“Puerile as such an exercise may seem” [STUD]
In "The Yellow Face," Watson tells us "Sherlock Holmes a man who seldom took exercise for exercise’s sake," yet we know he had some athletic pursuits. More on that in a moment.
But first: what do we know about the exercise habits of others in the Canon?
There were some clients or minor characters who regularly took exercise. Among them:
- Violet Smith was an ardent cyclist: "Yes, I bicycle a good deal, Mr. Holmes." [SOLI]
- Fitzroy McPherson was a swimmer: "Summer and winter he went for his swim." [LION]
- Elias Openshaw regularly walked: "He had a garden and two or three fields round his house, and there he would take his exercise" [FIVE]
- Blessington habitually took short walks before dinner. [RESI]
Then of course there were those who were avowed couch potatoes:
- Alexander Holder was not a workout fan: "That is why I was so out of breath, for I am a man who takes very little exercise." [BERY]
- Mycroft Holmes kept to his habits, going from his Pall Mall lodgings to Whitehall and to the Diogenes Club. "From year’s end to year’s end he takes no other exercise." [GREE]
- Nathan Garrideb was described as "man to whom exercise was unknown." [3GAR]
Back to "The Yellow Face." After telling us that Holmes didn't take exercise for its own sake, Watson shared this observation:
"Few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen; but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy, and he seldom bestirred himself save when there was some professional object to be served. Then he was absolutely untiring and indefatigable. That he should have kept himself in training under such circumstances is remarkable,
Aside from boxing, we know about Holmes's ability with a singlestick and his study of "baritsu" which saved his life in his encounter with Professor Moriarty in Switzerland. And we learn in "The Lion's Mane" that Holmes was a swimmer himself.
Perhaps it's that Holmes viewed exercise strategically — as with a purpose. In "Black Peter," returning to Baker Street with a harpoon under his arm like a piece of athletic equipment, Holmes remarked,
"There can be no question, my dear Watson, of the value of exercise before breakfast."
More about Sherlock Holmes's athletic abilities in Trifles Episode 156 - Sherlock Holmes, Sportsman. And if you like, you can binge the entire collection of episodes on Games & Sports in the Canon on Patreon or Substack, ranging from rugby to tennis to shooting, boxing, swimming and more.
Now off to the exercise books of Baker Street Elementary...
Baker Street Elementary follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at the Baker Street Elementary website.
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