When was exercising invented

Greek and Spartan soldiers were among the first to engage in exercises such as lifting heavy rocks and doing construction work to increase muscle strength, running long distances to increase speed and endurance, and competing in wrestling matches to refine fighting skills.

Exercise for the purpose of training the military led to the idea of sports and competition with the first Olympic Games held in ancient Greece. Despite this, exercise was by no means seen as something the average person took part in.

If you were not part of the military there was no purpose seen in engaging in structured fitness routines. Perhaps people in ancient times and even more modern history did not see a need for the average person to exercise because their daily lives provided them with all the physical fitness tasks their bodies needed. Until later in the 20 th Century, people mostly walked everywhere they needed to go whether it was a job, school, or to a local market.

They carried their belongings while they walked, and did manual labor around their homes themselves. Formal exercise was not a necessity back then as it is today in a world of conveniences that greatly reduce our level of physical fitness.

Bodybuilding first emerged a while before more structured exercise routines for the average person. In the early s men with well-trained physiques began popping up on the carnival and circus circuits. People began viewing toned muscles and strength for men as something to be desired. Still, it was only a small portion of the population that this pertained to. The plank strengthens your spine, your rhomboids and trapezius, and your abdominal muscles, which naturally result in a strong posture as they grow in strength.

Developing your posture can improve on a number of ailments, and prevent the onset of other ones. A plank is timber that is flat, elongated, and rectangular with parallel faces that are higher and longer than wide.

Used primarily in carpentry, planks are critical in the construction of ships, houses, bridges, and many other structures. Planks also serve as supports to form shelves and tables. In the photo fad planking also known as the Lying Down Game took the world by storm. Video fads often are music related or come in the form of a challenge, like the Cup Song or the Cinnamon Challenge.

There are plenty of examples in this Facebook page liked by , people. It started as a prank on dance floors and went on to balancing flat on low-lying objects such as pot plants, post boxes and public bins. Planking requires arm strength, abdominal strength, back strength, balance, and good form. It engages your whole body and burns a ton of calories very quickly.

As a general guideline, Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City, recommends striving to do three sets of up to 60 seconds. Perhaps the best example of a civilization utilizing fitness for political and military purposes is the Persian Empire. Persian leaders demanded strict physical fitness from its people, which was accomplished through the implementation of rigid training programs. At the age of six, boys became property of the Empire and underwent training which included hunting, marching, riding, and javelin throwing.

Fitness training to improve strength and stamina was not intended for health benefits, but rather to create more able soldiers to help expand the Empire 5. The Persian Empire during its height, with its policy and emphasis on high fitness, eventually encompassed all of the Near East. However, emphasis on fitness levels throughout the Persian civilization decreased as affluence and corruption entangled political and military leaders.

The downfall and collapse of the Persian Empire occurred at a time when society could largely be characterized by an overall lack of fitness.

Ancient Greek Civilization B. Athens Perhaps no other civilization has held fitness in such high regard as ancient Greece. The idealism of physical perfection was one that embodied ancient Greek civilization.

The appreciation for beauty of the body and importance of health and fitness throughout society is one that is unparalleled in history. The Greeks believed development of the body was equally as important as development of the mind. Physical well-being was necessary for mental well-being, with the need for a strong, healthy body to harbor a sound mind.

Many founding medical practitioners facilitated the growth of fitness throughout ancient Greece, including the likes of Herodicus, Hippocrates, and Galen 7. Gymnastics, along with music, was considered to be the most important classroom topic.

A common saying in ancient Greek times was "exercise for the body and music for the soul 5 ". Gymnastics took place in palaestras, which were sites of physical education for young boys. The palaestra consisted of an indoor facility for gymnastics, in addition to an outdoor area for running, jumping, and wrestling.

When adulthood was reached, typically between the ages of 14 and 16, the site for fitness training switched from palaestras to gymnasiums 8. Exercise in the palaestra and gymnasium was supervised by the paidotribe, who is similar to the modern fitness trainer.

This idealistic fitness situation existed most strongly within Athens, which has been characterized as a democratic society most similar to the United States. However, the heightened interest in fitness within Spartan culture was primarily for military purposes. During this era, Greek states were frequently at war with each other. Fighting skills were highly correlated with physical fitness levels, making it imperative for individuals to maintain high fitness levels.

Spartan society required males to enter special fitness programs at the age of six. This upbringing consisted of rigorous training programs that ensured all boys would grow into highly fit adult soldiers.

Females were also required to maintain good physical condition for the purpose of being able to have strong offspring who could serve the state 9. The military-dominated culture of Sparta resulted in one of the most physically fit societies in the history of mankind. Roman Civilization B. The Roman Empire was the antithesis of the ancient Greek civilization with the overall physical fitness condition of the Roman civilization highest during its time of conquest and expansion.

During this period, all Roman citizens between the ages of 17 and 60 were eligible for the military draft. Therefore, it was imperative for all citizens to maintain good physical condition and be prepared for service. Military training consisted of activities such as running, marching, jumping, and discus and javelin throwing This lifestyle resulted in strong, fit people who conquered nearly all of the Western World.

