Photo: Mumbai Marathon. Flickr/Through my eyes only

---

August  2012

This month, the world watched highly trained athletes from all over the world compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.  I thought it would be interesting to find out the origins of some of these well-loved sports - and there were some definite surprises. For example, although it's logical that a sport like skiing originated in Russia and the Nordic countries, who would have suspected that bowling began in Egypt, or that soccer came from Asia?

Although we most commonly associate exercise today with competitive sport, exercise and movement have also historically been expressions of emotion, defense, spirituality, healing, mating, prayer, rites of passage, etc.  

Here's some information on the origins of some of the Olympic sports, as well as a few other forms of exercise and dance: 


ASIA: 
Martial arts, yoga , tai chi , qi gong, soccer

SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA: Latin Dance

AFRICA: African dance

EUROPE: 
Ballet, Golf, Tennis, Swimming , Biking, Canoeing

EGYPT: 
Bowling, Belly dancing

RUSSIA & NORDIC COUNTRIES: 
Skiing , Ice skating

UNITED STATES: 
Baseball, hip-hop dance, Native American dance, racquetball

GREECE: 
Gymnastics, Greek dance

AUSTRALIA: 
Aboriginal dance



Other Resources: 

Keeping Fit: Exercise Trends Around the World

Dancing: The Pleasure, Power and Art of Movement (book)

Athletic Intruders: Women, Culture & Exercise (book) 

Somatic Practices in Dance: Global Influences

Training the body for China: Sports in the Moral Order of the People's Republic (book)