Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession
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- Buy It NowFit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession
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Item specifics
- Condition
- EAN
- 9780226833361
- UPC
- 9780226833361
- ISBN
- 9780226833361
- MPN
- N/A
- Book Title
- FIT Nation : the Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Item Length
- 9 in
- Publication Year
- 2024
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Language
- English
- Illustrator
- Yes
- Item Height
- 1.1 in
- Genre
- Sports & Recreation, Health & Fitness
- Topic
- Exercise, General, Sociology of Sports, History
- Item Weight
- 22.1 Oz
- Item Width
- 6 in
- Number of Pages
- 424 Pages
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
ISBN-10
0226833364
ISBN-13
9780226833361
eBay Product ID (ePID)
15062948069
Product Key Features
Book Title
FIT Nation : the Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession
Number of Pages
424 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Exercise, General, Sociology of Sports, History
Publication Year
2024
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Sports & Recreation, Health & Fitness
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
1.1 in
Item Weight
22.1 Oz
Item Length
9 in
Item Width
6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
23
Reviews
Throughout, Petrzela critiques the fitness industry's lack of attention to poor, working-class, and nonwhite communities, and marshals a wealth of information into a coherent narrative. This is a valuable survey of what exercise means in America., Invariably eloquent. . . Ms. Petrzela's method is to present the history of the millennium as a history of fitness -- annotated and exhaustively footnoted. There's something curiously absurd, tendentious, and remarkably true about that, particularly if one looks at fitness, wealth, and self-realization -- all forms of aspiration -- as symptoms of the drive and insatiability of an almost romantic culture., Petrzela demonstrates that chic, pricey gyms have an outsize influence on our collective mentality around fitness, and she does so effectively. Her analysis of elitist workout culture has a sharp edge. . . . [ Fit Nation ] provocatively and firmly argues that fitness is not an unmitigated good in American culture., Petrzela has brought us an intellectually rich and delightfully informative history of how people in the United States have understood, obsessed over, and changed their bodies. In a thorough look at the trends, characters, and ideologies that have informed the body politic and the politics of bodies, Petrzela helps us recognize the weight of constant messaging from industries trying to convince the public to seek perfection endlessly. An important and enjoyable read., America's current obsession with fitness, exercise, and wellness has a deep and fascinating history, one that Petrzela has been at the forefront of illuminating as a historian, writer, educator, activist--and instructor. In Fit Nation , Petrzela brings to bear her tremendous narrative gifts through a rich cast of characters and entrepreneurs while deepening our understanding of the complex social, cultural, political, and economic forces that have helped to shape our bodies figuratively and literally. Whatever your relationship to exercise, this entertaining and transformative book is a must-read., Fit Nation is a comprehensive, analytically rich history that offers an expert guided tour of fitness entrepreneurs and practices. Petrzela uses the lens of fitness to offer a fascinating history of transformations in conceptions of masculinity and femininity, consumption practices, and entrepreneurialism. The result is a political history of ideas--about the body, community, and the proper relations between the state and the individual--that is not only fascinating but strikingly relevant., [ Fit Nation ] charts the evolution of our collective attitudes toward exercise. . . . Petrzela shows how working out went from a bizarre pastime to being an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. She also reveals the double-edged sword beneath it all--how exercise can be both empowering and elitist at the same time., A pensive survey of the evolution of exercise in America and a pessimistic view of our nation's current fitness., This is the book I've been waiting for my whole career! As someone who has straddled the fitness industry and public health academia for decades, I truly cannot underscore strongly enough the importance of what Petrzela has so perfectly and poignantly presented here. Both long overdue and impeccably timed, Fit Nation is a necessary key to the future of fitness., This author does an excellent job exploring cultural trends and patterns related to exercise over time, offering insight on how exercise may represent not a health modality for all but instead an exclusive subculture. Petrzela raises interesting questions regarding the negative impacts of exercise behavior on US culture and prompts readers to critically assess what solutions or attitudes might be helpful for the future., Offering a timely look at American exercise culture, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela traces how fitness shed its negative associations -- weird, narcissistic, and effete -- to become a widely embraced moral good by the end of the 20th century. . . . Fit Nation is ambitious in scope, and Petrzela marshals a kitchen sink of evidence to plot this history., Fit Nation touches on the origins and evolution of a wide variety of fitness modalities and the fitness industry itself. Moreover, Petrzela does an admirable job discussing how technologies from television to videocassettes and social media have altered the practice and perceptions of fitness., Petrzela's account moves at a quick-lap pace: She scans the market from top to bottom, from the Equinox gym to the Zumba class in a local church hall., Petrzela takes us on a whirlwind journey. . . She traces how the United States simultaneously became obsessed with working out and failed to provide necessary resources for it.
