History of physical training and fitness: History and Key Facts

Physical training has been present in some human societies throughout history. Usually, people trained to prepare for physical competition or display, to improve physical, emotional and mental health, and to look attractive. The activity took a variety of different forms but quick dynamic exercises were favoured over slow or more static ones. For example, running, jumping, wrestling, gymnastics and throwing heavy stones are mentioned frequently in historical sources and emphasised as being highly effective training-methods. Notably, they are also forms of exercise which are readily achievable for most people to some extent or another.

Athletes of Ancient Greece widely practiced physical training. However, after the original Olympic Games were banned by the Romans in 394, such culturally significant athletic competitions were not held again until the 19th Century. In 1896 the Olympic Games revived after a gap of some 1,500 years. In the years in between, formalised systems of physical training had become more closely aligned with military training. Whilst there were differences in how the training manifested itself based upon its purpose, there were also obvious similarities, and some similar training methods and focuses recur through European history.

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