It seems every generation laments the lack of physical fitness in its children. Back in the days before Xbox and YouTube, Catharine E. Beecher took Americans to task.

“[The American people] have taken very little pains to secure the proper education of the body for their offspring during the period of their school life,” she wrote. “In consequence of this dreadful neglect and mismanagement, the children of this country are every year becoming less and less healthful and good-looking. There is a great change in reference to this matter within the last forty years. In former times, the children in school-houses, or on Sunday in the churches, almost all of them had rosy cheeks, and looked full of health and spirits. But now, the children in churches and schools, both in city and country… either of have sallow or pale complexions, or look delicate or partially misformed.”

Thus she introduced her attempt to remedy this situation. “Physiology and Calisthenics for Schools and Families”, published in 1871, prescribed a series of exercises to help American children, like the Greeks of ancient times, become “strong, healthful and beautiful”.

Yesterday at the Meaford Museum, Mary Solomon introduced some brave modern souls to these “calisthenics” during Meaford’s Longest Day of Play. When it came to leg exercises, Mary noted, the girls could do fewer repetitions. The heavy skirts of the 19th century meant they were doing twice the work of their male schoolmates.

In this video, Mary and Sarah Naylor demonstrate some of the exercises.