Menu
Excerpts
Exhibits
Collections
Originals
Categories
Map
Search
Person
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
Bylines
Fit Nation
A conversation about "the gains and pains of America’s exercise obsession."
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
,
Lara Freidenfelds
via
Nursing Clio
on
September 27, 2023
We’re All Preppy Now
How a style steeped in American elitism took over the world.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
The New Republic
on
August 14, 2023
Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession
A century ago, physical fitness was part of a strange subculture, where strong bodies were extraordinary and meant to placed on pedestals for people to observe.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
The Gotham Center
on
January 25, 2023
The Birth of a New Brand of Exercise Fetish
From Bikram yoga to Tae Bo, the 1990s exploded with exoticized consumer fitness products.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
The Nation
on
December 13, 2022
The Fitness Craze That Changed the Way Women Exercise
Fifty years after Jazzercise was founded, it is still shaping how Americans work out—for better or for worse.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
The Atlantic
on
June 16, 2019
partner
As Swimsuit Season Ends, Pursuit of the ‘Bikini Body’ Endures
The "bikini body" is out. But the pressure to maintain the ideal female physique lives on.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
Made By History
on
August 30, 2018
Working, Out
Homophobia at a CrossFit is a good time to remember that gym culture wouldn’t exist without queer people.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
Slate
on
June 20, 2018
Shouldn’t You Be in California?
The western frontiers of national wellness culture.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
Boom California
on
January 9, 2018
partner
Helping Latino Kids Succeed in the Classroom Doesn’t Have to be an Ideological War
Conservatives backed bilingual education until it became a progressive cause.
by
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
via
Made By History
on
September 21, 2017
Book
Fit Nation
: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
2022
Related Excerpts
Viewing 1–3 of 3
Making History Go Viral
Historians used the Twitter thread to add context and accuracy to the news cycle in 2018. Here’s how they did it.
by
Rebecca Onion
via
Slate
on
December 11, 2018
Fountain Society
The humble drinking fountain can tell us much about a society’s attitudes towards health, hygiene, equity, virtue, public goods and civic responsibilities.
by
Shannon Mattern
via
Places Journal
on
February 14, 2023
The History of the StairMaster
The 1980s brought about America's gym obsession—and a machine that demands a notoriously grueling cardio workout
by
Michelle Delgado
via
Smithsonian
on
January 31, 2020