31 Jan 2021

How the body came to symbolise success and achievement

From Sunday Morning, 11:18 am on 31 January 2021

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

When did society become obsessed with fitness? And are fit people really more successful? In his new book, The Age of Fitness, Professor of North American History Jürgen Martschukat traces the beginnings of our modern obsession with fitness - which arose in the 1970s amid the neoliberal era - and looks at how our physical health is increasingly linked to success, recognition and power. Professor Martschukat joins the show to discuss the almost post-religious reverence of fitness in an increasingly secular society.

gym detail shot - people cycling; spinning class

Photo: 123rf