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Gymnasium Documentation

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Gymnasium Documentation

Introduction

Basic Usage

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v21 to v26 Migration Guide

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Classic ControlToggle navigation of Classic Control

Acrobot

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An API standard for reinforcement learning with a diverse collection of reference environments

Gymnasium is a maintained fork of OpenAI’s Gym library. The Gymnasium interface is simple, pythonic, and capable of representing general RL problems, and has a compatibility wrapper for old Gym environments:

import gymnasium as gym

env = gym.make("LunarLander-v2", render_mode="human")

observation, info = env.reset(seed=42)

for _ in range(1000):

action = env.action_space.sample() # this is where you would insert your policy

observation, reward, terminated, truncated, info = env.step(action)

if terminated or truncated:

observation, info = env.reset()

env.close()

GYMNASIUM | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

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English

Meaning of gymnasium in English

gymnasiumnoun [ C ] uk

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/dʒɪmˈneɪ.zi.əm/ us

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/dʒɪmˈneɪ.zi.əm/

gymnasium noun [C]

(FOR SPORT)

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formal a large room with equipment for exercising the body and increasing strength, or space for playing sport, especially in a school: The dance classes were held in a high school gymnasium . The top floor contains a gymnasium and basketball court. Synonym

gymCompare

sports hall

Trinette Reed/Blend Images/GettyImages

More examplesFewer examplesThe school has no playing fields, hall, or gymnasium. The school's gymnasium and science labs are in need of refurbishment.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Parts of buildings: rooms

antechamber

anteroom

atelier

attic

ballroom

dressing room

efficiency room

en suite

eyrie

family room

meat locker

multi-chambered

multi-room

observation lounge

panic room

vestibule

waiting room

wet room

workroom

workshop

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Exercising & training

gymnasium noun [C]

(SCHOOL)

a school in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and some other countries that prepares children for university: She spent a year at a gymnasium in Heidelburg, Germany. A science teacher at Spanga Gymnasium in Stockholm, Sweden did a collaborative project with a twin school in Madagascar.

More examplesFewer examplesOur school, the Hebrew Gymnasium, was founded in 1909.In 1965-1970 he was a teacher at a Gymnasium high school and in 1973-74 at a primary school.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Types of school

alma mater

business school

centre of excellence

charter school

coeducational

comp

conservatory

elementary school

grade school

grant-maintained school

junior

prep school

preparatory school

reform school

reformatory

secondary school

selective

seminary

senior high school

special school

See more results »

(Definition of gymnasium from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

gymnasium | American Dictionary

gymnasiumnoun [ C ] us

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/dʒɪmˈneɪ·zi·əm/ (short form gym, us/dʒɪm/)

Add to word list

a building or room designed and equipped for various sports, physical training, and exercise

(Definition of gymnasium from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of gymnasium

gymnasium

It runs classes for carpentry, printing, accountancy, first-aid, gymnasium and physical exercises, typing, shorthand, dressmaking, leather-working and such like handicrafts.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

The officers are allowed to use the gymnasium, and a room has been provided as a smoking room.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

Even in the better schools, the school hall, which is used for numerous school functions, has to serve as a school gymnasium.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

Many schools, particularly the larger ones, can provide within the cost limits a swimming pool instead of a second gymnasium.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

For example, if a school has a gymnasium or a swimming pool, youngsters can take disabled youngsters there in the evenings.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

There is an indoor swimming pool for patients and a well-equipped gymnasium.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

They had splendid gymnasiums and swimming baths, and were places worth belonging to.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

Tens of thousands have been forced to shelter in gymnasiums or other makeshift accommodation.

From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English

Moreover, such beverages are freely available in places such as schools, gymnasiums and discotheques.

From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English

I understand that this school was overcrowded and that there were not the proper facilities, and the gymnasium was out of order.

From the Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

But perhaps this is an opportunity instead of a problem, a challenge for which the laptop orchestra is a musically and socially charged gymnasium.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Its 300-odd dwellings were united with all services necessary for modern life, including shops, a hotel, a gymnasium, and a kindergarten.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It had an extension, a gymnasium and a workshop.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Bringing loads of students then stands on its own in the oral performance, whereas in the written version it is conjoined with gymnasium.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It consisted of a school, a gymnasium, baths, and meeting rooms.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of gymnasium?

Translations of gymnasium

in Chinese (Traditional)

體操館，健身房…

in Chinese (Simplified)

体操馆，健身房…

in Spanish

gimnasio…

in Portuguese

academia de ginástica, ginásio…

in more languages

in Turkish

in French

in Dutch

in Czech

in Danish

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

in Polish

in Swedish

in Malay

in German

in Norwegian

in Ukrainian

in Russian

spor salonu, cimnastik salonu…

gymnase…

gymzaal, gymlokaal…

tělocvična…

motionscenter, motionsrum, gymnastiksal…

ruang senam, gedung olah raga…

โรงพลศึกษา…

phòng tập thể dục…

sala gimnastyczna…

idrottshall, gymnastiksal…

gimnasium…

die Turnhalle…

idrettshall, gymnastikksal…

гімнастична зала…

гимнастический зал…

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gym bunny

gym rat

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gymkhana

gymnasium

gymnast

gymnastic

gymnastically

gymnastics

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Noun

gymnasium (FOR SPORT)

gymnasium (SCHOOL)

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Gymnasium (school) - Wikipedia

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1School structure

2History

3By country

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3.1Albania

3.2Austria

3.3Belarus

3.4Czech Republic and Slovakia

3.5Germany

3.6Italy

3.7Netherlands

3.8Nordic and Baltic countries

3.9Switzerland

3.10Former Yugoslav countries

4Countries with gymnasium systems

5Final degree

6Relationship with other education facilities

7See also

8Explanatory notes

9Citations

10External links

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Gymnasium (school)

57 languages

العربيةAzərbaycancaБеларускаяБеларуская (тарашкевіца)БългарскиBosanskiCatalàČeštinaDanskDeutschEestiEspañolEsperantoفارسیFrançaisGalego한국어ՀայերենHrvatskiIdoBahasa IndonesiaÍslenskaItalianoעבריתქართულიҚазақшаKurdîКыргызчаLatinaLatviešuLietuviųMagyarМакедонскиമലയാളംBahasa MelayuNederlands日本語Norsk bokmålNorsk nynorskOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаPolskiPortuguêsRomânăРусиньскыйРусскийShqipSimple EnglishSlovenčinaSlovenščinaСрпски / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSuomiSvenskaТоҷикӣTürkçeУкраїнська中文

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Type of school providing advanced secondary education in Europe

This article is about the European secondary education program. For the variant in Germany, see Gymnasium (Germany). For the variant in Denmark, see Gymnasium (Denmark).

