Pull: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind, and Guides Our Health

by Brennan Spiegel

Gravity doesn’t just pull apples from trees—it shapes our bodies, minds, and even our emotions. In PULL, Brennan Spiegel, M.D. reveals how this invisible force influences everything from digestion to depression—and how building gravity resilience can help us find balance, stand stronger, and live longer.

As long as life has existed on Earth—from the simplest organisms to Homo sapiens—gravity has inexorably shaped our world. Gravity dictated how we were built, the mechanisms that allow us to stand upright, to pump blood to our extremities, to support our capacious brains. But to what extent does gravity also shape our sensations, emotions, and overall well-being? And how can we take this force of nature into account for better health?

In PULL, Brennan Spiegel, M.D. presents a groundbreaking exploration of how gravity influences conditions of body and mind that have puzzled medical professionals for centuries. Starting with a simple observation at a family dinner and culminating in a new approach to gravity-based health and wellness, PULL is a captivating journey through the human body’s inner struggle to keep us upright and healthy.

Why do people with depression literally feel like they’re being dragged to the ground? Why do you get that butterfly feeling in your stomach when going down a roller coaster? Why do you get it when you are “falling” in love? What can we learn from astronauts with heartburn and swollen faces to inform our lives back on Earth? How do gut microbes help us fight gravity? And most importantly, how can we change our relationship with gravity for the better? To get there, Spiegel proposes the concept of “gravity resilience,” a fresh perspective on traditional interventions like weight loss, exercise, diet, and meditation. Rather than just lifestyle choices, these treatments share something profound and unexpected in they all enhance our resilience to gravity.

Rooted in hard science, buttressed by compelling storytelling, and punctuated with actionable strategies to boost your own gravity resilience, PULL is an eye-opening, life-changing book.

Genres: Health, Science, Nonfiction

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Nima Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating new look at gravity — not necessarily a new theory, but a fresh perspective on its effects, explained in an accessible and engaging way. Spiegel offers clear insights along with practical exercises that may prove genuinely beneficial. An intriguing and thought-provoking read.

Thank you #Netgalley and #MacmillanAudio for this ARC

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gravity. We know how it works. Yet, we never have paid much attention to it with health issues. Dr. Brennan Spiegel’s book enlightens us with this invisible force.

It’s especially great for people that feel lost without a cure for a large list of medical conditions such as musculoskeletal weakness, abdominal pain, cervical neck arthritis, nerve issues, high blood pressure, gut issues and feelings of depression.

The body is complex and it’s not easy to explain the medical jargon. Dr. Spiegel communicates using common words such as pumps and tubes inside of us that need to be aligned with good posture in order to work well. Parts are repeated as he tries to get his point across in different ways.

Much is about posture, diet and exercise. There are a few advanced techniques on how to help people with sleep and feelings of anxiety. He also adds his personal stories and those from patients to help readers understand a variety of symptoms. After each chapter, he has review points which I found very helpful. And at the end, he has included resource materials.

It's been my experience that doctors want a quick fix: prescribed drugs and sometimes physical therapy. Most of the time, it relieves the pain. Yet, there are too many cases as described by Dr. Spiegel that are unanswered. Let’s hope that gravity will be the new word that is integrated into more medical treatment plans.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Essentials and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of October 7, 2025.

[LauraBeach123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this audiobook expecting a quirky read about the full moon and gravity making us a little crazy but this was so much more. Dr. Brennan Spiegel dives into the many ways gravity impacts our bodies and minds, from digestion and posture to mood and even those mysterious little ear crystals that cause vertigo.

What really impressed me was how clearly he explains things I usually only see pop up on my Apple Watch or Instagram health posts: VO2 levels, HRV, vagus nerve function. He made these metrics actually made sense. He even validated my using my weighted vest.

Spiegel doesn’t stop at medical science, he gives practical advice too. I loved the section on “airplane belly” (yes, it’s real) and how to manage high altitudes using food acronyms to help you remember what you should eat, He offers posture tweaks, breathing tips, physical therapy, float therapy and mindset shifts, all with the reminder to do these under proper medical guidance but most you could totally do on your own. I also loved the music playlist he suggests to lift your mood.

