Early 20th Century
HEALTH AS A MAN’S GAME
In the early 20th century, cultural and societal norms held back the state of collective health and fitness. Women were especially limited: the idea of breaking a sweat, lifting weights, or cultivating strength for strength’s sake was considered ‘unfeminine’ and rather radical. Women were wearing girdles and corsets and were told that exercise could damage their reproductive organs, make their uteruses fall out, or even turn them into men. These social factors kept the majority of women sedentary. For a long time, movement and holistic health were considered male domains. The two wars marked a shift in priorities, and subsequently the US government started intervening in new areas, some of which would have important implications for population health.
TA’S EARLY 20TH CENTURY PLAYLIST:
“Solitude”
Billie Holiday “Dream a Little Dream of Me” Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
“Try a Little Tenderness”
Otis Redding
“Blue Suede Shoes”
Elvis Presley
“You Send Me”
Sam Cooke
TA’S 20TH CENTURY FASHION PICKS:
All-in-one leotard Cycling knickerbockers Sailor-style playsuits
1900s Women’s first participation in the Olympic Games
The 1900 Games in Paris are the first to allow female athletes participate. On May 22, 1900, Hélène de Pourtalès of Switzerland became the first female Olympic champion, as a member of the winning team in the first 1 to 2 ton sailing event.
The beginning of organic farming
Small groups of farmers start mobilizing around the world against the shift towards synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides.
1910 Freudian Psychoanalysis
Freud founds the Institute for Psychoanalysis, popularizing the idea that our unconscious has an influence over our behaviors and health, which would become incredibly popular in the US.
1920 Yoga & Pilates in America
Paramahansa Yogananda speaks at the International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. His aim was to “spread the message of kriya yoga to the West,” presenting yoga as an intersection of science and religion that develops the mind-body connection. Joseph Pilates also moves to the US and launches his first studio around this time. Pilates quickly becomes popular among American dancers for body conditioning, improving technique, and recovering from injury.
1930s The New Deal and the founding of Social Security
The Social Security Act of 1935 introduces unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, aid to dependent children, and grants to the states to provide various forms of medical care, thus providing a social safety net on a federal level for the first time. “Because we live in a capitalist society, conversations about wellness are often focused on things we can buy, but the biggest factors that impact our health are those we can’t address as individuals: being from a minority racial group, poverty, lacking healthcare insurance, living in a rural area far from a hospital, etc. Sometimes the wellness industry can divert us from the big picture things that need addressing. A certain supplement or the latest diet book will become the zeitgeist and everyone will be talking about it until the next thing comes along…and so we’re never talking about inequality or racism or improving access to healthcare. These are the things that would, if addressed, uplift people into better health overnight.”
- CLARE BYRNE
1943 The first one-a-day multivitamin appears in 1943
The concept of supplements becomes common practice in households across the US by the 1950s. “A lot of things are now sold to us under the rubric of ‘wellness’. So much of it is rubbish or even harmful for our health. I’m so proud of Tracy for always drawing such a clear line and saying ‘no’ to fads and extreme diets. She uses her influence and her platform responsibly. She doesn’t prey on people’s vulnerabilities, and she doesn’t recommend things she has not researched and found to be evidence-based–she is really careful.”
- CLARE BYRNE
1944 Veganism
British woodworker Donald Watson announces his new term, “vegan,” to describe vegetarians who abstain from dairy and eggs.
1950s Amphetamines for weight loss
During WWII, amphetamines were given to soldiers to keep them alert. One of the side effects was appetite suppression, which led to the prescription of pills in the US to help people lose weight.
1956 Fitness goes federal
President Dwight D. Eisenhower founds the President’s Council of Youth Fitness. In a report by the Associated Press in June 1956, he expressed concern about the “failure of American youths to pass a basic ‘minimum fitness’ test that European youths breezed through.”
1950s1960s Farms Race in full swing
The Cold War sparks a “Farms Race” in the US, with the desire to prove that capitalism enables greater agricultural efficiency and productivity. Farmers were incentivized to grow more stable crops, leading to a surplus of corn and wheat, which defined the American diet.
The 1960s POST-WAR WELLNESS
After World War II, people worried that US citizens were becoming unhealthy. While the image of an American in the 1940s was a lean, strong soldier, the 1950s ushered in a new era. Wartime rations turned into diner milkshakes and TV dinners. America’s economy had completely transformed: mechanization had taken most of the physical labor out of typical jobs, and kids started watching television instead of playing outside.