Gymnasium Theodorianum in Paderborn, Germany, one of the oldest schools in the world

Stiftsgymnasium Melk, the oldest continuously operating school in Austria

Ålands Lyceum, a gymnasium in Mariehamn, Finland

Kuopio Lyceum (Kuopion Lyseo), a gymnasium in Kuopio, Finland

Gymnasium (and variations of the word; pl. gymnasia[1]) is a term in various European languages for a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university. It is comparable to the US English term preparatory high school or the British term grammar school. Before the 20th century, the gymnasium system was a widespread feature of educational systems throughout many European countries.

The word γυμνάσιον (gumnásion), from Greek γυμνός (gumnós) 'naked' or 'nude', was first used in Ancient Greece, in the sense of a place for both physical and intellectual education of young men. The latter meaning of a place of intellectual education persisted in many European languages (including Albanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Greek, German, Hungarian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Scandinavian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak and Slovenian), whereas in other languages, like English (gymnasium, gym) and Spanish (gimnasio), the former meaning of a place for physical education was retained.

School structure[edit]

Because gymnasiums prepare students for university study, they are thus meant for the more academically minded students, who are sifted out between the ages of 10 and 13. In addition to the usual curriculum, students of a gymnasium often study Latin and Ancient Greek.

Some gymnasiums provide general education, while others have a specific focus. (This also differs from country to country.) The four traditional branches are:

humanities (specializing in classical languages, such as Latin and Greek)

modern languages (students are required to study at least three languages)

mathematics and physical sciences

economics and other social sciences (students are required to study economics, world history, social studies or business informatics)

Curricula differ from school to school but generally include literature, mathematics, informatics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, art (as well as crafts and design), music, history, philosophy, civics/citizenship,[note 1] social sciences, and several foreign languages.

Schools concentrate not only on academic subjects, but also on producing well-rounded individuals, so physical education and religion or ethics are compulsory, even in non-denominational schools which are prevalent. For example, the German constitution guarantees the separation of church and state, so although religion or ethics classes are compulsory, students may choose to study a specific religion or none at all.

Today, a number of other areas of specialization exist, such as gymnasiums specializing in economics, technology or domestic sciences. In some countries, there is a notion of progymnasium, which is equivalent to beginning classes of the full gymnasium, with the rights to continue education in a gymnasium. Here, the prefix pro- is equivalent to pre-, indicating that this curriculum precedes normal gymnasium studies.

History[edit]

In Central European, Nordic, Benelux and Baltic countries, this meaning for "gymnasium" (that is a secondary school preparing the student for higher education at a university) has been the same at least since the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The term was derived from the classical Greek word γυμνάσιον (gymnasion), which was originally applied to an exercising ground in ancient Athens. Here teachers gathered and gave instruction between the hours devoted to physical exercises and sports, and thus the term became associated with and came to mean an institution of learning.[2]

This use of the term did not prevail among the Romans, but was revived during the Renaissance in Italy, and from there passed into the Netherlands and Germany during the 15th century. In 1538, Johannes Sturm founded at Strasbourg the school which became the model of the modern German gymnasium.[3] In 1812, a Prussian regulation ordered all schools with the right to send their students to the university to bear the name of gymnasium. By the 20th century, this practice was followed in almost the entire Austrian-Hungarian, German, and Russian Empires.[2] In the modern era, many countries which have gymnasiums were once part of these three empires.

By country[edit]

Albania[edit]

In Albania, a gymnasium (Albanian: Gjimnaz) education takes three years following a compulsory nine-year elementary education and ending with a final aptitude test called Albanian: Matura Shtetërore. The final test is standardized at the state level and serves as an entrance qualification for universities.

These can be either public (state-run, tuition-free) or private (fee-paying). The subjects taught are mathematics, Albanian language, one to three foreign languages, history, geography, computer science, the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics), history of art, music, philosophy, logic, physical education, and the social sciences (sociology, ethics, psychology, politics and economy).

The gymnasium is generally viewed as a destination for the best-performing students and as the type of school that serves primarily to prepare students for university, while other students go to technical/vocational schools. Therefore, gymnasiums often base their admittance criteria on an entrance exam, elementary school grades, or some combination of the two.

Austria[edit]

In Austria the Gymnasium has two stages, from the age of 11 to 14, and from 15 to 18, concluding with Matura. Historically, three types existed. The Humanistisches Gymnasium focuses on Ancient Greek and Latin. The Neusprachliches Gymnasium puts its focus on actively spoken languages. The usual combination is English, French, and Latin; sometimes French can be swapped with another foreign language (like Italian, Spanish or Russian). The Realgymnasium emphasizes the sciences. In the last few decades, more autonomy has been granted to schools, and various types have been developed, focusing on sports, music, or economics, for example.

Belarus[edit]

In Belarus, gymnasium is the highest variant of secondary education, which provides advanced knowledge in various subjects.

The number of years of instruction at a gymnasium is 11. However, it is possible to cover all required credits in 11 years, by taking additional subjects each semester.

In Belarus, gymnasium is generally viewed as a destination for the best-performing students and as the type of school that serves primarily to prepare students for university.

Czech Republic and Slovakia[edit]

See also: Education in Slovakia § Secondary education

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, gymnázium (also spelled gymnasium) is a type of school that provides secondary education. Gymnázium leads to the maturita exam.

