Health & Fitness Journal of Canada Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Journal Compilation Copyright © 2013 Health & Fitness Program of BC Volume 6 May 30, 2013 Number 2 ! HISTORICAL!PERSPECTIVE! The developing understanding of Human Health and Fitness: 7. The Victorian Era Roy!J.!Shephard1! Abstract! opportunities.'For'women,'the'relaxation'of'dress'codes' ' 'Physiological' research' flourished' during' the' allowed' an' ever<growing' range' of' recreational' Victorian' Era,' particularly' in' France' and' Germany.' activities.' Spectator' sport' flourished' as' events' were' Scientific'societies'were'founded.'The'cult'of'Positivism' popularized' by' newspapers' and' made' accessible' by' encouraged' evidence<based' research,' and' the' new' mass' transit.! Sedentary' entertainment' included' laboratory' equipment' developed' by' Victorian' reading,'drama,'concerts,'and'opera'for'the'social'elite,' technology' allowed' investigators' to' form' an' accurate' and' burlesque' for' the' working' class.' The' wealthy' picture'of'cardiac,'respiratory'and'muscular'function.'In' frequented' dining' and' gaming' clubs,' whereas' workers' scientific' circles,' the' theory' of' Evolution' supplanted' gathered'at'their'neighbourhood'“pub”'to'wager'on'foot' Creationism,' and' a' growing' understanding' of' races'and'boxing'matches.'In'the'summer,'the'railways' Microbiology'allowed'the'first'effective'measures'to'be' offered'excursions'to'the'seaside'and'Lakeland'resorts.' taken' against' epidemics.' Although' a' few' health' Boards'of'Public'Health'began'major'efforts'to'improve' professionals' advocated' exercise' for' health,' therapy,' urban'hygiene.'Slavery'and'child'labour'were'abolished,' and' intellectual' development,' many' doctors' continued' housing' conditions' were' improved,' and' there' was' a' to'treat'illness'with'prolonged'bed'rest.'The'first'Sports' burgeoning' birth' rate.' Fitness' was' still' considered' in' Medicine'texts'appeared,'but'their'focus'was'more'upon' the' context' of' survival.' There' were' strident' calls' for' the'treatment'of'athletic'injuries'than'on'the'promotion' church' congregations' to' adopt' Muscular' Christianity,' of' positive' health.' Nevertheless,' interest' in' Preventive' but'there'is'little'objective'data'on'fitness'of'the'adult' Medicine' was' spurred' by' the' work' of' Florence' population'during'the'Victorian'Era.' Health!&!Fitness! Nightingale' and' Almoth' Wright' in' military' hospitals.' Journal!of!Canada!2013;6(2):3L83.' Vigorous' exercise' programmes' also' played' a' role' in' ! some' popular' forms' of' “Alternative' Medicine.”' ' Good' Keywords:'Active'Commuting;'Cardiovascular'Function;' health'had'previously'been'seen'as'a'gift'bestowed'by'a' Fitness;'Metabolism;'Muscle'Function;'Philosophy;' capricious' God.' However,' liberal' Victorian' theologians' Physical'Education;'Preventive'Medicine;'Public'Health;' began'to'argue'the'need'for'both'personal'and'societal' Respiratory'Function;'Scientific'Societies;'Spectatorism;' efforts' to' enhance' an' individual's' wellness.' Sports'Medicine;'Strength;'Women'in'Sport.' Philosophers'questioned'the'nature'of'reality,'and'some' ' proposed' revolutionary' solutions' to' social' problems.' From'the' 1Faculty'of'Kinesiology'&'Physical'Education,' Many'thinkers'began'to'recognize'the'individual’s'role' University' of' Toronto,' Ontario,' Canada.' Email:' in'the'quest'for'good'health,'and'some'political'leaders' [email protected]'' demonstrated' this' belief' through' their' personal' ' lifestyle.'Nevertheless,'various'social'changes'continued' Introduction! the'trend'to'a'reduced'need'for'regular'physical'activity.' Victorian' society' saw' the' construction' of' mass' Previous' articles' in' this' series' have' transportation' systems,' the' introduction' of' new' explored'the'developing'understanding'of' spectator' pastimes' and' a' progressive' decrease' in' the' health' and' fitness,' beginning' in' the' energy' costs' of' industrial' and' domestic' work.' In' Europe,'there'was'a'strong'rivalry'between'German'and' earliest' days' of' pre<history,' and' Swedish' systems' of' gymnastic' instruction,' with' both' continuing' through' to' the' Enlightenment' approaches' finding' their' supporters' among' (Shephard,' 2011;' Shephard,' 2012a,' corresponding' ethnic' communities' in' North' America.' During'the'final'two'decades'of'the'19th'century,'English' 2012b,' 2012c;' Shephard,' 2012d;' “public”' school' athletic' programmes' began' to' attract' Shephard,' 2013).' ' The' Victorian' era' attention'across'Europe.!The'founding'of'a'wide'range' corresponds,' strictly,' with' the' reign' of' of' sporting' organizations' testified' to' both' popular' interest' in' sport' and' a' panoply'of'new'recreational' Queen' Victoria' in' Great' Britain' (from' Health'&'Fitness'Journal'of'Canada,'ISSN'1920<6216,'Vol.'6,'No.'2'⋅'May'30,'2013'⋅'3'''' Understanding!of!Health!and!Fitness! ! 