The Secret History Of Sweat

"Exercise is my obsession," declares New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata. Her preference is "spinning," a brutal workout on a stationary bike, which she describes in detail in her new book, Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and Health (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). Kolata does many tasks in her book, describing her life as an ardent exerciser, tracing the history of working out ("Eating alone will not keep a man well," said Hippocrates in 400 B.C. "He must also take exercise") and debunking popular claims (e.g., endorphins and running highs are overrated, she says). Kolata concludes that exercise...

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