The result? The Federal government decided to take health and wellness into their own hands.
TA’S 60S PLAYLIST:
“Good Vibrations”
The Beach Boys
“Hey Jude”
The Beatles “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
Marvin Gaye “Stop In The Name of Love”
The Supremes
“Voodoo Child”
Jimi Hendrix
TA’S 60S FASHION PICKS
Tennis skirts Leotards
1960 The pill
The first oral contraceptive Enovid is developed by G.D. Searle & Co. and approved by the FDA. The hormone doses were excessive and led to severe side effects. Within a few years, millions of American women were on the pill, which led to later marriages and premarital cohabitation.
1961
Decriminalization of same-sex activities
States begin to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity, marking a major shift in the field of sexual health.
1964 Smoking becomes unhealthy
The 1964 Surgeon General’s report makes it known to the public that smoking has adverse effects on health.
1965 Medicare
President Lyndon B. Johnson establishes Medicare and Medicaid programs that protect the health and well-being of millions of American families.
1967 High-fructose corn syrup
The syrup starts replacing table sugar because it was cheaper and easier to use than table sugar in mass-produced products. “Because wellness is a nebulous term and has become an industry, many of these timeline points have been driven by what companies think they can sell us and what we’re willing to buy, and that hasn’t always correlated with what’s best for our health.”
- CLARE BYRNE
1968 Kenneth Cooper publishes Aerobics
Dr. Cooper is known as the father of aerobics, and his international bestseller broadcasted the idea of exercise as medicine.
The 1970s THE POLITICS OF WELL-BEING
In the 1970s, activism defined the zeitgeist, infusing politics into the music, fashion, lifestyle, and even diet of everyday Americans. The civil rights movement and the resulting laws directly impacted the state of health for people who weren’t white men. A big part of these movements? Self-care. The concept of self-care originated as a tool for activists to look after their own bodies, and restore their mental health, in order to be effective citizens in their democracy, serve others, and actively participate in their community. TA’S 70S PLAYLIST:
“Move On Up”
Curtis Mayfield
“Let’s Stay Together”
Al Green
“Dancing Queen”
ABBA
“Superstition”
Stevie Wonder
“Heart of Glass”
Blondie TA’S 70S FASHION PICKS Tracksuits
Hot pants
Bright colors and prints
1960s1970s Black Panther Party popularizes self-care
Activists like Angela Davis and Ericka Huggins are the first to use mindfulness as a wellness tool to fuel their activism. “The Black Panther Party also launched free health clinics for Black people because they were discriminated against and under-served by mainstream medicine.”
- CLARE BYRNE
Hippies champion whole foods
Hippies embrace whole grains and legumes; organic, fresh vegetables; soy foods (tofu and tempeh); nutrition-boosters (wheat germ and sprouted grains); and flavors from Eastern European, Asian, and Latin American cuisines. The political climate (influenced by the Vietnam War) leads people to alternative lifestyles, religions, and medicine. “Holistic health” becomes a topic of interest. “‘Holistic health’ is one of those terms like ‘wellness’ that can get co-opted and be used to sell us things, but it can also be a profound way of practicing medicine. When your doctor is able to consider not only your age or weight, but also where you live, your socioeconomic status, what you do for work, your stress level–things that have a very clear influence on your health–that is an incredibly positive thing. Sadly, doctors often don’t have t ime to ask these questions or the resources to address them.”
- CLARE BYRNE
Our Bodies, Ourselves
The seminal book emphasizes women taking full control of their bodies and presents reproductive rights as a women’s health issue.
1971 Lotte Berk and the sexual revolution
During the 1960s, women’s workouts were tailored around pleasing men. Lotte Berk, a fitness pioneer who fled Nazi Germany, changed that with her workouts that celebrated female sexuality (she often encouraged her clients to try self-pleasure). In 1971, Lotte Berk’s workout came to New York, and blended into the landscape of America’s sexual revolution.
1973 Roe v. Wade
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Constitution of the US protected the right to have an abortion.
1977 Less is more
The US government nutrition guidance pivots from trying to get people to eat more (more diverse foods, more protein etc.) to trying to get people to eat less.
