Too Much of a Good Thing

In classical Greece physicians were not in direct competition with gymnastics trainers. Both professions had expertise in the effects of exercise on the body, but their expertise dealt with different kinds of bodies and had different aims. Doctors used exercise to keep or return bodies to health; trainers developed bodies to perform certain types of exercise. In maintaining and inducing health, doctors were usually concerned simply to balance bodily constituents, but some advice on more vigorous exercise for individuals diagnosed with incipient illness illuminates ancient concepts on how the body could be improved by training for specific athletic events. Pursuing these techniques for too long, however, could lead to disease.