Fitness, Technology and Society ─ Amusing Ourselves to Life

We have entered into a new fitness boom characterized by interactive and customizable technology, from active video games such as Wii Fit to fitness apps and ‘wearables’. This is the first book to examine these developments through a critical scholarly lens. It argues that human-technology relationships in fitness are now qualitatively different, requiring the consumption and production of information, a shift to ‘prosumption’ and interactivity. It examines the origins of these trends and implications for wider society, with the new tech rewarding some individuals and groups over others. A fascinating blend of physical cultural studies, science and technology studies and governmentality.

Brad Millington is a Lecturer in the Physical Cultural Studies research group in the Department for Health, University of Bath, UK. Prior to arriving at the University of Bath, Dr Millington completed a PhD at the University of British Columbia (Kinesiology) and held a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto. His research is broadly focused on physical culture – which is to say the meanings and practices associated with the active body. More specifically, Dr Millington’s research features two strands of analysis. The first of these strands involves research into health/fitness, identity, and interactive technologies. The second strand focuses on sport’s relationship with the environment and the environmental movement. Work carried out across these strands takes a flexible and reflexive approach to the use of theoretical frameworks/concepts and research methods.