The 1980s SHOULDER PADS,
WALL STREET, AND JANE FONDA
Gordon Gekko summed up the 80s in his infamous phrase: “Greed is good”. Capitalism, consumerism, and materialism soar. Hair is bigger, colors are brighter, and the glorification of the hustle is everywhere. No wonder workouts of this time focus on going hard or going home: from Jane
Fonda and Jazzercise to drugs and the stock market, heart rates are sky-high in this era. TA’S 80S PLAYLIST
“Everywhere”
Fleetwood Mac “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
Cyndi Lauper
“Ain’t Nobody”
Chaka Khan
“Heart of Glass”
Blondie
“It’s Tricky”
Run-D.M.C.
TA’S 80S FASHION PICKS
Neon lycra/spandex Legwarmers
Head & arm bands
1980s The peak of Jazzercise
Jazzercise becomes the second-fastest-growing franchise in the entire country, after Domino’s pizza.
FDA rules out fat
The FDA considers fat a greater villain than sugar, sparking a trend of reduced-fat (yet high-sugar) manufactured food. “Very little nutritional guidance has had an impact in the way it’s supposed to.
When governments decide to bring in nutritional guidelines (like calorie labeling, for example), they usually don’t ask themselves what they hope it will have an impact on the way we do in medical studies. What is the outcome of interest? Does anyone follow up and measure the impact of the intervention on the outcome? Usually, the answer is no.”
- CLARE BYRNE
1981 First AIDS case
AIDS spreads rapidly until almost 1.5 million Americans are estimated to be infected with the virus by the end of the decade. The grassroots activist organization ACT UP takes inspiration from the civil rights movement to campaign for better research, treatment, and advocacy for people with AIDS.
1982 “Jane Fonda’s Workout” on VHS
The iconic actress’s workout tops sales charts and popularizes at-home fitness videos.
1985 The crack epidemic
Cocaine-related hospital emergencies rises by 12 percent
(the next year would see an 110 percent increase). By 1987, it is reported that crack is available in all but four states in the US.
Late 1980s Wellness in the workplace
Workplace wellness programs becomes popular in the late 1980s as companies seek new methods to boost productivity and lower employee healthcare costs (this also coincides with the rise of the PC, which makes workplace culture more sedentary). Still popular today, these programs often include exercise classes, nutrition tips, and assistance to smokers looking to quit, but can also lead to discrimination against those with disabilities or simply less time to participate in activities such as those with caring responsibilities or who have to work more than one job.
The 90s LET’S GET Pharmaceutical
From grunge to heroin chic, the 90s weren’t all about holistic health. In fact, a lot of stakeholders were actively shutting down real science on nutrition and movement. While we love the music and fashion, the rise of the pharmaceutical industry and processed food were less beneficial to overall health. TA’S 90S PLAYLIST
“Hypnotize”
The Notorious B.I.G.
“Alive”
Pearl Jam
“Whatta Man”
Salt-N-Pepa “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
Lenny Kravitz
“Spice Up Your Life”
Spice Girls TA’S 90S FASHION PICKS Windbreakers
New Balance
Vintage tees & hoodies Biker shorts
1992 The first Food Pyramid
The USDA comes out with its first set of dietary guidelines that include recommended servings for each of the food groups. “The Food Pyramid was developed by the US Department of Agriculture, not the Department of Health. That never made any sense. The Department of Agriculture exists to promote people buying agricultural products, so that’s in direct conflict with the mission to get people to eat healthier.”
- CLARE BYRNE
1997 Big pharma starts marketing
FDA guidelines allow pharmaceutical companies to utilize “direct-to-consumer marketing of drugs”. This increases namebrand prescription drug use in the US, inflates drug prices, and reveals systemic inequalities that affect patients, doctors, insurers, and the government. “In the US, when you’re a patient you’re a consumer. You’re buying something, and you have to be the smartest consumer you can.”
- CLARE BYRNE
1999 The “obesity epidemic”
CDC research finds that obesity (defined as being over 30 percent above an ‘ideal’ body weight) in the population increased from 12 percent in 1991 to 17.9 percent in 1998. “In the 90s, the definition of obesity was reclassified largely based on lobbying from pharmaceutical companies with new weight loss drugs to sell. So, there weren’t actually more obese people. All these people who, the day before, were not obese, were suddenly overnight obese. Essentially, the ‘obesity epidemic’ was a marketing tool, and not a real health crisis.”
