Humans have always been physically active, but the idea of exercising to improve our bodies is relatively new
For most of human history, physical activity was something we needed to survive, not something we thought about. We needed to hunt to eat, walk pretty much everywhere, and work the land we lived on.
Today, we voluntarily go somewhere to lift heavy objects solely to look better or be healthier. We run with no destination, just to exhaust ourselves. There was a time when we ran because we needed to get somewhere fast.
The purpose of the gym might seem a little absurd if we look at it this way, but it's where our modern lives took us. Physical activity is no longer ingrained in our daily lives; we can no longer participate in it without noticing. Now we have to go looking for it in these absurd places called gyms.
I think the Greeks had activities comparable to what we do in the gym, and they thought about them similarly. I just did some research, and even the word gym comes from the Greek gymnos.
The Greeks had gymnasiums where men would practice athletics, wrestle, and train. In their culture, these practices indicated civility and moral ideals.
They thought that physical qualities accompanied moral virtues. So if you had a great physique, it meant you also had discipline, balance, resistance, etc. I think we inherited that way of thinking, whether consciously or not.
Aesthetic bodies were a byproduct of excellence in a sport, not the sought-after objective. We've inverted that equation.
Apparently, this trend started in the nineteenth century, and since then, it has been promoted as a way to improve health, appearance, strength, and (why not) character. I suppose it was a way to counteract the fact that we were becoming a much more sedentary society.
The ancient Greeks and Romans also idealised athletes' bodies, just like we idealise fitness influencers' bodies. They had sculptures of them. They mostly idealised athleticism; we mostly idealise impossible physiques trained to perfection.
The idea of what looks fit has also evolved. The ancient Greeks didn't have machines developed for every muscle group; they trained through sports and viewed the body as a whole.
Anyway, if yoy feel like Sisyphus every time you go to the gym, you might have a point. It is ridiculous, and maybe we should find a way to integrate exercise into our daily lives in such a way that we no longer feel it's pointless.
It might be hard, but it's interesting to think about. In many cities, people started to go to work by bike or on foot. Playing sports at least gives you the purpose of the game and the teamwork. That can feel a little bit more gratifying than just lifting heavy objects while looking at yourself in the mirror.
Today, we have to intentionally force ourselves to do something we did naturally for most of human history. Will we find a way to integrate it better into our modern lives?