There is an ever-increasing awareness and interest in fitness today, driven by social media, and the need to be healthy to reduce the cost of medical bills. But the human need for fitness is as old as civilisation and the importance of fitness in human life goes back a long time.
#776BC – The Olympics started in Olympia, Greece. The games were a time of celebration and peace when warring states ceased their hostilities. Starting off as one-day events, the Olympics changed to three days in 684 BC and to five-day events in the 5th century B.C.The ancient games had running, discus throwing, boxing, wrestling, pankration(a mix of wrestling and boxing) and chariot races. The heroes were widely feted, statues made in their honour and poems written about them. Some great winners like Leonidas of Rhodes in running, Kyniska of Sparta(a woman in chariot races) and Milon of Croton in wresting have become immortal.
#400BC – Hippocrates recommended walking, wrestling, and push-ups for maintaining fitness. He said: “Positive health requires a knowledge of man’s primary constitution and of the powers of various foods, both those natural to them and those resulting from human skill. But eating alone is not enough for health. There must also be exercise, of which the effects must likewise be known. The combination of these two things makes regimen when proper attention is given to the season of the year, the changes of the wind, the age of the individual, and the situation of his home. If there is any deficiency in food or exercise, the body will fall sick.” ~ Hippocrates
#5th Century AD: Even though there is mention of Yoga in the Rigveda, the entire school of physical, mental skills and practices(196 in all) was codified by Patanjali.
#9th Century Onwards: Rise of Football: There are references to ball games during the 3rd century BC in China and Japan. But the game of football, most similar to today’s version, started becoming popular from 9th century where two large groups of players would play with a ball-like object mostly during festivals.
#12th Century: Zhan Sanfeng is believed to have played a great part in formulating the Chinese school of exercises, like Tai Chi.
#1420: The ItalianVittorino Da Feltre established a school with a high importance on physical education.
#1553: The first book on exercise ‘El Libro del Ejercicio Corporal y Sus Provechos’, was published in Spain by Cristobal Mendez. He analysed all types of exercises from a medical standpoint. It recommended walking as the healthiest of exercises.
# 1786: The influential American liberation hero William Jefferson said that irrespective of weather, one should exercise for two hours every day.
#1810: A German, Friedrich Jahne, opened an open-air gymnasium in Berlin. He was the founder of Gymnastics as a sport and his ideas were widely copied in Europe and US.
#1899– The first magazine on fitness, ‘Physical culture’ launched in the US. The founder Bernarr McFadden strongly recommended daily vigorous exercises and elimination of stimulants like tea, coffee and alcohol.
#776BC – The Olympics started in Olympia, Greece. The games were a time of celebration and peace when warring states ceased their hostilities. Starting off as one-day events, the Olympics changed to three days in 684 BC and to five-day events in the 5th century B.C.The ancient games had running, discus throwing, boxing, wrestling, pankration(a mix of wrestling and boxing) and chariot races. The heroes were widely feted, statues made in their honour and poems written about them. Some great winners like Leonidas of Rhodes in running, Kyniska of Sparta(a woman in chariot races) and Milon of Croton in wresting have become immortal.
#1915 – The US Surgeon general recommended exercise to a quality that is just short of fatigue is essential for both men and women.
#1982– Jane Fonda’s exercise video took exercise to the masses and made it fashionable.
#2014 – The number of Marathon participants exceeds 5,00,000 in the US. For more fun facts, follow the links below:
– https://www.olympic.org/
– https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-history-of-physical-fitness/
