Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

J.R. wrote:As a 'Before', I can't really say !

I don't ever remember having a problem doing PT.

Like JR I can't see that there was any problem given the living conditions at that time (minimal heating, cross country runs in the rain .........). It was merely a nuisance.

I consider that Neil Simms was partially right in "with his modern ideas of physical education was shocked at how PT was conducted, and made no attempt to defend it. He gave a talk to the House Captains' Meeting in which he said in barely disguised terms that many of the exercises were harmful and that a highly concentrated daily 10-minute session was not productive" (quote from Michael Scuffil.)
In my day monitors running PT didn't know why they were doing PT (apart from being ordered to do it) , didn't know how exercises should be done, didn't know what they were trying to achieve and didn't know how to do whatever they were supposed to be doing. Therefore there were risks of injury unknown to the monitors and if exercises were not done properly then they would achieve little if anything. At that time there were rugby, athletics, fives, cross country runs, gym, swimming, punishment miles and PO Paths (other houses may vary) and other exercises good for the body so PT was unnecessary at that time.
Now that such exercise seems to be less than compulsory at CH then something is needed to take its place. I also have to wonder if the results of the Bristol survey that OBs survive longer (on average) were affected by the necessary high degree of fitness enforced at CH.

For a survey limited to OBs of either sex and any age, how many still exercise regularly in a deliberate manner (ie, running, walking, going to fitness centres, do exercises at home on a regular basis etc)?

sejintenej wrote:

J.R. wrote:As a 'Before', I can't really say !
I also have to wonder if the results of the Bristol survey that OBs survive longer (on average) were affected by the necessary high degree of fitness enforced at CH.

F?

I have a friend who is an exercise physiologist, whose research is on the lifetime effects of early exercise. I am certain that he would support this idea: after hearing my background, and putting me through a variety of tests, his comment was ‘for someone who is out of shape (Never exercise, drink etc.), you are in great shape’. He also thought that seven years on a calorie and fat restricted diet probably helped as well.

Regarding the fitnes regime of the 50's and 60's, I distinctly remember a certain master telling us, that if we left CH and went into the forces, we would find doing basic training 'a breeze'. I certainly found induction into 'Plod' a walk in the park after CH.

Makes yer fink, dunnit ??

J.R. wrote:Regarding the fitnes regime of the 50's and 60's, I distinctly remember a certain master telling us, that if we left CH and went into the forces, we would find doing basic training 'a breeze'. I certainly found induction into 'Plod' a walk in the park after CH.

Makes yer fink, dunnit ??

I had always thought that Cert A (which we all suffered) was pretty close to the end result of army basic training. Isn't that why in those days we could join the HAC and get an automatic commission should we be called up?

I had nothing much against the actual PT. But fitting a 10-minute PT session into a 40-minute break was very (as the Germans say) 'ungemütlich'. You had to get back to your house (not far from the Art School to Lamb, but a long way from the New Science School to Peele, or even Thornton), change, do the PT, change, queue up for (compulsory) milk, drink it, find your books for next two lessons, and be back in class on time.

LongGone wrote:

sejintenej wrote:

J.R. wrote:As a 'Before', I can't really say !
I also have to wonder if the results of the Bristol survey that OBs survive longer (on average) were affected by the necessary high degree of fitness enforced at CH.

F?

I have a friend who is an exercise physiologist, whose research is on the lifetime effects of early exercise. I am certain that he would support this idea: after hearing my background, and putting me through a variety of tests, his comment was ‘for someone who is out of shape (Never exercise, drink etc.), you are in great shape’. He also thought that seven years on a calorie and fat restricted diet probably helped as well.

I LOVED the results of the Bristol Survey, which concluded that the CH pupils of the period, "Lived longer than the average Mortality Rate "

People don't READ it before publication ---- the Mortality Rate is 100% !!!

As I have pointed out before --- SOME of us are immortal !!!