Dewey Decimal
306.46130973
Table Of Content
Author's Note Introduction: What Is the Fit Nation? Part One: When Sweating Was Strange 1. Performing Civilization 2. No More Fat Cats or Ladies of Leisure 3. Sanitizing--and Selling--Fitness 4. The California Beach Body Is Born Part Two: Slimming the Soft American 5. White Plains, the White House, and the Paradox of Prosperity 6. Fitness Makes Us Strong, Not Soft Part Three: From Margins to Mainstream 7. The Future Belongs to the Fit 8. Training for Life, Body, and Mind 9. The "Tanny Touch" 10. Slimming on the Small Screen Part Four: Movement Culture, Redefined 11. Yoga and the Counterculture 12. Kenneth Cooper and Aerobics Universalism 13. Run for Your Lives! 14. Title IX and Its Limits 15. Swap the Fat for Your True Self Part Five: Feel the Burn 16. Daytime Disco 17. The New Gospel of Fitness 18. Turning Up the Intensity 19. Not Quite Sports Part Six: Hard Bodies and Soulful Selves 20. Beyond Aerobics with Chanting 21. Strong Is the New Skinny? 22. It's Not Fitness, It's Life Part Seven: It's Not Working Out 23. Exercising in an Age of Uncertainty 24. Eat, Pray, Buy 25. The Limits of "Let's Move" 26. The Pandemic and the Peloton 27. Broken Equipment Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
Synopsis
If a shared American creed still exists, it's a belief that exercise is integral to a life well lived. A century ago, working out was the activity of a strange subculture, but today, it's almost impossible to avoid exhortations to exercise. Yet the United States is hardly a "fit nation." Only 20 percent of Americans work out consistently, so how did fitness become both inescapable and inaccessible? Spanning more than a century of American history, Fit Nation answers this question and more through original interviews, archival research, and a rich cultural narrative. As a leading political and intellectual historian and a certified fitness instructor, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela is uniquely qualified to confront the complex and far-reaching implications of how our contemporary exercise culture took shape. She explores the work of working out not just as consumers have experienced it, but as it was created by performers, physical educators, trainers, instructors, and many others. For Petrzela, fitness is a social justice issue. She argues that the fight for a more equitable exercise culture will be won only by revolutionizing fitness culture at its core, making it truly inclusive for all bodies in a way it has never been. Examining venues from the stage of the World's Fair and Muscle Beach to fat farms, feminist health clinics, college campuses, yoga retreats, school gymnasiums, and many more, Fit Nation is a revealing history that shows fitness to be a matter not just of physical health but of what it means to be an American., How is it that Americans are more obsessed with exercise than ever, and yet also unhealthier? Fit Nation explains how we got here and imagines how we might create a more inclusive, stronger future. If a shared American creed still exists, it's a belief that exercise is integral to a life well lived. A century ago, working out was the activity of a strange subculture, but today, it's almost impossible to avoid exhortations to exercise: Walk 5K to cure cancer! Awaken your inner sex kitten at pole-dancing class! Sweat like (or even with) a celebrity in spin class! Exercise is everywhere. Yet the United States is hardly a "fit nation." Only 20 percent of Americans work out consistently, over half of gym members don't even use the facilities they pay for, and fewer than 30 percent of high school students get an hour of exercise a day. So how did fitness become both inescapable and inaccessible? Spanning more than a century of American history, Fit Nation answers these questions and more through original interviews, archival research, and a rich cultural narrative. As a leading political and intellectual historian and a certified fitness instructor, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela is uniquely qualified to confront the complex and far-reaching implications of how our contemporary exercise culture took shape. She explores the work of working out not just as consumers have experienced it, but as it was created by performers, physical educators, trainers, instructors, and many others. For Petrzela, fitness is a social justice issue. She argues that the fight for a more equitable exercise culture will be won only by revolutionizing fitness culture at its core, making it truly inclusive for all bodies in a way it has never been. Examining venues from the stage of the World's Fair and Muscle Beach to fat farms, feminist health clinics, radical and evangelical college campuses, yoga retreats, gleaming health clubs, school gymnasiums, and many more, Fit Nation is a revealing history that shows fitness to be not just a matter of physical health but of what it means to be an American.
LC Classification Number
GV471.U6P48 2024
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- z***s (2508)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThe item was spot-on, even better than the photos, and arrived in perfect condition. The packaging was highly professional, which is why the item came in superb, pristine condition. The seller was excellent with their communication, and I could not have been happier. I WILL buy from them again!Rockin Australia by James Anfuso (#156490333182)
- l***l (1536)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseGreat Seller! Excellent communication! Paperback was well-packed. Shipment via USPS went flawlessly.
- p***s (2484)- Feedback left by buyer.Past yearVerified purchaseGreat item at a great price: Seller prepped, packed and shipped expertly and with lightning speed! Item arrived exactly as described; AN OVERALL EXCELLENT TRANSACTION! Thanks Seller!!!!BERLIN TP BOOK 03 CITY OF LIGHT (MR) by Lutes, Jason (#156333981582)
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Seller feedback (7,885)
- z***s (2508)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThe item was spot-on, even better than the photos, and arrived in perfect condition. The packaging was highly professional, which is why the item came in superb, pristine condition. The seller was excellent with their communication, and I could not have been happier. I WILL buy from them again!Rockin Australia by James Anfuso (#156490333182)
- l***l (1536)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseGreat Seller! Excellent communication! Paperback was well-packed. Shipment via USPS went flawlessly.
- p***s (2484)- Feedback left by buyer.Past yearVerified purchaseGreat item at a great price: Seller prepped, packed and shipped expertly and with lightning speed! Item arrived exactly as described; AN OVERALL EXCELLENT TRANSACTION! Thanks Seller!!!!BERLIN TP BOOK 03 CITY OF LIGHT (MR) by Lutes, Jason (#156333981582)