Who Invented Gymnastics?

The history of gymnastics began in ancient Greece. Gymnastics was a fitness training program encompassing many forms of athletic activity, including running, wrestling and physical fitness routines. Some forms of gymnastics were included in the Olympics.

The Romans continued the practice. The routines became more oriented toward preparation for training as a soldier. In 393 AD the Emperor Theodosius banned the Olympic Games, which by then had become corrupt, and gymnastics, along with other sports, dwindled.

Johann Gutsmuth and Friedrich Jahn started making devices that young people could use for gymnastics. Among the devices were the ring, pommel horse, and the vault. The balance beam, the parallel bars and the horizontal bar were also developed.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, gymnastics was still seen as a training exercise. But later, it became more of a sport than a military training regime.