The invention of gymnastic in the 19th century: new movements, new bodies

Abstract

This article analyses a deep change in body exercises produced by a tendency born in Europe between 1810 and 1820. A deep break marked by the use of gymnastic practices little spread up to then, which led to a completely different vision of the human body. These consisted of different workout practices developed in some gymnasiums in London, Paris, Berne or Berlin. The most original aspect of these gymnastic practices is the fact that they are object of measured and calculated effects, which are producers of foreseeable and measurable forces. This new kind of physical work had a deep impact on existing models in spite of its modest origin, scarce diffusion and limited acknowledgment. There wasn't great enthusiasm nor a large scale spread nevertheless it greatly influenced the idea of physical work both at school and in the army.