Why the Pain, What's the Gain?

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Running, jumping, lifting, pushing, stretching - our bodies are naturally built to move and work, strengthen and adapt. Yet the gym is a 20th century phenomenon and 'working out'a concept that has produced one of the world's biggest industries: fitness. An industry whose changing ideals reflect society's cultural shifts on what it means to be fit, and how to have the perfect physique.Why the Pain? What's the Gain? takes you on a guided tour of humankind's 3000-year wayward search for the perfect workout; from the dirt courtyards of the ancient Greek gymnasium to the birth of the modern gym in 19th-century Paris; to the weekend, beachside Olympic-caliber gymnasts of Santa Monica and Sydney. Daniel Kunitz seeks the answer to a simple yet profound question: Why do we work out?We will listen in on the innovators and charlatans who lifted the multibillion-dollar business of gym-fitness into being. We will learn how the women's movement sparked an enormous exercise boom and tell the story not only of how we