Description

Vintage Daily Dozen for Boys and Men – 1938 Edition

Another classic from our Daily Dozen archives! This vintage Daily Dozen exercise routine from 1938 originated in the UK and is nicely different from the 1937 edition available HERE. Again, it is just a series of simple exercises for you to perform every day to keep your body in good working order.

KEEPING FIT

There is an old saying that the more we have to do the more we like it, and the better we are able to do it. It is also a truism that the less we have to do the less we want to do, and the less able we are to do it. To this should be added “inactivity leads to deterioration.”

An internal combustion engine is somewhat like the human body.

If the parts of a machine are not properly tempered, or if grit gets in amongst them, these break down.

If we use poor or dirty petrol the motor runs inefficiently.

We take great care of such things; we should take even more care to ensure that our various organs are treated properly so that they will work well.

Otherwise:

• Joints get like rusty hinges,
• Muscles flabby,
• Breathing shallow,
• Digestion troublesome,
• Excretion irregular or unsatisfactory,
• Nerves irritable or dull.

“Keeping fit” involves all the organs of the body if we are to have life and have it abundantly.

The following exercises aim at making the tissues healthy so that they will function properly…

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it! We’re not so different from 1938 Man as we would like to believe. All of these supposed improvements to our diet and lifestyle and yet how many of those ‘otherwise’ boxes above can you tick?

The Central Council of Physical Recreative Training was established in 1935 and actually exists to this day as The Sport and Recreation Alliance. It is the main body for sport and recreation in the UK. It represents over 320 member organisations.

I don’t present this as a historical document, however – I want you to actually USE it! I never reproduce exercises that are going to be dangerous, but these exercises like ANY can be harmful if not approached correctly. So please be careful!

To clarify the basic instructions that you will find inside this short reproduction:

• Breathe in AND out through the nose (exactly what MODERN thinking tells us)
• Try and get a rhythm going when you can when repeating the movements.
• Make a point to make the start pose AND the end pose at each repetition.

ALSO, no, I don’t see why women or girls could not do these exercises!

This guy is your guide during the routine, and it really is easy to learn.

While not containing ALL of the exercises in the booklet, this video from a few years earlier does contain some of the moves – I would certainly suggest however not being quite so vigorous as the people in the video to begin with!

As with all of the programs I list here on Internal Force Fitness I’ve had a go at these ones – and I love them! If you are currently being bombarded with ‘NEW’ routines on Facebook or YouTube, don’t be surprised if you see some of those ‘new’ exercises here!

Richie Neville | Director
Internal Force Fitness