Same Old New You
Exercise routines through the decades, inspired by the 'new year, new you' mantra
Magnum Photographers
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Philippe Halsman Marilyn Monroe. California, Hollywood, USA. 1952. © Philippe Halsman | Magnum Photos
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Rene Burri A man exercising on a beach, not far from the port where nuclear submarines are stationed. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. USA. 1966. © Rene Burri | Magnum Photos
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Inge Morath © The Inge Morath Foundation A drag queen at an aerobics class at a Crunch Gym. New York, USA. 1997. © Inge Morath © The Inge Morath Foundation | Magnum Photos
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Dennis Stock An exercise class at a campground in Florida. Florida, USA. © Dennis Stock | Magnum Photos
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Stuart Franklin Mass Aerobics in the Interlagos Leisure complex. Sao Paulo, Brazil. 2002. © Stuart Franklin | Magnum Photos
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Burt Glinn Sumo wrestlers of the Dewanoumi Beya sumo stable do daily exercises in a training camp. Tokyo, Japan. 1985. © Burt Glinn | Magnum Photos
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Peter Marlow Exercise for the elderly at a sanatorium near Riga. Latvia, Soviet Union. 1981. © Peter Marlow | Magnum Photos
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David Alan Harvey A seventy-five-year-old Carlos Leblanc exercises on the beach. Barcelona, Spain. 1991. © David Alan Harvey | Magnum Photos
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Thomas Hoepker Senior citizens perform tai chi exercises at sunrise on the Bund (Zhongshan Road), with the Pudong skyline in the background. Shanghai, China. 2001. © Thomas Hoepker | Magnum Photos
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Micha Bar Am Early morning gymnastics on the beach of Tel Aviv. Israel. © Micha Bar Am | Magnum Photos
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Jean Gaumy Central park. New York City, USA. 1987. © Jean Gaumy | Magnum Photos
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David Hurn The Dancing Grannies are a 5 member team in their early 60s to mid 70s. Although they kick and jump better than most 19 year olds they are all grandmothers. “Who says you can’t feel good and be sex (...)
y as a senior citizen”. Sun Lakes, Arizona. 1997. © David Hurn | Magnum Photos
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Thomas Hoepker A jogger stretches at the Central Park Reservoir. New York City, USA. 1983. © Thomas Hoepker | Magnum Photos
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John Vink Exercising. New York City, USA. © John Vink | Magnum Photos
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Eli Reed Girls exercise during basketball lessons. Eau Claire, South Carolina, USA. 1999. © Eli Reed | Magnum Photos
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Philip Jones Griffiths Ho Chi Minh City's first health club. Obesity is a new phenomenon in Vietnam. Vietnam. 1993. © Philip Jones Griffiths | Magnum Photos
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Leonard Freed A Jewish old age home. Amsterdam, Netherlands. 1985. © Leonard Freed | Magnum Photos
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Danny Lyon A health center. Chile, Arizona, USA. 2000. © Danny Lyon | Magnum Photos
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As a new year begins and gym ads, magazine articles and television features suggest working on a ‘new you’, we present a curation of images of exercise, captured by Magnum photographers throughout the decades, documenting the eternal pursuit for the body beautiful.

















Commission a Magnum photographer
Fine Collectors’ Prints
Burt Glinn
, Chris Steele-Perkins
, David Alan Harvey
, David Hurn
, Dennis Stock
, Eli Reed
, Inge Morath
, Jean Gaumy
, John Vink
, Leonard Freed
, Micha Bar-Am
, Peter Marlow
, Philip Jones-Griffiths
, Philippe Halsman
, René Burri
, Stuart Franklin
, Thomas Hoepker
- Written by Laura Havlin · Jan 01, 2017