Greg Hickey

Fact-Checking Vivek Ramaswamy on Fitness and Academics

Twitter/X post by Vivek Ramaswamy

Last month, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy tweeted (X-ed?), “The College Board should add a physical fitness section to the SAT, instead of just math and reading sections. This could mirror the “Presidential Fitness Test” – consisting of a 1-mile run, pull-ups, sit-ups, shuttle run, etc… This is a pro-merit … Read more

The White Sox, Coded Language & Mental Toughness in Baseball

Jake Burger and Yoán Moncada, part of an example of coded language and mental toughness in baseball

For over a decade, I have maintained a website covering various topics related to sports without writing a word about my favorite team in sports. I have been a Chicago White Sox fan for as long as I can remember. My parents told me I learned to read in part … Read more

How Walking Makes You More Creative

A woman walking in nature, one way to make you more creative

A summer stroll inspires an investigation into how we can all be more creative As I compose these words, I am walking through Lincoln Park near my home in Chicago. It is a beautiful summer day—clear sky, hint of a breeze, birds chirping, traffic fading as I stroll deeper into … Read more

Reshaping Physical Education and the Fitness Industry with Natalia Petrzela

Fit Nation by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a book about reshapng physical education and the fitness industry

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela is a historian of contemporary American politics and culture. She holds a B.A. from Columbia and a Ph.D. from Stanford and is the author of Classroom Wars: Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture and Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession. Natalia is also Associate Professor … Read more

The Rise of American Fitness Culture with Shelly McKenzie

Cover of Getting Physical by Shelly McKenzie, a book about American fitness culture

Shelly McKenzie, an independent scholar, holds a Ph.D. from George Washington University, where she has taught writing and American studies. In this interview, we discuss her book Getting Physical: The Rise of Fitness Culture in America and the development of American fitness culture from the Cold War to the present. Enter the giveaway … Read more

The Rise of Women’s Fitness Culture with Danielle Friedman

Danielle Friedman and her book Let's Get Physical, a history of the rise of women's fitness culture

Danielle Friedman is an award-winning journalist and author of the critically acclaimed cultural history of women’s fitness Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World (Putnam 2022). Her feature writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Cut, Vogue, Health, and other … Read more

The History of Fitness with Daniel Kunitz

Daniel Kunitz, author of Lift

Daniel Kunitz is the author of Lift: Fitness Culture from Naked Greeks and Acrobats to Jazzercise and Ninja Warriors. He has written for numerous publications and is the editor-in-chief of Sculpture magazine. In this interview, we discuss Lift and the cultural history of fitness. Enter the giveaway below to win a copy of … Read more

KineSophy Hall of Fame: Junko Tabei

Junko Tabei at the summit of Mount Everest

This month, KineSophy adds another member to its Hall of Fame: mountain climber, activist and author Junko Tabei. Tabei was the first woman to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits, and she did so in the 1970s despite social pressures against women living active lifestyles and pursuing lofty goals. … Read more

Learning to Swim Might Be My Daughter’s Most Important Lesson

A baby learning to swim

Six weeks ago, my wife gave birth to our first child—a baby girl. There are seemingly infinite abilities our daughter needs to develop, starting with lifting her head and tracking moving objects. But as soon as she can, I want her to learn to swim. Learning to swim will make … Read more