Book of Bodily Exercise

The work,  “Book of Bodily Exercise”, written by Cristóbal Méndez in 1553, is significant to understand the education of the first physicians who came to México from Europe in the sixteenth century.

Méndez was born in 1500-1501 in Spain, he studied Medicine at Salamanca and in 1528 travelled to Mexico. He was designated to the College of Physicians. Méndez was strongly influenced by the medical humanistic school of the sixteenth century. He believed in astrological medicine to treat his patients, and for this reason he was accused by the tribunal of Santo Oficio for using charms in his treatments. He returned to Spain in 1545, where he later died.

The relevance of this book is that it contains valuable information that we still use today, such as the different types of exercises and its application, its physiological effects, and the importance of prevention; the relation of exercise and the cognitive sciences.

According to Mexican historian, Fernando Quijano, the work of Méndez represents a universal medical novelty due to the fact that this is the first book written in the sixteenth century about the therapeutic benefits of exercise.

The book is divided into four treatises. Each treaty contains chapters in which the author explains, in a anecdotic way, his experiences in the New Spain in the sixteenth century. In each chapter he reflects his careful observation of patients and the effects of exercise.

In the first treatise Méndez goes back in time to explore the meaning of prevention through exercise in order to prevent illness and maintaining  health. The concepts of conservation, reduction and preserving have an actual application in the recent concept of Quality of Life given by the OSM.

In the second treatise, the author refers to the relation between senses and movement. This  represents a magnificent progression in that time. Nowadays these concepts represent the fundamental ideas of motor control and the sensorimotor processes involve in movement and exercise, as well as executive functions, such as  cognitive, motor learning and memory and how they are involve in motor praxis.

In third treatise, Mendez, classifies exercise according to the intensity and characteristics of each occupation. He analyses the  activity of a farmer in terms of function and participation. These concepts that are  associated  to the recent  concept of  the International Functional  Classification Disability and Health ICF.

In the fourth treaty, Mendez devotes seven chapters to the relevance of time and duration of each chapter, including some exercises.

Finally it is important to acknowledge Mendez´s book in the history to understand how movement and exercise was seen at that time and how all those concepts are valid at the present time as well as how they can enrich our practice with the actual concepts that integrates humanistic school in physiotherapy practice.

Posted by Ximena Suárez

Mexican Physical and Ocupational Therapist. Phd On Disability by Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. Expertise in Peadiatric rehabilitation.

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