Children's P.E. classes used to be quite elaborate

German children perform exercises in the snow. Credit: A. & E. Frankl/ullstein bild/Getty Images

Boys work out with dumbbells in a gymnasium. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Students perform exercises at Western High School in Washington, D.C. Credit: Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images

German schoolgirls hang from exercise bars. Credit: Wieczorek/ullstein bild/Getty Images

Children do push-ups on a beach as a crowd looks on. Credit: ullstein bild/Getty Images

Students exercise with hoops at Lavender Hill Girls School in London. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Students at Buckingham Street School in London perform exercises. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Students at Montem Street School in London perform exercises. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Students at Buckingham Street School in London perform exercises. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Students at Crawford Street School in London perform exercises. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Students perform exercises at Wilton Road School in London. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Students at Alma Boys School in London perform exercises. Credit: London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Children perform exercises in Germany. Credit: Berliner Illustrations Gesellschaft/ullstein bild/Getty Images

A child performs exercises on parallel bars. Credit: ullstein bild/Getty Images

German children perform exercises in the snow. Credit: A. & E. Frankl/ullstein bild/Getty Images

Four-year-olds participate in exercises at a school in Czechoslovakia. Credit: Keystone View/FPG/Getty Images

Japanese children follow exercise instructions over radio in a public park. Credit: Argusphot/ullstein bild/Getty Images