There are different types of gymnázium distinguished by the length of study. In the Czech Republic there are eight-year, six-year, and four-year types, and in Slovakia there are eight-year and four-year types, of which the latter is more common. In both countries, there are also bilingual (Czech or Slovak with English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, or Russian; in Slovakia, bilingual gymnáziums are five-year) and private gymnáziums.

Germany[edit]

Main article: Gymnasium (Germany)

Evangelical Seminaries of Maulbronn and Blaubeuren – picture showing church and courtyard

Chemistry lesson, Bonn, 1988

German gymnasiums are selective schools. They offer the most academically promising youngsters a quality education[4] that is free in all state-run schools (and generally not above €50/month cost in Church-run schools, though there are some expensive private schools). Gymnasiums may expel students who academically under-perform their classmates or behave in a way that is often seen as undesirable and unacceptable.

Historically, the German Gymnasium also included in its overall accelerated curriculum post-secondary education at college level and the degree awarded substituted for the bachelor's degree (Baccalaureate)[5] previously awarded by a college or university so that universities in Germany became exclusively graduate schools. In the United States, the German Gymnasium curriculum was used at a number of prestigious universities, such as the University of Michigan, as a model for their undergraduate college programs.[6]

Pupils study subjects such as German, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, biology, arts, music, physical education, religion, history and civics/citizenship/social sciences[note 1] and computer science. They are also required to study at least two foreign languages. The usual combinations are English and French or English and Latin, although many schools make it possible to combine English with another language, most often Spanish, Ancient Greek, or Russian. Religious education classes are a part of the curricula of all German schools, yet not compulsory; a student or their parents or guardians can conscientiously object to taking them, in which case the student (along with those whose religion is not being taught in the school) is taught ethics or philosophy. In-state schools, a student who is not baptized into either the Catholic or Protestant faiths is allowed to choose which of these classes to take.[7] The only exception to this is in the state of Berlin, where the subject ethics is mandatory for all students and (Christian) religious studies can only be chosen additionally. A similar situation is found in Brandenburg where the subject life skills, ethics, and religious education (Lebensgestaltung, Ethik, Religionskunde, LER) is the primary subject but parents/guardians or students older than 13 can choose to replace it with (Christian) religious studies or take both. The intention behind LER is that students should get an objective insight on questions of personal development and ethics as well as on the major world religions.[8]

For younger students nearly the entire curriculum of a gymnasium is compulsory; in higher years additional subjects are available and some of the hitherto compulsory subjects can be dropped, but the choice is not as wide as in other school systems, such as US high schools.

Although some specialist Gymnasiums have English or French as the language of instruction, at most Gymnasiums lessons (apart from foreign language courses) are conducted in Standard German.[citation needed]

The number of years of instruction at a gymnasium differs between the states. It varies between six and seven years in Berlin and Brandenburg (primary school is six years in both as opposed to four years in the rest of Germany) and eight in Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg among others. While in Saxony and Thuringia students have never been taught more than eight years in Gymnasium (by default), nearly all states now conduct the Abitur examinations, which complete the Gymnasium education, after 13 years of primary school and Gymnasium combined. In addition, some states offer a 12-year curriculum leading to the Abitur. These final examinations are now centrally drafted and controlled (Zentralabitur) in all German states except for Rhineland-Palatinate and provide a qualification to attend any German university.

Italy[edit]

This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (February 2019)

In Italy originally the Ginnasio indicated a type of five-year junior high school (age 11 to 16) and preparing to the three year Classical Lyceum (age 16 to 19), a high school focusing on classical studies and humanities. After the school reform that unified the junior high school system, the term Ginnasio stayed to indicate the first two year of Liceo Classico, now five years long. An Italian high school student who enrolls in Liceo Classico follows this study path: Quarta Ginnasio (gymnasium fourth year, age 14), Quinta Ginnasio (gymnasium fifth year, age 15), Prima Liceo (lyceum first year, age 16), Seconda Liceo (lyceum second year, age 17) and Terza Liceo (lyceum third year, age 18). Some believe this still has some sense, since the two-year Ginnasio has a differently oriented curriculum from the Liceo. Ginnasio students spend the majority of their schooling studying Greek and Latin grammar, laying the bases for the "higher" and more in depth set of studies of the Liceo, such as Greek and Latin literature and Philosophy.

In July 1940 the Fascist Minister of National Education Giuseppe Bottai got a bill of law approved that abolished the first three years of the Gymnasium and instituted a unique path of studies for children aged from 12 to 14. The last two years of the Gymnasium kept the previous denomination and the related scholastic curriculum for the following decades.[9]

Netherlands[edit]

In the Netherlands, gymnasium is the highest variant of secondary education, offering the academically most promising youngsters (top 5%) a quality education that is in most cases free (and in other cases at low cost).[citation needed] It consists of six years, after eight years (including kindergarten) of primary school, in which pupils study the same subjects as their German counterparts, with the addition of compulsory Ancient Greek, Latin and Klassieke Culturele Vorming (Classical Cultural Education), history of the Ancient Greek and Roman culture and literature. Schools have some freedom in choosing their specific curriculum, with for example Spanish, Philosophy and Technasium, a very technical and highly demanding course, being available as final exams. Usually, schools will have all classes mandatory in switching combinations for the first three or so years (with the exception of Technasium which is a free choice from the second year onward), after which students will choose their subjects in the directions of Economics and Society, Culture and Society, Nature and Health, Nature and Technology or Technology. The equivalent without classical languages is called Atheneum, and gives access to the same university studies (although some extra classes are needed when starting a degree in classical languages or theology). All are government-funded. See Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs (in English) for the full article on Dutch "preparatory scientific education".

