Review of “Fit Nation” by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

Petrzela is fully qualified for this project. A history professor at the New School and an activist for expanding access to exercise, she is also a fitness instructor who has taught at Equinox and served as a brand ambassador for lululemon. At the beginning of “Fit Nation,” Petrzela reveals a giant poster of her pregnant body “wrapped in expensive stretchy fabric,” and one of hers on the wall of a Lululemon store. was decorated. Her previous work on Equinox and her Lululemon articulates her critique, and many passages have an exciting turncoat vitality. She writes against the “lifestyle” represented by her former employer. As she argues, “when physical activity was elevated to a noble form of conspicuous consumption, the ‘fitness craze’ was embraced by the relatively wealthy few and imposed on many others.” In addition, it has evolved into a new, all-encompassing “lifestyle.”

“Fit Nation” reveals the origins of American attitudes to fitness that began in the late 1800s. At the time, exercise was for circus entertainment. She reminds us that for a long time, appearances had little to do with working out. We head to Muscle Beach in her late 1950s. At this time, the Santa Monica City Council, which was very concerned, feared the unemployed ambitions. ”). But around this time, images of John F. Kennedy and his brother proudly exercising shirtless confirmed that certain types of exercise were necessary habits for the wealthy and successful. The couple demonstrated how to strike the “right balance between discipline and leisure” while playing tennis and tinkering with boats.

The fitness industry satire is weighed down by its own heavy-handedness

Petrzela shows that wealth and acceptable exercise have gone hand in hand since the early days of American workout culture. For example, mid-century his exercise pioneer Bonnie Pruden charged a fee for his classes and found he was more popular. For participants, paying was literally an investment in their health and fitness. From the early days, fitness was considered worth it if it came with a price tag.

By the late 20th century, the private sector dominated the fitness market, overtaking public recreation centers, parks, trails, and other free-to-use places. Petrzela traces the evolution of a privatized fitness environment that gives an edge to those who can afford to participate and values ​​individual empowerment over collective, civic engagement. As she repeatedly points out, fitness also succeeds in establishing itself as a widely accepted virtue signal when it comes to morally neutral things.

Petrzela’s main claim is undisputed. Exercise shouldn’t be available only to the wealthy. But to underscore this point, she focuses primarily on flashy, culture-defining examples from the private sector.Petrzela argues that programs like SoulCycle are not the root cause of fitness inequality I definitely understand But she seems to blame the supply side for not being able to take advantage of the disgraceful movement in this country. not.

“Fit Nation” despite trying to provide a broader view of exercise in America Primarily a history of America’s fanciest gyms and trendiest programs, it serves only as a compact reminder that physical education programs are routinely underfunded and devalued. has a tremendous impact on how we collectively think about fitness, and she does it effectively. I have.

But if those important scissors are to cut, she needs a second blade. It’s an ongoing criticism of public infrastructure’s failure to offer options other than dedicated gyms and expensive boutique classes. The book promises to explore the tension between America’s obsession with fitness and a culture in which very few people participate. and only glimpses the neoliberal deprivation that made this privatization possible.

How running helped a young mother cope with grief

Examples include a chapter on the “Let’s Move” campaign and its admirable effort to define “fitness as a matter of social justice.” But there is no chapter focused on physical education in schools over the last 50 years, community-focused recreation centers like the YMCA, or public parks and bike paths. The two chapters on running focus on the self-righteousness of many runners, which may be amusing, but keep people out of one of the only ostensibly “free” exercises in the book. Criticizing their pretentious superiority rather than their socioeconomic status seems overlooked. chance. These chapters could have assessed investments in park infrastructure, debates about public safety, or failures to address the pollution that discourages outdoor exercise for many.

Petrzela’s approach is understandable. It’s very difficult to report on something that isn’t there. A trendy fitness boutique is much easier to analyze than a fairer alternative that didn’t raise enough capital to get started. And I am also fascinated by the active lifestyles of strange and wacky people! But the book’s attempts to explain why people have trouble accessing fitness have yet to materialize.

“Fit Nation” is most exciting when it provocatively and emphatically asserts that fitness is not an outright good in American culture. But Petrzela, while cautious about the social and other resources fitness demands of its participants, isn’t giving up on exercise’s radical future. At one point, she offers an anecdote about Jane Fonda and her then-husband, activist and politician Tom Hayden. Hayden lamented the “culture of narcissism” in his fitness lifestyle that embraced civic participation. Of course, Fonda built her workout empire to fund her activism and financially support Hayden’s political ambitions. He didn’t really understand the idea that the sweaty women he wore had a lot of influence over his political career, which he felt was out of proportion to their serious activism. I stuck a needle in her for this callus activity.” Petrzela’s book proposes ideas that both contain and obliterate the limits of Hayden’s criticism. But it doesn’t have to be.As a source of fun, socializing, play, strength and health, and exercise should not do Please do so.

Petrzela’s book makes a point that will blow Hayden’s mind. Exercise is an aspect of American life that deserves the attention and effort of activists. Petruzela highlights issues of exercise culture that expose America’s much larger social problems, such as purchasing power feigning social superiority, valuing entertainment over expertise, and equating productivity with virtue. doing. Although “Fit Nation” is often distracting With the glorious fitness pursuits of the wealthy, this book provides a valuable foundation for fitness-related activities. institution It reveals the corrupt foundation beneath it. The most fantastical elements of our culture inform us about our aspirations, values, and failures.

Maggie Lange has written about the book for many publications. She also runs her Purse Book, a weekly newsletter, where Slim puts up brief reviews of her volumes.

The Benefits and Pains of America’s Movement Obsession

Natalia Merman Pettzela

University of Chicago Press. 443 pages $29