An assistant professor in UT Austin's department of kinesiology and health education, Todd is featured in the Nov.-Dec. Her opinions are based not only on her own achievements, but on research showing that strength training can reduce depression, cut anxiety, increase self-esteem and build emotional resilience. Todd earned her Ph.D. in American studies, and has been teaching at UT Austin since 1986.
Kinesiology is the science of exercise.
Todd's book, Physical Culture and the Body Beautiful, is a history of women and exercise in the 1800s. She and her husband, Dr. Terence C. Todd, a lecturer in the kinesiology department, have worked together to develop the Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection, a unique research archive of books, magazines, photos and manuscripts on physical culture, health and medicine dating back to the 1720s. In this issue of Health magazine, you discuss the link between weight training and self-confidence, especially for women. Explain the link. Women have not grown up with the expectation that they have strength.