Gymnastics in Greece and Rome

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.