ABSTRACT:
In Rio de Janeiro in the nineteenth century, the need to acquire a healthy lifestyle based on hygienic principles and regular physical exercise gained strength. Gymnastics, considered an appropriate exercise, was adopted by various institutions. However, the elements that composed it and the discourse that supported it differed. Even though, sometimes the different ways of educating the body mingled, sharing characteristic traits and culminating in the engendering of the field of Physical Education. The trajectories of the professors Paulo Vidal and Vicente Casali are revealing of this movement.
Keywords:
Gymnastica; School institutions; Non-school institutions