Nordic and Baltic countries[edit]

Hartvig Nissen Skole, a gymnasium in Oslo, Norway

Tallinn Õismäe Gymnasium in Tallinn, Estonia

The Askola Institute (Askola-Instituutti) in Monninkylä, Askola, Finland

In Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden, gymnasium consists of three years, usually starting at the year the students turn 16 years old after nine or ten years of primary school. In Lithuania the gymnasium usually consists of four years of schooling starting at the age of 15–16, the last year roughly corresponding to the first year of college.

Most gymnasiums in the Nordic countries are free. Universal student grants are also available in certain countries for students over 18.

In Denmark (see also Gymnasium (Denmark)), there are four kinds of gymnasiums: STX (Regular Examination Programme), HHX (Higher Business Examination Programme), HTX (Higher Technical Examination Programme) and HF (Higher Preparatory Examination Programme). HF is only two years, instead of the three required for STX, HHX, and HTX. All different types of gymnasiums (except for HF) theoretically gives the same eligibility for university. However, because of the different subjects offered, students may be better qualified in an area of further study. E.g. HHX students have subjects that make them more eligible for studies such as business studies or economics at university, while HTX offer applied science and mathematics that benefit studies in Science or Engineering. There is also EUX, which takes four to five years and ends with both the HTX (or HHX for EUX-business) exam and status as a journeyman of a craft.[10] Compared to the somewhat equivalent A-levels in the UK, Danish gymnasia have more mandatory subjects. The subjects are divided into levels, where A-levels usually run through all three years, B-levels usually two years and C-levels one year (apart from PE which exists as a C-level lasting tree years).

In Sweden, there are two different kinds of branches of studies: the first branch focuses on giving a vocational education while the second branch focuses on giving preparation for higher education. While students from both branches can go on to study at a university, students of the vocational branch graduate with a degree within their attended program. There are 18 national programs, 12 vocational and 6 preparatory.[11][12]

In the Faroe Islands, there are also four kinds of gymnasiums, which are the equivalents of the Danish programmes: Studentaskúli (equivalent to STX), Handilsskúli (HHX), Tekniski skúli (HTX) and HF (HF). Studentaskúli and HF are usually located at the same institutions as can be seen in the name of the institute in Eysturoy: Studentaskúlin og HF-skeiðið í Eysturoy.

In Greenland, there is a single kind of gymnasium, Den Gymnasiale Uddannelse (Ilinniarnertuunngorniarneq), that replaced the earlier Greenlandic Secondary Education Programme (GU), the Greenland Higher Commercial Examination Programme (HHX) and the Greenland education to Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX), which were based on the Danish system. This program allows a more flexible Greenland gymnasium, where students based on a common foundation course can choose between different fields of study that meet the individual student's abilities and interests. The course is offered in Aasiaat, Nuuk, Sisimiut and Qaqortoq, with one in Ilulissat to be opened in 2015, latest in 2016 if approved by Inatsisartut.

In Finland, the admissions to gymnasiums are competitive, the accepted people comprising 51% of the age group.[13] The gymnasiums concludes with the matriculation examination, an exam whose grades are the main criteria for university admissions.

Switzerland[edit]

In Switzerland, gymnasia (Gymnasien, gymnases) are selective schools that provide a three- to six-year (depending on the canton) course of advanced secondary education intended to prepare students to attend university. They conclude with a nationally standardized exam, the maturité or Maturität, often shortened to "Matura or Matur", which if passed allows students to attend a Swiss university. The gymnasia are operated by the cantons of Switzerland, and accordingly in many cantons they are called Kantonsschule (cantonal school).

Former Yugoslav countries[edit]

Karlovci Gymnasium in Sremski Karlovci, Serbia

V Gymnasium in Zagreb, Croatia

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia, a gymnasium education takes four years following a compulsory eight or nine-year elementary education and ending with a final aptitude test called Matura. In these countries, the final test is standardized at the state level and can serve as an entrance qualification for universities.

There are either public (state-run and tuition-free), religious (church-run with secular curriculum and tuition-free) or private (fee-paying) gymnasium schools in these countries.

The subjects taught are mathematics, the native language, one to three foreign languages, history, geography, informatics (computers), the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics), history of art, music, philosophy, logic, physical education, and the social sciences (sociology, ethics or religious education, psychology, politics, and economy). Religious studies are optional. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia, Latin is also a mandatory subject in all gymnasiums, just as Ancient Greek is, with Latin, in a certain type of gymnasiums called Classical Gymnasiums (klasična gimnazija).

In all of the countries, the gymnasium (Gimnazija/Gjimnazi) is generally viewed as a destination for best-performing students and as the type of school that serves primarily to prepare students for university studies, while other students go to technical/vocational schools. Therefore, gymnasiums often base their admittance criteria on an entrance exam, elementary school grades, or a combination of the two.

Countries with gymnasium systems[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

Albania: Gjimnazi three years, after nine years (four years primary school and five years lower high school) of education, ends with Matura Shtetërore at the age of 18.

Argentina: Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, 6 years; Rafael Hernández National College of La Plata, five years (formerly 6 years), after 7 years of primary school; and Gymnasium UNT eight years, ends at the age of 18.

Austria: eight years, after four years of primary school; or four years, after primary school and four years of Hauptschule; ending in matura at the age 18.

Belarus: 7 years, after four years of primary school.

Belgium: 6 years, starting at age 11/13, after 6 years of primary school, ends at the age of 18 where students progress to a university.

Bolivia: Deutsche Schule Mariscal Braun La Paz, 6 years, ends with Abitur.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: four years, starting at age 14/15 after nine years in elementary school, ends with Matura.

Brazil: Humboldt Schule of São Paulo is a German school in São Paulo. There are more Gymnasiums in the country and some of them receive resources[further explanation needed] from the German government.

Bulgaria: five years, after 7 years of primary school. Currently graduation after passing at least two Maturas.

Colombia: Gimnasio Moderno (all-male, traditional Pre-K to 11th grade private school located in Bogotá, Colombia. Its founders were inspired by the original Greek to name the first "Gimnasio" in Colombia).

