Calisthenics employed democratic rhetoric to motivate the idea that the self-improvement of women through regular, controlled exercise would better the nation as a whole. By taking this approach, calisthenics both upheld gendered stereotypes while simultaneously threatening the distinction between the public and private domains. Framing exercise as necessary for Republican Motherhood places calisthenics in conversation with the cult of domesticity. Women were expected to maintain their fitness for the sake of those around them; it would supposedly make them better equipped to serve as birthers and caregivers. These assumptions accordingly reinforced the patriarchal structure of the home by cementing the domestic roles and responsibilities of …show more content…
Calisthenic manuals suggested that the fate of the country rested on fit and able-bodied women, which subdued much of the potential for male opposition to the movement. Exercise was presented as a pillar of Republican Motherhood, making calisthenics a nation-wide conversation that was rooted in democratic language and backed by religious and spiritual doctrine. Though calisthenics both affirmed and questioned gender stereotypes, it was perceived as a more digestible 19th century reform movement through its clear distinction from the women’s campaign and the association of exercise as a democratic value. With men and women alike advocating for the adoption of this practice, albeit for different reasons, calisthenics had the support of the majority. Dress reform, in contrast, was championed by radical feminists and their entourages, making the movement inherently more controversial and harder to embrace. Both movements were fundamentally expanding women’s liberties, but advocates of calisthenics had less polarized political stances, allowing the introduction of exercise reform to appear intrinsically less