Fit nation : the gains and pains of America's exercise obsession
(Book)
Author
Published
Chicago, IL : The University of Chicago Press, 2022.
Status
Rapid City Public Library - Sports & Recreation - Adult
SPORTS & RECREATION 306.4613 PET
1 available
SPORTS & RECREATION 306.4613 PET
1 available
Description
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Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Rapid City Public Library - Sports & Recreation - Adult | SPORTS & RECREATION 306.4613 PET | On Shelf |
More Details
Published
Chicago, IL : The University of Chicago Press, 2022.
Format
Book
Physical Desc
xvi, 443 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-433) and index.
Description
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. -- Provided by publisher.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Petrzela, N. M. (2022). Fit nation: the gains and pains of America's exercise obsession . The University of Chicago Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Petrzela, Natalia Mehlman. 2022. Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession. The University of Chicago Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Petrzela, Natalia Mehlman. Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession The University of Chicago Press, 2022.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Petrzela, Natalia Mehlman. Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession The University of Chicago Press, 2022.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.