Physical fitness training in schools can be traced back to Plato’s school, the Akademia, in Greece over 2400 years ago, with grappling and calisthenics as the main focus. But the modern Father of Physical Education did not emerge until the early 1800s in Germany. German teacher Friedrich Jahn first introduced students to outdoor physical fitness training, which is still the foundation of what we call gymnastics today. Many pieces of equipment, such as ropes, horses, a balance beam, parallel bars, and rings, were first used in his physical education class and in the first-ever gymnastics club.

Fitness Education in America

It was not long until one of Jahn’s students, Charles Beck, introduced gymnastics to the United States school system in 1825, in Northampton, Massachusetts. In just a few months, Charles Follen created the first “gymnasium” at Harvard, complete with bars, weighted equipment, ropes, horses, ladders, and places for running, jumping, and tumbling.

From PlagueofStrength.com

It wasn’t until 1886, once again in Massachusetts, that the first school playground was created in the United States, while Germany and England had been using them nearly 40 years earlier. They were initially called “Sand Gardens” in Boston schools. Then, by 1895, New York City required playgrounds in all schools. Many of the pieces of equipment were like the first gymnastics equipment, allowing children to climb, swing, and hang. At the turn of the century, President Teddy Roosevelt called for the construction of playgrounds to keep children from playing in the streets. These were MUCH safer:

Soon, there were regulations of playgrounds, but still pushed the boundaries of "safe"

World War I – One Third of Recruits Were Unfit for Service

Nothing quite like a war to kick-start physical education in schools with full force and legislative action. This kick-start shifted focus from playground fun to sports, athletics, and better nutrition as a patriotic duty. Much of the problem was malnutrition, compared to the overconsumption and sedentary lifestyle we see today. Health and fitness were improving until 1929, when the Great Depression hit America.  Pilates was created in this generation and still used today - Joseph Pilates

After the Great Depression, into World War II, 50% of Recruits Were Unfit for Service

Once again, malnutrition, physical fitness, and education were the cause of these pre-war statistics. The military created physical fitness tests that included standard calisthenics of pushups, sit-ups, pullups, and running (various distances). The war highlighted the need for physical conditioning to support both military service and industrial labor. After the war, the President’s Council on Youth Fitness developed similar fitness tests, which the military largely adopted, largely because a study showed that American youth were far less fit than their European counterparts. President Kennedy established a White House Committee on Health and Fitness, promoting the idea that a strong body was essential for mental acuity and national strength. Does anyone remember those patches kids in school earned?

The Vietnam War – Continued Declining Fitness Standards

Post World War II had its upswing in American fitness in the 1950s, but as these younger Americans grew into teens, smoking was cool! Nearly 50% of adults smoked and started in their teenage years. Compared to 2018, it was 12%. This, along with general physical inactivity, unless you played sports, contributed to increased unfit-for-service standards in the military once again.

The 1980s until Present – Increased Athletics, Fitness Education, but Poor Nutrition

The problem quickly became an overabundance of food, with fast-food restaurants, ultra-processed foods, and easy access to soda and high-sugar snacks. Though physical education, fitness centers, and athletics were gaining popularity, nutritional recommendations changed every 5-10 years. From lower fat/disregard carbs, to eat high starch and fiber, to following a food pyramid high in processed foods and grains, to eliminate trans-fats, to limit caloric intake, to the Mediterranean Diet, Keto Diet, to Fasting - it is no wonder that Americans are confused on what and how much to eat. Jobs also became more sedentary, with more manual labor jobs lost to automation and technology. Once again, as we went into the next 20-year war, most Americans were unfit for service. This time not for lack of education, malnutrition, or criminal records, but for being overweight/obese and not meeting the height/weight standards.

There are many pioneers in this period (and earlier) who, with publications and media, made fitness accessible to the masses: 

• Jack LaLanne (1960s–1980s): Continued to push the importance of diet and exercise, advocating for modern gym equipment and natural nutrition.
• Joe Weider (1960s–1990s): Built a fitness empire, popularizing bodybuilding magazines and training methods that influenced, among others, Schwarzenegger.
• Richard Simmons (1970s–1990s): Made fitness accessible for beginners and entertaining for ordinary people, rather than just hardcore athletes.
• Louie Simmons (1980s–1990s): Founded Westside Barbell, innovating strength training methods used by elite athletes and strongman competitors.
• Obviously there are many more who help to take fitness to the masses...

Post 9-11 – The Creation of Tactical Fitness – A Holistic Approach

The obesity/overweight epidemic continues to worsen each decade since before the turn of the century. But - Tactical Fitness was born! That is a positive outcome of 20 years of war, I hope. While great strides have been made in learning how to balance physical activity that supports multiple elements of fitness (strength, endurance, flexibility, etc.), nutrition, and recovery from stress, physical education has largely been removed from secondary schooling (middle/high school). This lowers the overall standards of general recruitment but requires teaching that military members must treat themselves as athletes. This takes time and smart programming across the ranks to create a tactical fitness program that is both smart and effective. It is getting there, with a large budget to create base gyms and hire trainers and coaches, and it is improving, even though the military is still a cross-section of our society.

Fort Benning Weight Room (Designed by Sorinex)

My Vision of the Future in Fitness

We will continue to strive forward with the upper level of the athletic spectrum. Professional/Collegiate and Olympic competitions will always be popular, but for us regular folk, having a more holistic approach to health, wellness, and physical performance is also getting more popular. While our obesity epidemic continues to grow, I constantly see signs of people turning the corner and making life-altering changes. There may be an added boost from medical interventions (e.g., GLP-1), but the holistic approach focused on longevity is evolving among many former athletes and tactical athletes.

Many of us prefer to be an asset when the time comes to help people in our lives. This could be as basic as moving furniture to as important as carrying people out of buildings in an emergency.  This requires programming that lets you “get good at everything” rather than doing nothing and hoping, or just getting really good at one thing. This type of “tactical fitness for all of us” must program overall strength, speed, endurance, and mobility, helping prevent injuries, reduce imbalances, and increase capacity for future high-intensity events if needed. This is even more important to maintain these as we age into retirement.

People are learning that optimal performance is the mastery of recovery (nutrition, sleep, smart programming, stress mitigation), but longevity is the same thing - the mastery of recovery. This is my future that I hope to bring other beat-up former athletes, tactical athletes, and beginners along for the ride as well. 

References: AAA State of Play

Origins of Obesity in America Study

Study.com – PE in the 19^th Century

Plague of Strength