Author Visit: Danielle Friedman, Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World (2022)

Meet Danielle Friedman, whose book, Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World (2022), chronicles the entrepreneurs who pioneered the barre method, Jazzercise, city marathons, modern yoga studios, and other fitness trends. Today, working out is an accepted, and even expected, part of women's lives. But before the mid-twentieth century in mainstream America, sweating was considered unladylike, and girls grew up believing that too much physical exertion could be harmful to their health. Learn how trailblazing fitness pioneers marketed a vibrant range of commercial programs to enhance women’s mental and physical health, and ponder how successful they have been in transforming fitness from an upscale privilege into an essential right. Friedman’s discussion of her research will spark your nostalgia for past fitness fads and bring you up to date on the latest movements in staying strong.

For an optimal experience, pair this course with Author Visit: Ava Purkiss, Fit Citizens: A History of Black Women’s Exercise from Post-Reconstruction to Postwar America (2023). Register for both author visits at once using Course 12725 and save $15.