Swedish physician Dr. Gustav Zander helped pioneer “mechanotherapy”. He would further develop these devices, going on to win a gold medal at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia for his exercise machines. 
Movement as a therapeutic agent did already have its proponents—Zander was a follower of the movement cure promoted by an earlier pioneer of exercise Per Henrik Ling.
By the time the edition of his book, Dr. G. Zander’s medico-mechanische Gymnastik was published in 1892, he was well on his way to establishing Zander Institutes across the globe.
By the turn of the century, his machines were in health spas across the country, emblematic of an upscale clientele looking for status symbols to reflect their leisurely lifestyles and exemption from physical labor.
Read more: smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-in…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
