The root of all sports

Gymnastics is the root of all sports. It involves the performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance.

In ancient times, exercises began with athletic feats performed by each individual according to his own notion. The youths were encouraged to combine amusement with exercise. In time, this kind of exercise was incorporated into a system that figured prominently in the state regulations for education. In fact, the period for exercise or gymnastics was equal to the time spent on art and music combined. All Greek cities had a gymnasium, a courtyard for jumping, running, and wrestling. The term included stretching exercises and warm-up preparations for athletes. These were based on military exercises.

 In the year 1569, Girolamo Mercuriale from Italy wrote Le Arte Gymnastica, that brought together his study of the attitudes of the ancients toward diet, exercise and hygiene, and the use of natural methods for the cure of disease. De Arte Gymnastica also explained the principles of physical therapy and is considered the first book on sports medicine.

In the late eighteenth century, three pioneer physical educators created exercises for boys and young men on specific apparatuses  that ultimately led to what is considered modern gymnastics Today, both men's and women's gymnastics now attract considerable international interest, and excellent gymnasts can be found on every continent.