In the early seventies, two pals and I, recently out of college and sitting at desks all day, decided we were out of shape. One of us came across a book called, "Miss Craig's 21-Day Shape Up: A Plan of Natural Movement Exercises for Anyone in Search of a Trim and Healthy Body." We each bought a copy. Inside were numerous photos of Miss Craig herself, thin as a whippet, demonstrating her exercises while wearing a turtleneck leotard and fishnet stockings. She had short curly blonde hair and never, not once in about a hundred photos, did she smile, although the accompanying text was very encouraging.
There we were, three women in their early twenties, no one weighing more than 125 pounds, lying on the floor of a student apartment doing "Frog Legs" and "Upper Hip Rolls," and a real killer called "Figure Eight." After 21 days, we reached maintenance level and all we had to do was continue for the next 50 years or so.
That didn't happen, although occasionally I do have another go at Miss Craig, who was head of the Body Department at Elizabeth Arden New York for 30 years. My recent fling with British desserts has been catastrophic for the midriff area, specifically a bulging tummy, so last week I got out the book yet again. Right off the bat, Miss C. says I could look five pounds thinner if I stood up straight, so I'm doing her posture exercises once a day. We live in hope.
A check online revealed that Miss Craig's book is out of print, although you can find a used copy on Amazon or Alibris with prices ranging from $4.95 to $240. The book has excellent reviews from people who, as New York Magazine put it in a 1970 article, "want exercise that eliminates grunt and groan calisthenics."
And Miss Craig herself? She died in 2003 at the age of 90, possibly in a turtleneck leotard and fishnet stockings.
3 comments:
Your blog on Miss Craig's "21 Day Shape-up Program" really rang true for me! I was googling to see if I could find any info on her or her book and came across your fun posts. Thanks very much!
In the early 70s I and my seven sisters were all still living at home, either in school or in our first jobs, and totally addicted to her exercise regime. We would dutifully gather each evening in our rec room to do our toe touches and 'breath-in' and all those wonderful easy movements that really did make a difference! And these days we often have a good bonding moment thinking about those exercise sessions.
And now so many years later I want to do them again. So easy and so effective. And no machines!
And another reminiscence: I watched the 1939 film "The Women" a few months ago, and I wonder if the Exercise Studio portrayed in the movie was Miss Craig's at the Red Door?? I think so! Do you?
Thanks again for the posts.
Hey, you mean there's someone else who did those exercises? They work, that's for sure (as long as you keep up with them). Haven't seen that movie but will check it out!
I am just about to pull out my mat and do these exercises. Such a greay combo of totsl body moves. Ms Crsig first worked ss a pt rehab at Columbia hospital.Wish someone would record the program
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