Ice baths, rare steak and no masturbation: was Walt Whitman the first wellness influencer?

The poet’s strident views, outlined in an 1858 article entitled Manly Health and Training, are remarkably similar to many popular gurus operating in the modern manosphere

Men! Do you yearn to be healthy, virile and handsome? To become herculean in stature, and to live a long life while retaining the vim and vigour of youth?

You might consider taking the following steps: daily cold-water plunges. Ditching caffeine and booze. Eliminating carbs from your diet. Controlling your sexual appetites. Getting outdoors. And hitting the gym to lift, lift, lift. Do all this and you’ll be on your way to attaining the “highest powers” reserved for the “robust and perfect man”.