For much of the twentieth century sweating was considered unladylike and girls grew up believing physical exertion would cause their uterus to literally fall out. It was only in the sixties that women began to move en masse. Friedman reveals the hidden history of contemporary women's fitness culture, and shows how exercise evolved from a beauty tool pitched almost exclusively as a way to "reduce" into a path to mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Each chapter uncovers the birth of a fitness movement that laid the foundation for working out today-- and how fitness can create a more powerful sisterhood. -- adapted from jacket