Croatia: four years, starting at age 14/15 after eight years in elementary school, five different educational tracks: opća gimnazija (general education), klasična gimnazija (focused on Latin and Ancient Greek), jezična gimnazija (focused on modern languages), prirodoslovna gimnazija (biology, chemistry, physics) and prirodoslovno-matematička gimnazija (mathematics, physics and computer science), ends with Matura exam. Students of all tracks have compulsory classes in Latin and English as well as in at least one additional foreign language (most commonly German, Italian, Spanish and French).

Cyprus: three years, starting at age 12 and following 6 years of elementary school. Compulsory for all students. Followed by the non-mandatory Lyceum (ages 15 to 18) for students with academic aspirations or Secondary Technical and Vocational Lyceum TVE for students who prefer vocational training. After successfully completing the program, students of TVE are awarded a School Leaving Certificate, which is recognized as equivalent to a Lyceum School Leaving Certificate (three-grade Senior Secondary School).

Czech Republic: four years, starting at age 15 or 16; 6 years, starting at age 13 or 14 (not usual); eight years, starting at age 11 or 12; all ending in matura.

Denmark: three years, or four years for athletes who are part of the Team Danmark elite sports program, and musicians, artists and actors who have chosen MGK ("Musical Elementary Course"), BGK ("Visual Arts Elementary Course") or SGK ("Performing Arts Elementary Course"), usually starting after 10 or 11 years of primary school. This is more like a prep school or the first years of college than high school. Everyone is eligible to go to a US high school, but one needs to be deemed competent to get into a gymnasium. (For more information, see Gymnasium (Denmark).) Gymnasium is also available in an intensive 2-year program leading to the Højere Forberedelseseksamen ("Higher Preparatory Exam"), which doesn't give the same eligibility for university.

Estonia: three years, after nine years of primary school.

Faroe Islands: three years, usually starting after 9 or 10 years of primary school. The system is similar to the Danish system. A gymnasium-level education is also available in an intensive 2-year programme leading to Hægri fyrireikingarpróvtøka ("Higher Preparatory Exam").

Finland: lukio (educational language is Finnish) or gymnasium (educational language is Swedish) takes two–five years (most students spend three years),[14] after nine years of primary school (Finnish: peruskoulu, Swedish: grundskola); lukio starts usually in the autumn of the year when the student turns 16 and ends with abitur after passing the matriculation examination; lukio is not compulsory and its entrance is competitive.

France: the French equivalent of a gymnasium is called a lycée (three years, after 5 years of primary school and 4 years of secondary school, age 15/18). The last year (called terminale) ends with passing the baccalauréat, an examination to enter university.

Germany: formerly eight–nine years depending on the state—now being changed to eight years nationwide, starting at 5th (at age 11), Abitur in 12th or 13th grade; for more information, see Gymnasium (Germany).

Greece: three years, starting at age 12 after six years of primary school. Compulsory for all children, it is followed by the non-mandatory Geniko Lykeio (Γενικό Λύκειο), (Lyceum, ages 15–18), or the Vocational Lyceum (EPAL). The EPAL School Leaving Certificate is recognized equally as a Senior Secondary School Leaving Certificate (high school).

Hungary: four/six/eight years, starting after eight/six/four years of primary school, ends with Matura; see Education in Hungary

Iceland: usually 3–4 years, starting at age 15 or 16 after 10 years of elementary school.[15]

Israel: five schools termed "gymnasium" located in Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Jerusalem, and Haifa.

Italy: ginnasio is the name of the two first years of Liceo Classico

Kyrgyzstan: 7 years, after 5 years of primary school

Latvia: three or six years, depending if you start from the 7th or 10th grade.

Liechtenstein: ends with Matura.

Lithuania: gimnazija—usually 4 years: 2 years of basic school after 4 years of basic school and 2 years of secondary school, sometimes eight years: 6 of basic school and 2 of secondary school, 12 years in rural areas or in art/music gymnasiums.

Luxembourg: usually 7 years, starting at age 12–13 after six years of primary school.

Montenegro: 4 years, starting at age 14/15 after nine years in elementary school,ends with Matura.

Netherlands: six years, starting at age 11–13, after eight years of primary school. Prepares for admission to university. Gymnasia in the Netherlands have compulsory classes in Ancient Greek and/or Latin; the same high level secondary school without the classical languages is called Atheneum. They are both variants of VWO.

Norway: the traditional but now discontinued gymnasium led to the completion of examen artium. This has now been succeeded by a 2-, 3-, or 4-year program (videregående skole), depending on course path taken, starting at the age of 15/16, culminating with an exam that qualifies for university matriculation (studiekompetanse).

Poland: gimnazjum was the name of the 3-year Polish compulsory middle school, starting for pupils aged 12 or 13, following six years of primary school. Gimnazjum ended with a standardized test. Further education was encouraged but optional, consisting of either 3-year liceum, 4-year technikum, or 2 to three years of vocational school (potentially followed by a supplementary liceum or technikum). In 2017, Poland reverted to a compulsory 8-year primary school, optionally followed by a 4-year liceum, a 5-year technikum, or 2 to three years of vocational school.

Romania: 4 years, starting at age 10 ends with Diploma de Capacitate at the age of 14. Primary education lasts for four years. Secondary education consists of: 1) lower secondary school education organized in a gymnasium for grades 5 to 8 and lower cycle of high school or arts and trades schools (vocational) for grades 9 and 10; 2) upper secondary school education organized in Ciclul superior al liceului for grades 11, 12, and 13 followed, if necessary, by an additional high school year for those who want to move from vocational training (grade 10) to upper secondary school education. High school education (lower cycle of high school and upper secondary school education) offers three different orientations (academic, technological, specialization).

Russia

Imperial Russia: since 1726, eight years since 1871. Women's gymnasiums since 1862; 7 years plus an optional 8th for specialisation in pedagogy. Progymnasiums: equivalent to 4 first years of gymnasium.

Russian Federation: full 11 or 6–7 years after primary school. There are very few classical gymnasiums in modern Russia. The notable exception is the St Petersburg Classical Gymnasium where Latin, Ancient Greek, and mathematics are the three core subjects. In the majority of other cases, Russian Gymnasiums are schools specialised in a certain subject (or several subjects) in the humanities (e.g. Chelyabinsk School No. 1).

