| Chapter 1: | The Uncorseted Bostonian: Health, Physical Culture, and Dress Reform for Women in Nineteenth-Century Boston |
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in a healthy individual.42 Lewis was interested in homeopathy and apprenticed with homeopathic practitioner Lewis McCarthy. McCarthy provided Dio Lewis with a fundamental education in homeopathy by allowing him to follow his daily routine in upstate New York.43 Although Lewis never received a diploma or studied homeopathy in an accredited institution, he presented himself as a homeopathic doctor and opened his own private practice shortly after completing his work with McCarthy.44 Eventually, he was granted an honorary degree from the Homeopathic Hospital College of Cleveland.45
When Lewis' wife, Helen, became ill with tuberculosis, Lewis created a system of exercise to help her regain her strength. He saw that Americans, particularly American women, needed a comprehensive exercise plan to live healthy, vital lives, yet the model Lewis sought was not readily available. His interest led him to Europe in 1856 to study established exercise models. During his stay, he encountered Ling's Swedish gymnastics and was fascinated by the system's emphasis on speed, flexibility, and full-bodied movement. Ling was also a great supporter of female participation in his system, and Lewis undoubtedly recognized the possibilities. Swedish gymnastics also represented one of the most complete exercise programs available at the time.
Although Lewis was influenced by Ling's system, Beecher's system also made an impact on him while other reformers provided a foil for his work. The influence of Ling's system and the emphasis on female health inherent in Beecher's work aligned closely with Lewis' interests. Although Lewis recognized Beecher's contributions during his first few years in Boston, later in his career he took credit for many exercises that she originated.46
Lewis looked closely at other systems in the Boston area but found them unsatisfactory. He felt that Windship's system, for example, did not consider a balanced harmonious development of the body and pointed out that the emphasis on weight made it male-oriented and actually dissuaded female interest:47