THE COMBINED MASSAGE EXERCISE
No. 11
Beating with the clenched hands (women may use the
palm of the hand with the fingers outstretched), upward over
each side of abdomen and chest, and bending the upper body
backward at the same time; then beating similarly downward,
bringing the upper body forward to an upright position, while
the hands are beating downward over the chest.
Detailed Description
Position.—Standing erect, legs and feet stationary.
Clench the hands. With the palm and the outer side of
the fingers, which are thus turned toward the body, strike first a
light and quick blow with the right hand on the right side of
the lower abdomen (Fig. 11 A), then similarly with the left
hand on the left side of the abdomen, at the same level. Then
strike with the right hand again, one or two fingers' breadth
further upward on the lower right half of abdomen, and again,
with the left hand, a little further up on the left side, and so
forth, up over the chest. When the hands reach the lower ribs,
and while they are thus beating upward, on each side of the
chest, to the collar bone, the upper body is bent backward, as
far as possible, but without strain (Fig. 11 B). From there,
beat the same way back and downward again over chest, at the
same time bringing the upper body forward to an upright
position. When the hands continue down over the abdomen,
the upper body is thus in a natural position.
The hands should give light, quick blows and rebound from the body each time, as in the beating of a drum.
