Gymnastics is a major sport in the United States today, with well over 5 million participants, and its popularity shows no signs of waning.This is undoubtedly related to the fact that gymnastics has beenpracticed for over 2000 years.This sport’s history is extensive, spanning millennia, geography, and culture.Here are five historical facts about gymnastics you probably didn’t know about.
- It is older than Ancient Greece
Gymnastics may be traced all the way back to 5,000 B.C.E. in Ancient Egypt.Womenpracticed acrobatics for the Pharaohs, and hieroglyphs and frescoes depict partner stunts and backbend variations.From this point forward, there is evidence of gymnastics ranging from the Mediterranean through the Middle East and Far East Asia.
- A mandatory subject in education
Gymnastics was regarded as part of a holistic attitude in many parts of the ancient world, where physical, mental, and spiritual well-being were all valued equally.In celebration of the gods and heroes, Greece staged physical dexterity contests, which included “jumping, running, throwing, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling”. These competitions were held in “gymnasiums,” or open-air spaces, which were also frequented by philosophers, doctors, and other academics.Gymnastics was extremely popular throughout the ancient world, and men, women, and children were encouraged to engage in training and competitions.
- A medium of preparation for war
There is substantial controversy about whether gymnastics was first used to train armies in Athens and Sparta or as a result of Roman invasions.The misconception may originate from the fact that ancient gymnastics resembled other sorts of modern physical training (such as weight lifting) more closely than modern gymnastics. Gymnastics, on the other hand, was frequently employed in soldier training, which aided in the development of the sport to areas like Africa and England.In any case, ancient warriors put this training to good use, and it was certainly a role in the growth of both the Greek and Roman empires.
- The next phase was not before the 1800s
Gymnastics devolved from a fundamental component of everyday life to simple entertainment after the fall of Rome.However, in 1774, German physician Friedrich Ludwig Jahn devised new workouts for young males. The pommel horse, parallel bar, horizontal bar, ladder, balance beamand vaulting horse, which he introduced as regular practice, were adopted by the military and were (once again) employed to train soldiers by the early 1800s. The popularity of this new “Modern Gymnastics” rose, and by the late 1800s, it was one of the first sports to debut at the first Olympics in 1896.
- Female participation was introduced again in 20th century
In 1936, women began competing in Olympic gymnastics contests.Women had begun to engage in non-competitive gymnastic exercises as early as the 1920s, and had even formed their own competing clubs.Gymnastics has grown in popularity among girls and women since then due to performances by Olympians like Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci. Although there are some changes between men’s and women’s gymnastics, the discipline has remained largely constant since the 1800s.
Nova Gymnastics is a Gymnastics Center in Davie specializing in training of various types of gymnastics for boys and girls. We have summer camps as well as competition teams. To enroll your child for gymnastics training.
Recent Comments