the bite 
of a certain type of mosquito and that 
night air has nothing to do with the case 
except that mosquitoes are more active 
after dark. While the Malarial mos- 
quito is found throughout the world it is 
not the common variety encountered in 
the United States; It abounds only in 
certain sections where its presence is usu- 
ally known. In built up communities par- 
ticularly in large cities where modern 
sanitary regulations are in force and 
where special means are taken to prevent 
mosquito breeding, malaria has practi- 
cally become a negligible factor. 
The most difficult yet the most important 
lesson to learn in connection with the sub- 
43 WALKING FOR HEALTH 
ject of walking is, that the feeling of wear- 
iness experienced by brain workers of 
sedentary habits, free from organic 
disease is to a very great extent a mental 
condition and the remedial agent is physi- 
cal exercise in the open air. The sense of 
fatigue in some instances, due largely to a 
torpid condition of internal organs, is al- 
most overpowering and it might seem that 
any movement of the body would be con- 
traindicated, yet it requires but little time 
and patience to learn that this condition is 
greatly benefitted if not overcome by a 
daily walk in the open air. When personal 
experience teaches the truth of this state- 
ment and mental weariness and common 
abdominal distresses are relieved by this 
simple natural means, walking becomes a 
pleasant daily habit which is not likely 
to be interfered with by climatic changes 
or by the absence of companionship. 
44 BOOKS ON HEALTH AND HYGIENE 
THE HOME MEDICAL ADVISER 
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CARE OF THE TEETH 
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