Elin Falk (16 January 1872 – 24 April 1942)[1] was a Swedish gymnastics director who revolutionised the teaching of the sport in the country's schools in the first half of the twentieth century.
[3][4] She attended a girls' school in Vänersborg for her secondary education, then studied at Harald Liedbeck's Institute of Gymnastics in Stockholm.
[3] Falk spent the first four years of her career working abroad, initially as a gymnastics teacher and physiotherapist at the Young Women's Christian Association in Baltimore.
[5] Falk was a key proponent and adapter of Lingian gymnastics in the early 20th century, expanding and evolving the number of exercises.
[5][7] Falk developed special exercises for children in schools, designed to be fun and engage with childhood energy.
[13] Whilst Falk's innovative approach met opposition in her lifetime, she received recognition and appreciation posthumously.