In Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World journalist Danielle Friedman dives into the often overlooked (and very surprising!) history of women and exercise. Starting in the 1950s and continuing to present day, Friedman takes the reader through the pivotal eras of women’s fitness and highlights a different trailblazer in each chapter. There’s Lottie Berk, the former dancer who created the barre workout in the sixties to help improve women’s sex lives, Judi Sheppard Missett, the aerobics instructor who harnessed the power of music to turn her exercise class into the iconic Jazzercise industry, Lisa Lyon, the bodybuilding pioneer who proved women have a right to the weight room, and so many others. With her phenomenal reportage and upbeat curiosity, Friedman delivers a slice of history that’s insightful, nuanced, and compulsively readable. Popular culture often stops at neon leotards and leg warmers when looking back at the evolution of women’s fitness, but Let’s Get Physical goes deeper, addressing the social and political context in which these fitness crazes flourished and offering a fascinating look at feminism over the years. Moreover, Friedman maintains the spirit of fun and freedom that inspired these fitness trailblazers in the first place—Let’s Get Physical is a joy to read.
As a dancer, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how and why we move, and this book satisfied and surprised me on so many levels. I found it fascinating to read about how limited exercise options were for women only a few decades ago and the creative and radical methods women came up with to push past those limitations. Friedman takes a comprehensive view of this exercise evolution, and even includes sections on advances that supported women’s movement like the discovery of spandex and the advent of the sports bra (which was invented by three women, but of course, and not until 1977!). And although the book is chock-full of research, it’s incredibly fun to read; Friedman’s voice is warm and personal, and she adds in all the relatable, human details that make history accessible. I also appreciated that Friedman doesn’t try to sugarcoat the relationship between women and exercise, but instead digs deep into its complicated past (and present) in relation to the pressures placed on women to shrink, tone and sculpt themselves into unrealistic beauty ideals. I finished Let’s Get Physical feeling inspired and empowered, and I highly recommend this fascinating read.
I’d recommend this book to…
- Anyone interested in the history of (or science behind) movement and exercise… it’s similar in theme to The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal
- Anyone who loves learning about pop culture’s fun, quirky backstories… it’s similar in style to the podcast Maintenance Phase by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes
- Anyone looking for readable, relatable nonfiction… it’s similar in tone to Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb
