This is a broad history of physical fitness from Ancient Greeks to modern-day athletes and bodybuilders. Doing physical feats as entertainment became common in the 19th century. Yoga from India was brought to the western world and adapted to lessen its Hindu basis. With the greater number of sedentery jobs, exercising began to be obvious for health reasons. This was a transmutation of sports and sports training to people who wanted to look aand feel good. But we've come full circle to Cross Fit and Ninja Warrior games. Kunitz covers a lot of territory like parkour, Muscle Beach, weightlifing, jogging, gymnastic equipment, running, and treadmills. ( )

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and I really enjoyed it.

The author certainly did his research on the history of fitness. I really enjoyed the in-depth looks at how people exercise, especially in recent history. The best parts of the book, however, are when he goes out in the field and discusses modern views of fitness with current experts. Having heard a lot about Crossfit recently (and wondering what all the hype was about), I found his opinions on new fitness crazes very interesting and informative. Overall, this book is highly informative and an interesting read for those who are interested in fitness as well as those of us who could afford to get out more. ( )