History in Physical Education:
Exercise in the Past
Exercise of the physical body and the benefits thereof is not a new concept. As we shall see, exercise was recorded in many historical texts dating all the way back to the Creation in the Garden of Eden. For example, in the book of Genesis, we read in 2:15 that God placed Adam in the Garden to "dress it and to keep it." The work of husbandry (i.e., one who cultivates the land; a farmer) involves walking, lifting, bending, and the use of various weighted tools. Performing this kind of work six days a week will keep all 320 pairs of skeletal muscles strong, and the heart healthy. Furthermore, after the Fall in Genesis 3:17-19, we read that God made Adam's work more difficult by banishing him (and Eve) from of the Garden (v.23) where the ground grew "thorns and thistles" (v.18). This extra work would have caused Adam to sweat upon performing his daily routine as a farmer (v.19). The physiological benefits of sweating include: cleansing the body of toxins and impurities, strengthening the immune system by generating more white blood cells, maintaining a healthy body weight by burning extra calories from food, and relaxation and stress relief. God did this "for thy sake (KJV)" in order to keep Adam healthy and active after he sinned (v.17). Interestingly, Jesus Christ himself was mistaken "to be the gardener" by Mary Magdalene after his resurrection, as recorded in John 20:15.
Figure 1: Olympic Games
Other notable references to exercise and physical activity:
- Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 B.C.): "It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor."
- Spring and Autumn Annals (500 B.C.): earliest reference to Chinese martial arts
- India (600 B.C.): earliest references to yogic practices
- Greece (776 B.C.): first recorded Olympic Games
- Israel (1,000 B.C.): describes the athletic abilities of David's soldiers as being "swift as gazelles in the mountains" (1 Chronicles 12:8)
- Mesopotamia (2,000 B.C.): references to wrestling and a term translated "athletes" (the strong ones) is used
The word "gymnasium" is the latinisation of the Greek noun γυμνάσιον (gymnasion), "gymnastic school", in pl. "bodily exercises" and generally "school..."
HOMEWORK QUESTION:
1. Identify other physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits of various modes of work and/or activity.
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