- CLARE BYRNE
The 2000s: THE RISE OF TRACY ANDERSON
Y2K ushers in a new era of low-rise jeans, Juicy Couture, and Tracy Anderson. While the diet craze definitely encourages unhealthy nutrition, there new exercise guidelines encourage new ways to incorporate movement into our daily lives. TA’S 2000S PLAYLIST “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”
Jennifer Lopez
“Till I Collapse”
Eminem, Nate Dogg
“Viva La Vida”
Coldplay
“Crazy In Love”
Beyoncé
“Hollaback Girl”
Gwen Stefani
TA’S 2000S FASHION PICKS
Juicy Couture
Polka dot cropped leggings
Low-rise everything
1990s2000s Tracy’s revolutionary study
Tracy conducts her research study of 150 women, tracking them for 5 years. She measures the women every 10 days (collecting over 27,000 measurements) and tailors their workouts based on their progress.
2003 Vegetarians are validated
The American Dietetic Association (now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) and Dieticians of Canada publish studies that affirm the vegetarian diet as healthful and nutritious. “I always say to people: if you hear some health or wellness-related information and it’s not from a legitimate and robust medical study, think about who’s giving you that information and what they might have to gain from you believing it. This is actually generally good advice with regard to parsing information on the internet!”
- CLARE BYRNE
The first Tracy Anderson dance cardio DVD
Tracy comes out with her first dance cardio series that brings the energy of her studio into people’s homes. “One of the things I love about Tracy and the Method is how inclusive it is. Although being a studio member is expensive, anyone can buy a $9.99 DVD and thus a really wide range of people do the Method and participate in the community. I think that’s one of its great strengths.”
- CLARE BYRNE
2004 The Super Size Me Documentary
Morgan Spurlock’s documentary explores the fast food industry’s corporate influence, and how it encourages poor nutrition in America for its own profit.
2007 The Trampoline Workout
Tracy comes out with her rebounding trampoline workout, known for its lymphatic system benefits, joint-friendly moves, and pelvic floor strengthening.
2008 New Exercise Guidelines
The Department of Health and Human Services increases its recommended exercise guidelines.
The Kinetic Band System
Tracy comes out with her patented Iso-Kinetic Band System, using technology to push the frontier of resistance training.
Tracy on tour with Madonna
Tracy joins Madonna for two world concert tours, training with her daily in between performances.
2009
The Super G Floor
Inspired by NASA trampoline training, Tracy takes joint-friendly movement to higher levels by decking out her studios with shock-absorbent floors that dramatically minimize impact while enhancing metabolic results.
The 2010s: NEW HORIZONS OF HEALTH
The age of the internet had truly arrived, and many of us found ourselves more sedentary than ever before. In many ways, this new lifestyle challenged us to actively pursue health in new ways. With more connectivity, the rise of alternative diets created space for new conversations around nutrition. TA’S 2010S PLAYLIST “Only Girl (In The World)”
Rihanna
“Adventure of a Lifetime”
Coldplay “Who Run the World? Girls”
Beyoncé
“Uptown Funk” Bruno Mars ft. Mark Ronson
“Get Lucky” Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams
TA’S 2010S FASHION PICKS
Athleisure Streetwear Chunky sneakers
2010 The Affordable Care Act
President Barack Obama signs the ACA into law. By 2016, half of uninsured people became covered.
Michelle Obama launches
“Let’s Move” Campaign
The First Lady changes the culture by fostering healthier choices for children and families. Under this initiative, the government provides more nutritious foods in schools, improves public access to affordable healthy diets, and encourages movement from an early age.
2011
Metamorphosis
Tracy culminates her research into Metamorphosis: the first of its kind athome fitness program customized by body type. The variety of choreography and new curriculums every 10 days defines her holistic approach to fitness.
2013 Beginning of the synthetic opioid crisis
Illicit manufacture of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl drives a huge increase in the number of overdose deaths in the US that begins in this year and continues to rise today.
The Pregnancy Project
Tracy releases her iconic pregnancy series (which she created in real time while pregnant with her daughter Penny). She follows the entire program exactly how she designed it, empowering women to feel dynamic in their natural bodies and free in motion throughout their pregnancy.
2014 Wellness goes mainstream with goop
Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop brings ancient wellness practices and alternative approaches to health to the mainstream, sparking new conversations around wellness.
The Online Studio
Tracy launches The Online Studio to recreate the magic of her physical studios in her clients’ homes around the world. She realizes her dream of continuously releasing new choreography for an ever-growing practice.
2015
The Paris Agreement
The international treaty on climate change affirmed the imminent threats posed by the climate crisis and underscored the need for global action.
2016
A processed diet
A 2016 study finds that nearly 60% of the calories consumed in contemporary American diets come from processed foods. “If you talk about wellness, it’s not necessarily a timeline of progress.”