Serbia: 4 years, starting at age 14/15 after eight years in elementary/primary school. There are three most common types of gymnasiums: 1) general gymnasium (општа гимназија) which offers broad education in all sciences; 2) natural sciences (природно-математички смер); and 3) social studies (друштвено-језички смер), available all over Serbia, and a few specialised ones, e.g. mathematics (математичка гимназија)—only one in all of Serbia, in Belgrade; sports (спортска гиманзија)—just two in Serbia; language (филолошка гимназија)—a total of four in Serbia; and military gymnasium (војна гимназија)—only one in all of Serbia. In the end, all students take a final exam—a Matura. Completion of the Gymnasium is a prerequisite for enrollment into a university. English and another foreign language (from the selection of German, French, Russian (most common languages), Italian or Spanish (far less common) or Chinese and Japanese (only philological gymnasiums have these two[16]) in addition to the mother tongue, and in case of minorities also Serbian) are compulsory throughout.

Slovakia: 4 years starting at age 15/16 after completing nine years of elementary school (more common); eight years starting at age 11/12 after completing 5 years of elementary school; both end with Maturita.

Slovenia: 4 years, starting at age 14/15; ends with Matura.

South Africa: Paul Roos Gymnasium is a well-known gymnasium for boys in the town of Stellenbosch. The school is a boarding school, based on the classic British boarding schools; however, it was more influenced by the Protestant faith, hence the German Gymnasium. Foreign languages such as French, German, Mandarin, and Latin are studied; Afrikaans and English are compulsory. School in South Africa: 5 years, starting at age 13/14, at a secondary institution, after 7 years of primary school, ends with Matric.

Sweden: Upper secondary school in Sweden lasts for three years (formerly four years on some programmes). "Gymnasium" is the word used to describe this stage of the education system in Sweden. The National Agency of Education has decided that gymnasium is equivalent to the international upper secondary school.[17] The gymnasium is optional and follows after nine years in elementary school. However, the Swedish term högskola ("high school") may cause some confusion. In Swedish it is used almost synonymously with "university," with the only difference being that universities have the right to issue doctoral examinations. In the case of technical universities, these could also be called högskola even when they have right to issue doctoral examinations (e.g., Chalmers tekniska högskola, officially named a "Technical University" in English; Lunds tekniska högskola, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University; and Kungliga tekniska högskolan, Royal Institute of Technology"). A högskola is often located in cities with lower population, except for the technical ones that can be found also in the largest cities.

Switzerland: usually 4 years after nine years of compulsory schooling (primary and secondary I); it is also possible to attend a so-called Langzeitgymnasium which lasts 6 years, following a six-year primary schooling; the Gymnasium ends with Matura at the age of 18/19.

Ukraine: eight years, starting after four years of primary school.

United Kingdom: historically, grammar schools have been the English equivalent of the gymnasium, selecting pupils on the basis of academic ability (usually through the 11+ entrance examination in year 6, at the age of 10 or 11) and educating them with the assumption that they would go on to study at a university; such schools were largely phased out from 1965 under the Wilson and Heath governments, and less than 5% of pupils now attend the remaining 146 grammar schools. The UK therefore no longer has a widespread equivalent of the gymnasium. The exception is Northern Ireland and some parts of England within the counties of Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Kent, which have retained the system. Grammar schools are also to be found in some London boroughs, North Yorkshire, Essex, Lancashire, Warwickshire, and Devon in varying degrees. Many private, fee-paying private schools, including all those commonly referred to as "public" schools, seek to fulfill a similar role to the state grammar school if the scholar has the ability (and thus to the gymnasium in other countries) and, most importantly, the money to attend them.

United States

Public school: As school districts continue to experiment with educational styles, the magnet school has become a popular type of high school. Boston Latin School and Central High School in Philadelphia are the two oldest public schools in the country and the oldest magnet schools. As the concept has not become entrenched in the various American educational systems, due partly to the federal—rather than unitary—style of education in the United States, the term may vary among states.

Private school: The equivalent among private schools is the preparatory school.

Final degree[edit]

Depending on country, the final degree (if any) is called Abitur, Artium, Diploma, Matura, Maturita or Student and it usually opens the way to professional schools directly. However, these degrees are occasionally not fully accredited internationally, so students wanting to attend a foreign university often have to submit to further exams to be permitted access to them.

Relationship with other education facilities[edit]

In countries like Austria, most university faculties only accept students from secondary schools that last four years (rather than three). This includes all Gymnasium students but only a part of vocational high schools, in effect making Gymnasium the preferred choice for all pupils aiming for university diplomas.

In Germany, other types of secondary school are called Realschule, Hauptschule and Gesamtschule. These are attended by about two thirds of the students and the first two are practically unknown in other parts of the world.[citation needed] A Gesamtschule largely corresponds to a British or American comprehensive school. However, it offers the same school-leaving certificates as the other three types—the Hauptschulabschluss (school-leaving certificate of a Hauptschule after 9th grade or in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia after 10th grade), the Realschulabschluss (also called Mittlere Reife, school-leaving certificate of a Realschule after 10th Grade) and Abitur (also called Hochschulreife, school-leaving certificate after 12th Grade). Students who graduate from Hauptschule or Realschule may continue their schooling at a vocational school until they have full job qualifications. It is also possible to get an erweiterter Realschulabschluss after 10th grade that allows the students to continue their education at the Oberstufe of a gymnasium and get an Abitur. There are two types of vocational school in Germany: the Berufsschule, a part-time vocational school and a part of Germany's dual education system, and the Berufsfachschule, a full-time vocational school outside the dual education system. Students who graduate from a vocational school and students who graduate with a good grade point average from a Realschule can continue their schooling at another type of German secondary school, the Fachhochschulreife, a vocational high school. The school leaving exam of this type of school, the Fachhochschulreife, enables the graduate to start studying at a Fachhochschule (polytechnic) and in Hesse also at a university within the state. Students who have graduated from vocational school and have been working in a job for at least three years can go to Berufsoberschule to get either a Fachabitur (meaning they may go to university, but they can only study the subjects belonging to the "branch" (economical, technical, social) they studied in at Berufschule) after one year, or the normal Abitur (after two years), which gives them complete access to universities.

