Early Christian Quotes On Exercise
Clement of Alexandria’s Instructor, Book 3
(Early 3rd Century)
Chapter 10, Paragraphs1-2:
Women should not be deprived of bodily exercise. But they are not to be encouraged to engage in wrestling or running, but are to exercise themselves in spinning and weaving and supervising the cooking if necessary. And they are, with their own hand, to retrieve from the store what is needed. And it is not wrong for them to apply themselves to the mill. Nor is it bad for a wife--housekeeper and partner--to occupy herself with cooking, so that it may be appetizing to her husband. And if she maintains a tidy home, offers a drink to her husband when he is thirsty, sets food on the table, and gives herself exercise to maintain her health, the Instructor will approve of her. A woman who “stretches forth her arms to useful tasks, rests her hands upon her tools, puts money in the kitty, and opens her arms to the poor.”
She who mirrors Sarah is not ashamed of that highest of ministries, helping drifters. For Abraham said to her, “Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make it bread.” "And Rachel, the daughter of Laban, came," it is said, "with her father's sheep." This was not enough; but to teach humility, it is added, "for she fed her father's sheep." And countless more examples of frugality and self-help, and also of exercises, are provided by the Scriptures.
In the case of men, let some strip and engage in wrestling; let some play at the small ball, especially the game they call Pheninda, in the sun. To others who walk into the country, or go down into the town, the walk is sufficient exercise. And if they were to handle the hoe, this exercise in agricultural labor would not be ungentlemanlike.
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