Description

Be Fit as a Fiddle!

From Be Fit as a Fiddle:

THE object of this simple series of physical exercises is to keep the body fit and beautiful all the year round. To everyone who practices them daily I can promise the following blessings :-

INCREASED HAPPINESS AND A JOYOUS OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO COMBAT AILMENTS.
BEAUTY AND GRACE WITHOUT “SLIMMING” IN THE DIETETIC SENSE.

Now those are some pretty bold statements true enough, but I’ve done these exercises and I will admit to feeling better having done them!

It is a HUGE mistake to think because booklets such as these are ‘old’ that they are of no value. Nowadays we have a tendency to equate home exercise programs with glossy ads on TV, but a good home workout does not need to be so complicated. There are fifteen sections in this little book, and each section is illustrated with images to help you perform the exercises correctly.

I will give the last word to ‘Tallow’ – the original author of the booklet:

There is nothing new about the exercises I shall describe. They are scientifically devised to work every single muscle in the body. No apparatus is required and you will NOT be asked to roll about the floor or to perform contortions suitable only for professional dancers. A glance at the illustrations will be sufficient to prove that there is no exercise included which could not be done by a normal man or woman.

This lovely lady will be your guide for this booklet – and help you get fit as a fiddle!

Origin of the Phrase Fit as a Fiddle

While ‘fit as a fiddle’ is now used to mean in good health, the actual origin of the phrase still seems to be up for debate. The one that makes the most sense to me is that both parts of the phrase used to have different meanings; Fit can, therefore, mean fit for purpose while fiddle, in the past, had the connotation of being something very positive. Therefore, in the past, comparing something to a fiddle was a way to compliment it. The expression fit as a fiddle was a way to say that something was correct or proper (source: https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/fit-as-a-fiddle). It still fits in with what we’re talking about though – being fit and healthy is only right and proper!

Richie Neville | Director

Internal Force Fitness