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Gymnasium

Contents

Definition

by Mark Cartwright

published on 09 May 2016

Available in other languages: French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish

Greek WrestlersMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

The Gymnasium was a Greek building originally used for athletic activities but which came, over time, to be used also as a place of study and philosophical discussion. In the Hellenistic Period, gymnasia became highly standardized both in architecture and function and continued their important role in a young male's physical and general education. They became a common feature across the Greek world and were adopted and adapted by the later Romans, eventually evolving into the huge multi-purpose complex that was the Roman baths.

Origins of the Gymnasium

The name gymnasium (gymnasion) derives from the Greek word for nudity (gymnos) as all exercise and sports were done by the male only members in the nude. The earliest recorded examples of gymnasia date to the 6th century BCE and were simple affairs consisting of an area of packed earth shaded by trees located somewhere close to a river or spring. They were especially common at sanctuary sites such as Delphi, Olympia, and Nemea.

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The gymnasium may have evolved from the necessity for a dedicated space where young Greek men (ephebeia) could train and improve their fitness to make them ready for warfare. In battle they would fight as hoplites and so have to wear heavy bronze armour and carry a large bronze shield. Another view is that gymnasia were reserved only for the aristocracy and so came to be a place where men could demonstrate their physical, as well as their social, superiority to the lower, agricultural class.

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The typical sports practised were wrestling, running, jumping, discus, & gymnastics. Many would have been accompanied by rhythmic music.

The typical sports practised were wrestling, running, boxing, jumping, discus, and gymnastics. Many would have been accompanied by rhythmic music. Sports useful for warfare included archery, javelin, armed combat, and using catapults. Sports were supervised by a trainer or paidotribe, perhaps an older athlete who had gained experience at the great Games of Greece. An aleiptes was responsible for oiling and massaging members. Each year a competition might be held too, the Hermaia, where members of the gymnasium participated in a torch race and competed in three categories of events: vigor (euexia), discipline (eutaxia), and endurance (philoponia).

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Evolution of the Gymnasium

Gymnasia not only became a common feature of sanctuaries and sites famous for their sporting games but also in ordinary cities. Athens had, for example, a gymnasium at the Academy of Plato and in Aristotle's Lyceum. These instances illustrate that the gymnasium became a place not just for sport and young men but for men of all ages and a place where citizens might discuss the topics of the day at their leisure. They, therefore, became centres of intellectual endeavor, which even came to surpass, but never completely substitute, their function as a place of exercise. In Classical Athens, the gymnasia were, in effect, like our modern universities, where members could listen to lectures and speeches. In the Hellenistic period they changed again, becoming more like secondary schools but never losing their physical purpose where young men trained on a daily basis.

Greek AthletesMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

The gymnasium is frequently mentioned in literary sources, especially in Plato's dialogues. The famous philosopher describes them as a place where one of the key relationships in Greek society developed. That is between a young boy (eromenos) and a young man (erastes) where the two would become lovers and the younger party would learn from the tutoring and life experience of his elder.

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By the Hellenistic Period the gymnasium had become a well-developed and much-frequented institution. One of the reasons for this was that Hellenistic rulers, conquering new territories and building new cities, wished to stamp the Greek identity on their new acquisitions and gain prestige for their city by sending athletes to do well at the various Panhellenic Games.

The Hellenistic gymnasium was run by the city and managed by a dedicated official, the gymnasiarch. A 2nd-century BCE stela from Beroia describes in greater detail his function. He was responsible for the general administration and accounting of the gymnasium and also had the power to impose fines or even physical punishment such as flogging for those members who broke the house rules. The stela goes on to describe who can attend the gymnasium – free males up to the age of 30 – and who cannot – slaves, freedmen, tradesmen, male prostitutes, drunkards, madmen, and the physically unfit (apalaistroi). Women are not mentioned on the list but were excluded, a point felt too obvious to mention.

The Bath, Nemea, GreeceMark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA)

Architecture of the Gymnasium

By the 3rd century BCE, the gymnasiarch oversaw what was now a major architectural complex. The original exercise area had become enclosed with colonnaded buildings (stoas) which offered a place to sit and talk. Thus a peristyle was formed, which gave its name to the palaistra, the area specifically for wrestling. The two terms gymnasion and palaistra thus became synonymous over time. Washrooms with a supply of running cold water, bathtubs, an oiling room (elaiothesion), fountains, shrines, and rooms for studying were now a typical part of the complex.

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Extra sporting facilities were added nearby such as a running track (paradromis). Sometimes there was also a covered running area, a xystos, to protect the athletes from the elements. At such cities as Pergamon and Priene, there were even full stadiums built for running, as at sporting sites such as Olympia. The gymnasium at Pergamon would become one of the largest ever built and covered around 30,000 square metres. These later gymnasia would also have had decorative sculpture and statues dedicated to the patron of the gymnasium (for example, Hercules or Hermes), a prominent member of the city who had given funds for its maintenance, and rulers.

The Bath-Gymnasium Complex at SardisCarole Raddato (CC BY-SA)

Gymnasia in the Roman Period

The Romans continued and developed the idea of gymnasia and, while maintaining some as centres of learning, went on to construct huge bath-houses with still the same original Greek function as a place to exercise, bathe, and study. Built on a much grander scale, these baths became focal points of city-life and benefitted from hot baths, swimming pools, libraries, and decorative art. Gymnasia continued to exist separately from baths, though, and, in many ways became a focal point for Greek cities to maintain their identity in the Roman world. Gymnasia were also positively encouraged during the reigns of philhellene emperors such as Hadrian and Antoninus. Of course, the institution survives today. The intellectual element has long gone, but that is, after all, how they started - a dedicated space for a purely physical purpose amongst the olive groves of ancient Greece.