However, the fitness levels of the general Roman population declined as individuals became enamored with wealth and entertainment, such as the gladiator battles. Materialistic acquisition and excess became higher priorities than physical condition. The lavish lifestyle and physical decay eventually took its toll as the Roman civilization fell to the physically superior Barbarian tribes from Northern Europe The Dark and Middle Ages The crumbling of the Roman Empire, which was conquered by Barbarians from Northern Europe, symbolized the beginning of a millennium of intellectual standstill.

However, these occurrences were beneficial with respect to fitness. The lavish lifestyles of the Romans had resulted in the complete deterioration of the society's fitness level.

The barbaric tribes from Northern Europe possessed similar characteristics to primitive people. Their lifestyle consisted of hunting and gathering food, and tending to cattle Physical activity and fitness were prerequisites for survival. Therefore, despite the cultural setbacks that occurred with the fall of the Roman Empire, fitness experienced a revival during the Dark and Middle Ages. The Renaissance Following the Dark and Middle Ages, the rebirth of cultural learning from the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations gave rise to the Renaissance.

Accompanying this time period was a renewed interest in the human body. Once again, the ancient Greek ideals, which glorified the human body, gained widespread acceptance. Many individuals, including Martin Luther religious leader , John Locke philosopher , Vittorino da Feltra, John Comenius, and Richard Mulcaster physical educators maintained that high fitness levels enhanced intellectual learning 13, Civilizations that recognized the importance of fitness needed an avenue to convey this knowledge to their people.

Therefore, fitness and physical education share a common bond. Physical education became the tool used to spread the value and benefits of fitness throughout society. School programs, primarily in ancient Greece, had previously recognized the necessity for curriculums involving physical education. The renewed appreciation for human life, which evolved during the Renaissance, created an environment which was ready for the widespread development of physical education throughout Europe.

National Period in Europe Continental Europe underwent numerous cultural changes following the Renaissance. Fitness remained important and continued to follow trends initiated during the Renaissance. Physical education programs expanded within emerging nations of Europe. Intense feelings for nationalism and independence created the atmosphere for the first modern fitness movement, which came in the form of gymnastics programs.

Gymnastics enjoyed immense popularity during this era, becoming especially prevalent in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain. Germany The growth of gymnastics in Germany can be primarily attributed to the work of two physical educators: Johann Guts Muths and Friedrich Jahn.

Guts Muths is generally referred to as the "Grandfather of German Gymnastics. His lifetime works and achievements are found in two books - Gymnastics for the Young and Games. Friedrich Jahn earned the title of "Father of German Gymnastics" for his long-lived work. It was early during Jahn's lifetime that Napoleon conquered much of Europe, including Germany. With its downfall to France, Germany was subsequently divided into separate states.

Jahn's passion for German nationalism and independence became the driving force behind his creation of gymnastic programs.

He believed future susceptibility to foreign invasion could be prevented through physical development of the German people. Shortly thereafter, exercise facilities that housed apparatuses designed for running, jumping, balancing, climbing, and vaulting called Turnvereins developed throughout Germany 4. Sweden Per Henrik Ling developed and introduced his own gymnastics program to Sweden which consisted of three different areas: 1 educational gymnastics, 2 military gymnastics, and 3 medical gymnastics.

Ling, who had a strong medical background, recognized that exercise was necessary for all persons. He maintained that exercise programs should be devised based on individual differences. Ling also believed physical educators must possess knowledge of the effects of exercise on the human body. Ling used science and physiology to better understand the importance of fitness 4.

As Romans pursued the good life, their fitness levels fell. Because of this, eventually the Roman civilization fell to those who were more physically fit - the non-agrarian Barbarian tribes from the North.

Following the rule of the Barbarian tribes during the Dark Ages, there was a return to Greek ideals emphasizing the beauty of the fit human form. It was during this time that physical education became a commonly taught subject. Many societies taught physical education in support of nationalistic ideals. This was the birth of the modern physical fitness history.

Gymnastics as a means of fitness became tremendously popular during this time, and was prevalent in many societies throughout Europe. Colonial times in America brought about physical hardship as colonists struggled to build a new society, and establish agriculture in a new world. This lifestyle provided adequate physical fitness in and of itself, so there was little pursuit of fitness outside of the hardships of daily life.

As America grew as a nation, so did their ideals of physical fitness. These ideals were influenced greatly by the European immigrants coming to the United States. While there was little threat of military attacks from neighboring countries as there was in Europe, American leaders were nonetheless aware of the need for fitness. Many of America's early leaders supported regular activity in some form such as running or swimming. It was during this period that fitness proponents began to realize that there needed to be a focus on fitness for women, in particular.

The Industrial Revolution in the United States was the onset of a new, more sedentary way of life in America. As Americans became more sedentary, diseases related to lack of fitness, such as heart disease and diabetes, became prevalent. As Americans began to struggle more and more with diseases related to lack of fitness, physical education entered the school system.