The fitness culture is steeped in history that takes you through time and huge developments to keep people fit and healthy. The evolution of exercising has grown rapidly over the years and has changed its meaning for society over and over again.
Explore the evolution of fitness culture dating back to where it all began and how the world of exercising has changed over time. Understand why fitness is important, and keeping the fitness culture thriving is a must, inspiring yourself to get up and exercise.
The beginnings of physical fitness culture
The beginnings of physical fitness culture are steeped in rich history that dates back to ancient civilizations. These ancient times recognized the value and enrichment of physical activity in society and used it as more than training the body. Fitness was about improving the mind, values of society, and philosophies.
The fitness culture stems from ancient Greece, where the gymnasia were created. The gymnasia were places for physical exercise and nurturing the soul and intellect. Ancient Greeks believed that fitness was a vital part of an individual’s character and intellect, allowing somebody to develop and grow.
From this, sport began to rise in ancient Greece as it was partnered with cultural festivals and religious ceremonies. Athens and Sparta showcased sports and encouraged the Greek civilization to partake in them to gain physical fitness and strength. On top of this, the Olympic Games began in ancient Greece in 776 BCE. This soon became an established event that showed the strongest and fittest and allowed Greeks from every area to compete against each other and show off their fitness. To this day, the Olympics are still the pinnacle of the world’s fitness.
How military training influenced fitness
The physical fitness culture began to grow from the military throughout the ages as they adopted fitness to train soldiers, ensuring everyone was in peak physical condition to perform better. Throughout the years, fitness has been an effective method to be combat ready and is still required today in the military.
Soldiers have always needed to be in peak physical health, allowing them to keep up in battle and be stronger. In ancient Persia, the elite units that were known as the ‘Immortals’ were always in peak physical health, having unmatched endurance and strength. They went through vigorous training, which checked if they could withstand long marches and heavy combat. Training included a range of activities, such as archery, wrestling, and horseback riding
The Romans then took fitness culture to a whole new level when it came to military training. They saw fitness as mandatory for the strength of their empire. Soldiers had to fulfill strict exercise routines that included marching long distances and carrying heavy materials to simulate battle.
As well as Roman soldiers, Gladiators were born to further develop the fitness culture. These were Rome’s iconic warriors who took part in specialized training to entertain the civilizations with combat. They went to grand arenas to display their training and fighting skills. This transformed fitness into a spectacle to entertain and inspire others.
The influence of gymnastics and strength
Gymnastics and strength building training have seen many developments over the years that have transformed into today’s fitness culture. Gymnastics stemmed from ancient Greece and was a key part of education to encourage the youth to embrace fitness and mental strength. Activities like discus throwing and wrestling were an integral part of the traditional gymnasium. Over time, this evolved with new ways to exercise the body and mind.
Strength became an important area to focus on in fitness culture during the 19th century. Bodybuilding gained popularity, which changed the fitness culture once again to highlight the importance of strength and resilience. Figures such as Eugen Sandow emphasized the potential of the human form and showcased the ideal strong body. His demonstrations began the foundations for modern strength sports that are a huge part of today’s fitness culture. This show of human strength changed into organized spectacles and bodybuilding competitions.
The no sweat era
For centuries, fitness culture was displayed and encouraged in ancient civilizations. However, this was mainly for men as women weren’t really involved. This slowly began to change in the 1950s, where women were expected to look and act a certain way, but overexertion was still very discouraged. This is when the no sweat era began for women, where exercising was minimal and never led to any sweating as this would be distasteful. It was so minimal that women actually exercised in regular dress attire and heels, focusing on keeping the figure slim.
The rise of dance fitness
Dance fitness is increasingly popular in modern fitness culture with classes such as Zumba combining dance with exercise. However, dance fitness has been around for decades and began in the 1970s with dance-cardio sessions that were known as Jazzercise. This changed the fitness culture by bringing fun into exercise, encouraging even the most reluctant exercisers to stay in shape and be fit and healthy. This began the increasing trend of fitness with music and high energy levels for a fun, full-body routine that is amazing for physical and mental health.
The yoga wave
In the 90s, the fitness culture changed once more with peace and wellness beginning to be the focus of exercise. Yoga was introduced and became very popular due to celebrity influence. Yoga was a way to bring calm and peace to your life, reducing stress levels and ensuring fitness was at a slower, easier to handle pace to cater to every fitness level. Yoga is still popular today and carries on encouraging quiet introspection and connecting the body and soul.
The rise of specialized boutiques & gyms
Specialized boutiques and gyms began to cater to everybody and opened their doors in the early 2000s. This was created off the back of the yoga and Pilates trend, where these fitness studios would offer these classes and new ways to work out. The fitness culture shifted to seeking new ways to exercise that interest society and keep their interests. Intimacy began to be the focus of exercise and focused fitness that makes you feel good as well as be healthy. Gyms and studios kept up with this demand by offering luxury facilities and memberships to be part of a community.
Community was (and still is) another focus of the fitness culture, building relationships and having support to encourage each other to better their fitness and health. Personal trainers were introduced, giving people the option of a one-to-one session that tracks their goals. Training equipment also became a huge aspect of fitness culture and new ways to quickly produce these, such as using commercial 3D printing, to keep up with the demand for gyms and boutiques.
Modern fitness today
Today, the modern fitness culture is still about personal trainers, intimate sessions and community, but it’s transformed to a more digital-first approach due to social media. TikTok has opened a whole new portal to exercise and what it means to individuals, encouraging you to stay fit in a way you love. Social media has also showcased a body-positivity approach to fitness, highlighting clean/natural diets and mind-focused exercises to keep you mentally well too.
Social media has made the fitness culture more inclusive, recognizing that everybody comes in different shapes and sizes and the goal of fitness and wellness isn’t about achieving a specific body image. Fitness culture today recognizes that exercise should be tailored to the individual to be healthy while remaining as themselves, not trying to be someone else!