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Gym - Wikipedia

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Building designed and equipped for athletics and fitness

This article is about the indoor sports facility. For the fitness club, see Health club. For the school class known as "gym", see Physical education. For other uses, see Gym (disambiguation) and Gymnasium (disambiguation).

Inside a gymnasium in Amsterdam

A gym, short for gymnasium (pl.: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term "gymnasion".[1] They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational institutions. "Gym" is also the commonly used name for a "fitness centre" or health club, which is often an area for indoor recreation. A "gym" may include or describe adjacent open air areas as well. In Western countries, "gyms" often describe places with indoor or outdoor courts for basketball, hockey, tennis, boxing or wrestling, and with equipment and machines used for physical development training, or to do exercises. In many European countries, Gymnasium (and variations of the word) also can describe a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university, with or without the presence of athletic courts, fields, or equipment.

Overview[edit]

The Florida Gymnasium at the University of Florida

Students of Texas Woman's University practicing in their university gymnasium, 2011

The Varpaisjärvi Sports Hall in Lapinlahti, Finland

Gymnasium apparatus like barbells, jumping boards, running paths, tennis-balls, cricket fields, and fencing areas are used for exercises. In safe weather, outdoor locations are the most conducive to health.[2] Gyms were popular in ancient Greece. Their curricula included self-defense, gymnastics medica, or physical therapy to help the sick and injured, and for physical fitness and sports, from boxing to dancing to skipping rope.[3]

Gymnasiums also had teachers of wisdom and philosophy. Community gymnastic events were done as part of the celebrations during various village festivals. In ancient Greece there was a phrase of contempt, "He can neither swim nor write." After a while, however, Olympic athletes began training in buildings specifically designed for them.[4] Community sports never became as popular among ancient Romans as it had among the ancient Greeks. Gyms were used more as a preparation for military service or spectator sports. During the Roman Empire, the gymnastic art was forgotten. In the Dark Ages there were sword fighting tournaments and of chivalry; and after gunpowder was invented sword fighting began to be replaced by the sport of fencing, as well as schools of dagger fighting and wrestling and boxing.[5]

In the 18th century, Salzmann, a German clergyman, opened a workout area in Thuringia teaching bodily exercises, including running and swimming. Clias and Volker established gyms in London, and in 1825, Doctor Charles Beck, a German immigrant, established the first gymnasium in the United States. It was found that gym pupils lose interest in doing the same exercises, partly because of age. Variety in exercises included skating, dancing, and swimming. Some gym activities can be done by 6 to 8-year-olds, while age 16 has been considered mature enough for boxing and horseback riding.[6]

In Ancient Greece, the gymnasion (γυμνάσιον) was a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men. The latter meaning of intellectual education persisted in Greek, German and other languages to denote a certain type of school providing secondary education, the gymnasium, whereas in English the meaning of physical education pertained to the word 'gym'.[7]

The Greek word gymnasion, which means "school for naked exercise," was used to designate a locality for the education of young men, including physical education (gymnastics, for example, exercise) which was customarily performed naked, as well as bathing, and studies. For the Greeks, physical education was considered as important as cognitive learning. Most Greek gymnasia had libraries for use after relaxing in the baths.[citation needed]

Nowadays, it represents a common area where people, from all ranges of experience, exercise and work out their muscles. You can also usually find people doing cardio exercises or pilates.

History[edit]

Children's outdoor gymnasium, circa 19th Century. The equipment, which was standard for the time, includes ladders, gymnastic horses, and parallel bars.

The first recorded gymnasiums date back to over 3000 years ago in ancient Persia, where they were known as zurkhaneh, areas that encouraged physical fitness. The larger Roman Baths often had attached fitness facilities, the baths themselves sometimes being decorated with mosaics of local champions of sport. Gyms in Germany were an outgrowth of the Turnplatz,[8] an outdoor space for gymnastics founded by German educator Friedrich Jahn in 1811[9] and later promoted by the Turners, a nineteenth-century political and gymnastic movement. The first American to open a public gym in the United States using Jahn's model was John Neal of Portland, Maine in 1827.[10] The first indoor gymnasium in Germany was probably the one built in Hesse in 1852 by Adolph Spiess.[11]

Through worldwide colonization, Great Britain expanded its national interest in sports and games to many countries. In the 1800s, programs were added to schools and college curricula that emphasized health, strength, and bodily measure. Sports drawn from European and British cultures thrived as college students and upper-class clubs financed competition. As a result, towns began building playgrounds that furthered interest in sports and physical activity.[12] Early efforts to establish gyms in the United States in the 1820s were documented and promoted by John Neal in the American Journal of Education[13] and The Yankee, helping to establish the American branch of the movement.[14] Later in the century, the Turner movement was founded and continued to thrive into the early twentieth century. The first Turners group was formed in London in 1848. The Turners built gymnasiums in several cities like Cincinnati and St. Louis, which had large German American populations. These gyms were utilized by adults and youth. For example, a young Lou Gehrig would frequent the Turner gym in New York City with his father.[15]

Interior of a gym in the Netherlands, around 1900

The Boston Young Men's Christian Union claims to be "America's First Gym". The YMCA first organized in Boston in 1851 and a smaller branch opened in Rangasville in 1852.[16] Ten years later there were some two hundred YMCAs across the country, most of which provided gyms for exercise, games, and social interaction.[citation needed]

The 1920s was a decade of prosperity that witnessed the building of large numbers of public high schools with a gymnasium, an idea founded by Nicolas Isaranga.[citation needed]

Today, gymnasiums are commonplace in the United States. They are in virtually all U.S. colleges and high schools, as well as almost all middle schools and elementary schools. These facilities are used for physical education, intramural sports, and school gatherings. The number of gyms in the U.S. has more than doubled since the late 1980s.[17] Today, fitness gyms and private health clubs are a huge global business.[18]

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