American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture

by Collins, Mary

• ISBN13: 9781933102887
• ISBN10: 1933102888
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-01
• Publisher: CASEMATE PUBLISHING

Summary

** The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) awarded AMERICAN IDLE an Honorable Mention in the Non-Fiction category of their 2010 annual writing awards!! Congratulations to Mary! ** For 99 percent of our history, humans have lived as a species on the move, but modern life has stopped us in our tracks. AMERICAN IDLE: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture offers the first comprehensive look at the social, cultural, moral and physical consequences of living in a sedentary culture that has immobilized us as effectively as a shattered body part. As author Mary Collins recovers from a devastating bicycle accident, she begins a journey to find out more about America's wounded national body. She discovers: * Why humans are meant to move. * What social changes led us to our current state. * Why past efforts have been so ineffective, and why will power isn't the problem. * How our impaired physical selves impact our social lives and moral judgment. In her pursuit, Collins: * Visits the Olympic Center, factory floors, archeological sites, city planners, health experts, and even the National Zoo. * Explores the hazards of a society centered on desk jobs. * Looks into why organized sports have made kids less fit and advocates for more free play. * Uncovers remarkable new research about how physical activity impacts the adult brain. * Talks with experts about the growing imbalance between our overactive minds and our underused bodies. * Offers advice on how to integrate movement into the natural flow of our daily lives again. In sum, AMERICAN IDLE offers readers a road map back to physical grace.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction: Reclaiming Our Physical Selves	p. xv
Meet the First Walkers: The American Heartland 14,000 years Ago	p. 1
What Do Our Bodies Want (and Why)? The History of the Body as Told by the Body	p. 19
Physical Grace: The Olympic Center	p. 19
FlashbacK: How Did Work Become Sedentary and Physical Activity Become Leisure?	p. 27
Moving on the Job Today: Assembly Lines in Pennsylvania	p. 39
Action and Stillness in Nature: How Do Animals Achieve a Healthy Balance?	p. 49
Action and stillness in Humans: Can Americans Achieve a Healthy Balance?	p. 57
A Tour Through Sixty Years of Advice	p. 67
Seeking Solutions in the Twenty-First Century	p. 79
The Social Costs: Trekking New York City for Answers	p. 91
A Spiritual Solution?	p. 105
The Morality in Play	p. 117
This Is Your Brain on Exercise	p. 131
Reclaiming Natural Grace in Natural Places: Have You Had a Green Hour Tody?	p. 141
Final Stop	p. 155
Endnotes	p. 169
Suggested Steps for Building a Move Movement	p. 183
Resources	p. 185
Bill of Rights for the Move Movement	p. 187
Tips for Integrating Movement into your Life	p. 189
Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Quiz	p. 191
About the Author	p. 195
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