1837<1901'CE).'However,'for'the'purpose' “Belle' Epoch.”' ' Many' Europeans' also' of'our'present'review,'it'is'convenient'to' enjoyed' a' growing' material' wealth,' and' include' also' the' shorter' Edwardian' era' with' faith' in' the' potential' of' new' and' other' events' until' the' outbreak' of' technology' they' saw' the' first' signs' of' World'War'I,'in'August'of'1914.'' progress'towards'effective'health'care.'In' The' reign' of' Queen' Victoria' was' North' America,' it' was' the' “Gilded' Age,”' marked'by'a'prolonged'period'of'peace'in' marked' by' an' unprecedented' growth' in' Britain,'with'a'growing'prosperity'in'most' both' population' and' personal' wealth.' By' levels' of' society,' based' in' part' on' the' 1900,' the' per' capita' income' in' the' U.S.' exploitation' of' resources' from' distant' was' double' that' of' France' and' Germany,' colonies'and'in'part'on'growing'economic' and'50%'higher'than'that'in'Britain.'The' dividends' from' the' industrial' revolution.' “Robber' Barons”' of' North' American' With' passage' of' the' Reform' Act' of' 1832,' industry,'in'particular,'were'busy'making' the' British' parliament' became' much' an' ostentatious' display' of' their' more'representative'of'and'responsive'to' accumulated' fortunes.' But' in' many' parts' ordinary' people.' This' piece' of' legislation' of' the' Globe,' the' horrors' of' World' War' I' corrected' the' worst' abuses' of' “Rotten' and' the' Russian' Revolution' brought' a' Boroughs,”'and'increased'the'allocation'of' sudden' challenge' to' many' years' of' parliamentary' seats' to' large' industrial' apparent' progress,' with' a' sudden' cities' (Evans,' 1994).' Nevertheless,' most' disappearance' of' the' long' established' women' remained' disenfranchised.' distinction' between' a' leisured' class' and' “Public”' schools' such' as' Rugby' urged' their'servants.'' amateur'sport'upon'upper<class'students' Technological' innovation' assumed' a' and'their'parents'as'preparation'to'serve' rapid' pace' in' the' Victorian' Era.' Steam' the' needs' of' “Nation' and' Empire.”' A' locomotives' began' to' haul' passengers' growing' middle<class' now' owned' across' the' countryside' at' unbelievable' property' and' had' gained' some' speeds.' Steam' ferries' and' ocean<going' prominence' in' Society' and' in' the' ships'constructed'from'iron'or'steel'were' administration' of' Non<conformist' also' speeding' travel' across' rivers' and' chapels.' In' general,' the' middle<classes' oceans.'Horse<drawn'trams'gave'place'to' wished'to'conserve'their'recent'economic' electric' streetcars,' petrol<driven' vehicles' and' social' gains;' thus,' they' favoured' replaced'horse<drawn'buses,'and'subway' conservative' policies.' A' progressive' routes'bored'their'way'under'many'of'the' shortening' of' working' hours' and' a' large' cities' of' Europe.' At' the' same' time,' growing'disposable'income'allowed'many' the' scope' of' the' scientist' was' greatly' middle<class'citizens'to'contemplate'new' enhanced'as'the'laboratory'bench'offered' forms' of' leisure' activity.' The' growing' coal' gas' and' electrical' outlets.' And' mass' prosperity' of' Victorian' Britain' was' circulation'daily'papers'quickly'drew'the' perpetuated' into' Edwardian' times,' but' attention' of' a' much' better' educated' the' new' monarch' also' brought' a' general'public'to'all'of'these'advances.'' relaxation' of' many' of' the' social' Many' of' the' smaller' European' States' constraints'that'had'limited'the'activities' and'Principalities,'previously'insignificant' of'“respectable”'Victorians.'' and' isolated' entities,' merged' to' become' In' Europe,' the' latter' part' of' the' major' players' on' the' international' stage.' Victorian' age' corresponded' with' the' In' a' milieu' of' intense' nationalism,' Health'&'Fitness'Journal'of'Canada,'ISSN'1920<6216,'Vol.'6,'No.'2'⋅'May'30,'2013'⋅'4'''' Understanding!of!Health!and!Fitness! ! physical' education' often' assumed' the' Scientific! Societies.! ! The' nineteenth' form'of'militaristic'drill.'A'variety'of'new' century'was'marked'by'the'foundation'of' sports' emerged,' each' with' its' own' many' national' societies' devoted' to' the' national' and/or'international'regulatory' discussion' of' research' in' Physiology,' organization.' Some' of' these' initiatives' Public' Health' and' Sports' Science,' with' increased' possibilities' for' active' physical' individual' groups' developing' their' own' leisure,' but' many' simply' provided' specialty' journals.' The' emergence' of' alternative'opportunities'for'spectatorism' analogous' international' organizations'