Physical exercise

Posts : 148 Join date : 2010-05-22 Age : 56

Can anyone tell me what sort of physical exercise the 24th or indeed any of the troops did in 1879?
I know generally the officers were fitter than their men and around that time life expectancy was around 38 for the common man and mid 50's for the high classes due to decease and medicines available.
When you look at the training the troops do now days to stay fighting fit I just wondered what was done back then apart from marching. When you think how long the soldiers held off the Zulus at Rorke's Drift and how much that would of taken out of them it really was a matter of survival of the fittest and how much you wanted to survive.
Any info would be very interesting to know
Regards

Subject: Re: Physical exercise Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:37 pm

David here's a link with some information.

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I don't suppose there would be much difference in the Soldiers activity which ever little War they were involved in.

Posts : 148 Join date : 2010-05-22 Age : 56

So it was mainly through sport. I suppose when you think about it, martching to different locations, pushing bogged down wagons etc without the aid of motorised power would have kept them fit to a degree.
Thanks for the link littlehand