Sometimes people have a way with words that truly brings a message to life in such vivid, colorful, and high energy language, that it strikes a major chord within all of us who are its intended recipients.
In 1919, Bernarr Macfadden, developed a thirty-eight lesson course called Making Old Bodies Young. As I’ve mentioned several times in recent articles, Macfadden was one of the pioneers of the popularization of Health and Fitness in the United States, through his publishing empire and particularly his Magazine, Physical Culture. He was the mentor of other Health and Fitness pioneers such as Charles Atlas, Paul Bragg and Jack LaLanne.
This article consists of quotes from the Introduction to that course. Enjoy the vivid language as he presents his case.
NOTE: While the material is now in the public domain, there are numerous copies of the course online and the fair use doctrine allows me to quote from the original material, verbatim, I should point out that there is a hard copy “derivitive book” available on Amazon, published by Forgottenbooks.com and any new material in that “derivitive book” is under copyright. But Macfadden’s original words are not.
I have quoted the following snippets from the Introduction to his course. Macfadden writes:
“Old men [and women] are not wanted. They are in the way. They are an encumbrance to themselves and every one with whom they come in contact.
“Years may have crept upon you. You may have advanced far into what is ordinarily considered old age. But do not dispair (sic). You may regain not only the spirit, but much of the vigor, of youth; and it is your duty to do so.
“Square your shoulders. Look the future square in the face. Turn the old man [or woman] out of your life.
“Act the part of youth. Cultivate and rigidly hold on to the spirit of youth. Maintain your energies at high-water mark. Keep your spine straight. Thus the old-age disease will find no opportunity to enter your life.
“If you are already in the clutches of old age, begin now to fight for the return of youth. . . . Train your body as you would that of a race horse. . . . Eat food that will give you strength, virility, energy, vivacity, enthusiasm . . . .
“. . . Those who live in accordance with Nature’s laws maintain that life grows more beautiful year by year, that it’s glories, its joys, its delights increase with age.”
And in the last lines to this vivid Introduction to 375 pages of instructions on how to stay young, Macfadden writes:
“Wake up the possibilities within your reach!
“Rejuvenate you body! Make your mind keen and capable. Obey the laws of Nature and you will achieve results that you now scarcely dare to dream of”.
WOW!
Macfadden dedicates the course as follows:
“To those, young or old, who desire to retain the vivacity, energy
and enthusiasm of youth and to those who would turn back
the clock of Father Time,
whose bodies are bent, whose eyes are dimmed, who walk with a
halting gait at an age when they should be buoyant with the spirit of youth,
this course is hopefully and sympathetically dedicated.”
While most of today’s Seniors don’t fit the stereotype of the early 1900s, the advice Bernarr Macfadden gives us about staving off the aging process, is as valid today as it was back when this material was written.
Thank you for reading.