History of Sport Essay

In my paper I will be discussing the early form of calisthenics and how the men and women who implemented exercise and fitness into our everyday life. Although there were many disagreements among the early supporters the first sightings of controlled calisthenics are from physical education classes and in schools. Many fought over what was beneficial for a human being and what was considered a waste of time. Many early idealists agreed appaun the body and mind are connected meaning a healthy mind was impossible without an equally healthy body. Eventually as you get closer to the 1900’s all educators for men at least developed the thinking that physical education particularly calisthenics was a prerequisite for child development. Meaning it was crucial, important almost vital to becoming the most all around successful human able to achieve nothing short of greatness. The belief that by strengthening mans body a man could strengthen his ‘will’. These were thoughts brought up long before the 19th century. Many men who believed in the connection between mind and body thought this was an individual responsibility calisthenics just provided the means. It gave everyone an outlook on the idea of what could come down the road for men who exercised and trained what new levels of success could bring to a mans future just by adding another form of practice into your everyday schedule. In the 1820s American educators began to advocate physical education as well as organize some type of instruction. Many men and educators as time increased and popularity grew for health believed the athlete was the new hero and the new â€Å"human form divine† from all three articles the new idea of man became to be the â€Å"aristocrat of character† not an aristocrat at birth. They were trying to say just because you were born into money or born into wealth doesn’t mean you were going to grow up to be the ideal king everyone expected you to be. You need to be taught, develop character, strength and the will to become the best. Corrupting the mind to control your destiny will lead to the control of your body to un seen lengths of being immortal or superior. Many Americans in the early form of calisthenics became obsessed with health. Tons of men thought the key was strict dieting though the develop of strength training began to take control. As we get closer to the 19th century Americans are troubled with many un explained illness’s and disease. Many ‘irregular’ doctors at the time emphasized exercise and hygiene rather then the radical remedies people performed on one another for cure by the ‘regular’ physicians of the era. During the early part of the civil war for Americans 1861-65 made exercise and physical education a major component in their programmes. Due to the long war some men were forced to deal with anxieties that brought down much of the interest in health and exercise. To balance out the progress already made before the war bringing men together from different sections of the country fighting together as one helped create and spark the interest of sport.