UNITED STATES 1865-1900 The industrial revolution brought about a series of cultural changes across the country. Progress in the industrial, mechanical and technological fields has replaced rural work with urban work and consequently also the lifestyle. At the turn of the 1900s, an epidemic of non-infectious diseases that had never been before was considered one of the primary causes of death. These include heart disease, cancer and type II diabetes.
XX CENTURY. It symbolizes the beginning of the new age of fitness. To face the great war, high levels of physical fitness were required. In the United States a strong encouragement for citizens to be physically active was achieved thanks to President Roosevelt. He was a big fan of the activity. physics learned from the ideology of the ancient Greeks, recognizing the well-being that it brings through his battle against asthma during childhood. As chairman he has promoted many activities such as trekking, horse riding and other outdoor activities. After him the other presidents, although not in the same high regard, considered the commitment to fitness as a requirement for the well-being of citizens.
1st and 2nd MODIAL WAR Europe: hundreds of thousands were the soldiers who participated in the war, trained and trained in combat. After the war fought and won, the statistics revealed disturbing data regarding the level of performance of the military.It prevailed that one in three was unfit for combat and many were unfit for war prior to training. The government passed legislation that ordered improved physical education in public schools. From the 1920s, after winning the war, there was a tendency to relax and enjoy life and exercise was put aside. The society of the 1920s was focused on the priority of eating, drinking and having fun. In 1929 the stock market comes to a halt, thus marking the beginning of a decade of dire economic crisis. The economy did not improve until the United States entered World War II in 1941. The Great Depression also halted the legislation of fitness programs, but it was during these times that one of the great pioneers, leader of the GYM, was born: Jack LaLanne. 1950s he preached the value of preventing lifestyle habits. For its dissemination in the 1950s, he used the new means of television communication, with which he reached the highest levels of obedience. Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda appeared for the first time in television programs thanks to him. LaLanne develop fitness programs including land and water aerobics, endurance training. He invented the first tools for toning and strength: the cable pulley, the first equipment to perform the squat safely called "Smith" and the first Leg extension. "There are 640 muscles in the body and I take each of them into consideration with an exercise routine." They talked about him all over the world encouraging people to a better life, both physically and morally. Jack formulated the basic fundamentals of nutrition (doctors and fitness experts today recognize that proper diet is the key to a healthier life). He was the first to introduce women to weight training and to encourage elderly and disabled people to exercise for health. "My time started at 40, but I have since learned a lot more about how my body muscles work than most doctors" "... My top priority in life is my training every day."
In the 1950s, a population boom affected modern fitness. In the scientific field there were several researches in the fitness field. Proposed by scientists to approve recommendations for improving cardiorespiratory, muscular endurance and flexibility by identifying the most suitable exercises and intensity. Dr Thomas Cureton, often referred to as the Father of Fitness, after years of research became known as a leading expert of fitness in the United States and his studies were later adopted also in Europe. His works consisted in the development of evaluation methods "of the human machine" through particular cardio or aquatic performances. He was able to contribute to the best performances of athletes successful by subjecting the best to its laboratory tests. "... It is easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet and" emotional balance than to find it if it is lost ... "
Beginning in 1968, Dr Cooper supported the philosophy that the disease could be prevented through preventive treatments. Cooper stressed the importance of the health benefits of physical activity by reporting epidemiological data. Above all, he proved that aerobic work was the best way to prevent the development of chronic diseases. Dr Cooper's ideas, training programs have been developed and used up to our times to provide models of physical fitness for athletes and sportsmen. The concept of beauty is an innate ideal in man, which encompasses the body and mind in a single model. A solid mind can only be found in a healthy body.
"The history of fitness is nothing more than the evolution of human consciousness towards the human body. However, the progress of civilization has not represented a constant directly proportional to lifestyle, since better models of body care can be found in the most ancient civilizations, for example Greek and Roman. Therefore we can speak of the evolution of "fitness and beauty" in the history of human civilization through a deeper interpretation of the body in the form of a leader in health and well-being.
Other articles on "History and Evolution of Fitness - Part Four -"
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- History and evolution of Fitness
- History and evolution of Fitness - Second part -
