Some 2,300 years ago, people in ancient Egypt were hitting the gym to work-out, according to Ahram.
Archaeologists have unearthed the first-ever ancient gymnasium to be discovered in Egypt.
Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities revealed the exciting discovery via its official Facebook page this week and stated that it dates back to the third century B.C.
The gymnasium was found at the Watfa archaeological site, 5 km east of Qasr Qaroun in northwestern Fayum.
"Dr. Ayman Ashmawi, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector said that the gymnasium now discovered shows a large hall for meetings, once adorned with statues, a dining hall and a courtyard in the main building. Beside it, there is a racetrack of nearly 200 metres length, long enough to engage in the typical race over the distance of a stadium, 180 metres. Generous gardens surrounded the building to complete an ideal layout of a centre of Greek learning," the Ministry of Antiquities' statement said.
Watfa, where the remains of the gymnasium were discovered, is the site of Philoteris, an ancient village founded by King Ptolemy II. It was named after the king's sister, Philotera.
Such facilities would have been constructed by wealthy individuals, heavily influenced by Greek culture. In those places, the upper class – which would also have spoken Greek – would not only train in sports but also enjoy philosophical discussions and learn to read and write.
All major cities throughout the Hellenistic world had similar gymnasiums, although the one in Watfa is small and the first to be found in Egypt.
"The gymnasia in the Egyptian countryside were built after their pattern. Although much smaller, the gymnasium of Watfa clearly shows the impact of Greek life in Egypt, not only in Alexandria, but also in the countryside," said Professor Cornelia Römer, an archaeologist with the German Archaeological Institute who made the discovery.
While this is the first gymnasium unearthed in the country, evidence of their existence had previously been discovered via ancient inscriptions and papyri writings.
This new discovery is just one in a series of recent finds.
Earlier this year, a colossal statue initially believed to depict Pharaoh Rameses the Great was found. At the time, experts called it one of Egypt's "most important discoveries".
Even Egypt's famous Pyramids continue to reveal new discoveries. Just last week, scientists announced that they had located a mysterious "void" inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Such finds demonstrate that the ancient Egyptians still have many secrets yet to be revealed.