Edited by Roberto Eusebio
Starting in the 20th century, the activity of the gym and the exercise that it has involved since the beginning of its existence began to be celebrated with great and continuous success. Since prehistoric times man has sought fitness for survival by hunting or gathering. "Survival ... life ... to live" Today we cannot say that we are driven by a need of that kind but the fact remains that fitness is of fundamental importance for health and well-being "Fitness is health, well-being ... for life ... "
Primitivo is the lifestyle required of man with hunting and gathering food to survive. The hunt also lasted two or three days to search for food and water. This can be considered a regular physical activity and main component of life. "... regular physical activity was the main component of life ..." During the Paleolithic this subsistence model through physical exercise to obtain food was accompanied by the first 2 forms of family celebrations which consisted of further journeys to other friendly or relatives tribes up to 30 kilometers away where dance and games lasted many hours. This required a high level of fitness for activities that we now routinely do in everyday life.
Neolithic (10, 000 - 8000 BC)
End of primitive lifestyle marked by the Neolithic agricultural revolution. Developments in agriculture and domestication of animals with the invention of the plow caused large quantities of food to be obtained while remaining in the same area, transforming an agrarian society (agriculture and livestock). This progress, however, marks the beginning of a slightly sedentary life compared to the previous period. As man begins to alleviate some of the hardships of life, daily physical activity decreases.
Ancient features (2500-250 BC).
China: the ancient philosopher Confucius encouraged the Chinese people to participate in regular physical activity. He recognized that the lack of physical activity was often associated with some diseases, recognized then as malfunctions of internal organs, therefore since similar to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, preventable with physical exercise for fitness. Kung Fu was born from him as an activity to keep the body in good health. Kung-Fu training programs consisted of various postures and movements with limbs and imitations of different styles of fighting animals. In addition to Kung Fu in ancient China, other activities such as dancing, fighting, archery and fencing spread.
India: individual physical exercise understood as gymnastics in the gym was not much encouraged, as the religious belief of Buddhism and Hinduism preferred to emphasize spirituality, neglecting the appearance of the body. However, training programs similar to the Chinese Kung-fu started, which remained in line with religious beliefs: Yoga. Although its exact origin has remained uncertain, Yoga has existed for at least 5000 years. Translated Yoga means "union" and refers to Hindu philosophy which seeks in this way to bring together the development of body, mind and spirit. With this method the ancient Hindu priests, living a lifestyle based on meditation and rigid discipline, analyzed and simulated the movement and rhythms of animals to try to reach a balance with nature that the 3 animals seemed to possess. This aspect of Yoga, called Hatha Yoga, was then repeated in the West in a form in which it is defined with various exercises based on posture and breathing. The Indian philosophers in addition to the sought-after balance with nature have found with it health benefits, for which fitness. These health benefits relate to the proper functioning of organs and a general well-being as even in modern reality they are recognized and approved.