- CLARE BYRNE
Half of America drinks non-dairy milk
Mintel research comes out with a study revealing that half (49 percent) of Americans consume non-dairy milk, signaling a growing acceptance of plant-based foods.
2017 “Me Too”: A Win for Public Health
The CDC confirms that sexual violence has physical and psychological consequences. By changing the culture, the “Me Too” Movement sparks a journey of healing for people battling fear, anxiety, shame, and guilt.
2020s: SUSTAINABLE FUTURES
Of course, the pandemic changed things. The amount of information and misinformation on the virus and its treatment and prevention exploded on the internet as many of us were isolating at home and spending more time online than ever. The pandemic also revealed major inequalities and injustices in our society, most of which have direct relevance for health and wellness. In the years since, people have been practicing more agency over their own health and raising more awareness around the connections between individual wellness and collective well-being, as well as global sustainability. TA’S 2020S PLAYLIST
“Flowers”
Miley Cyrus
“Soulmate”
Lizzo
“As It Was”
Harry Styles
“Anti-Hero”
Taylor Swift
“Don’t Start Now”
Dua Lipa
TA’S 2020S FASHION PICKS
Sustainable Fashion Matching sets
Color blocking
2020 Covid-19 awakens the world to wellness
The pandemic forces us to recognize the importance of holistic health, both in terms of physical and mental well-being.
Black Lives Matter
The BLM movement raises awareness of racism as a public health crisis, with Black communities experiencing worse health outcomes in terms of life expectancy, disease, and maternal mortality rates. “Tracy is always reminding people of the bigger picture: it’s not just about you and your individualism, it’s not about what you can buy, or you becoming that tiny bit thinner. What’s the bigger picture? What are your values, and are you living up to them? What are you doing as a citizen and how are you participating in
your community? To me, that’s what holistic health is. If you’re doing your trendy exercise classes and eating high quality organic foods but you’re oppressing someone else or running a business that pollutes our air or water, that’s not health.”
- CLARE BYRNE
The plant-based market explodes
Amid the pandemic, grocery sales of plant-based foods goes up by 53%, normalizing vegetarian and vegan diets in American households. “Both veganism and vegetarianism have long roots, dating back thousands of years to Pythagoras and Siddhartha (Buddha) among others. Veganism has grown in popularity in recent years–the reason why is a complicated picture. One of the strands is that people are more aware of what happens in giant farms and slaughterhouses, and more aware of the health and environmental impacts of animal-based food production and consumption. But I think the major driving factor is the capitalization of plant-based food. I, like many vegans, would say that there’s a positive side to that: it’s nice to buy a cookie or be able to get soy milk in a cafe. But I try to remind people: it’s not a diet, it’s a moral and ethical position. For me, it’s about what Tracy calls “living my values”. Having read a lot of nutritional studies, I do believe that veganism is the healthiest way to eat–but that’s not why I’m vegan. I’m vegan because I cannot and will not participate in those systems of violence. Especially when I know I can nourish myself without doing so.”
- CLARE BYRNE
2022 The overturn of Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court rules to overturn the landmark decision, dismantling 50 years of legal protection and enabling individual states to curtail or outright ban abortion rights.
Tracy Anderson Launches MYMODE
Tracy releases the ultimate sustainable workout program: MYMODE. The eco-friendly apparatus and universe of nature-driven choreography makes headlines and brings natural movement to the fore. “When Tracy had the idea to make the MYMODE, she quickly realized most workout equipment is made cheaply abroad using materials that damage the planet. So, she decided to create it from wood and other biodegradable materials, and to have it made in the US by artisans who would be paid a living wage. This was certainly not the easiest way to do it, or the most profit-maximizing way.
But it was the most sustainable way, and the way that was most in line with what she believes is right. I think it’s a great example of what living your values looks like.”
- CLARE BYRNE
2023 Tracy Honored with Outstanding Achievement in Fitness Award
Jennifer Lopez presents Tracy with the Daytime Beauty Awards honor to recognize her research-driven accomplishments in the fitness space, and the impact she has had on the lives of so many people.
HeartStone
Tracy releases the special energy-cleansing hand weights beset with rose quartz. Rose quartz has been used since ancient times for its healing properties. HeartStone supercharges your physical workout with self-love and spiritual healing.
20232024 TA x Pendry MYMODE Tour
Tracy Anderson brings her bespoke natural workout program to Pendry Hotels & Resorts around the United States with her MYMODE fitness tour, ushering in a new era of eco-conscious movement.