As someone who always gravitates toward books on gut health, this was a refreshing and inspirational listen. It gave me new ideas for small, manageable changes that can really add up in improving overall health and mindset.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is mind-opening in the period it was released; that is, the content discussed i.e. connections of human sensitivity to gravity and health, is not yet mainstream knowledge verging on speculative.

It's well written; narratives are engaging and explain each way gravity can impact different aspects of health well. The book is well organized: Each chapter is a different problem with gravity people can have and how it has been resolved (e.g. inner ear problem vs. hypermobility/connective tissue issues), and a final chapter brings it all together in profiles called "gravitypes" to summarize how an individual's health prognosis/recommended actions could be like based on sensitivity to physical and metaphorical gravity.

I would caution that some health issues purported to be impacted by gravity have a little more research evidence and definite connection/solutions, but at least the author admits where research is lacking (even as he continues to promote an unfounded connection). I still believe many people would find this book an enjoyable and informative read.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a paperback advance reader copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway. Before reading this book I had not given gravity much more thought then it holds me down.

One interesting part of the book for me was what happens to Astronauts when the go into space. They have health problems from zero gravity. I suppose I know that zero gravity was not that good for the body though I did not know what kind of health problems astronauts suffered. So that part of the book was very interesting to me.

The author also writes about a man who shattered the record for a dead hang. The record had been 16 minutes and he did it for over an hour. I don't not know there was such a thing called a dead hang or that there were records for it.

I also liked the last section that talks about things you can do to strengthen yourself against gravity.

The book talks about a lot of things which were interesting. So I hope I will not look at gravity the same way again after reading pull.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise sounds funny at first: The reason for a, b, x, y, and z, is gravity's push and pull on the human body. Spiegel explains it quite well, almost enough to make it fully convincing. He goes all the different ways our bodies have to fight against gravity, from sitting posture to marathon running to gastrointestinal problems, and he provides useful tips on how to counteract that. The advice itself isn't revolutionary, but it does put things into a new light. I felt the mental health aspects of his argument weren't as strong, and, like most medical science books, he repeats himself a lot. I think it detracted from the experience. Yet, you can tell he's not trying to sell anything beyond a new way of looking, and that is enough to lift you up.

(Thanks to Macmillain Audio and Libro.fm for the free audiobook copy of this book)

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sounds farfetched yet makes perfect sense! I never realized the depth of gravity’s pull on the human mind and body! So very interesting! The following quote knocked me off my feet! “those with gravity intolerance experience physical or mental distress when their bodies can’t manage the weight of the world.” Wait! What?? Well that certainly answers some unexplained physical symptoms! The Gravity Management Insights at the end of each chapter along with the practical tips are invaluable. The resource guide at the back of the book has some very practical instructions.
The depth and width of the information contained in this book is astounding! There is so much more content than a review can touch on. Everyone really, seriously needs to read this book!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for sending me an ARC. I am extremely delayed with writing this review and I apologize for that.
This book was well written, easy to follow and understand, and caused me to consider health and gravity in ways that I haven’t before. There are clear examples in each section to support the information being presented as well as simple techniques to try at home.
This book held my attention and wasn’t full of dry medical jargon. Instead, the contents are well explained and relatable.

[Patricia Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

book that presented how gravity is a factor in everyday life. also serotonin's part is mood stabilization along with gut health. how being on earth with the pull of gravity is also important in how the astronauts feel after return to earth after being in space. it is amazing how many different plans of action can help persons disaffected by gravity. even VR can be used.

[Kimberly Monaghan]

Utterly fascinating read: PULL: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind, and Guides Our Health.

In PULL, author and gastroenterologist Brennan Spiegel, MD, presents in detail his discoveries about how much gravity weighs (pun intended) on the body, mind, and spirit. Read more: https://loom.ly/o2rVipc

[Kea4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting. Makes one think.

[Staci Suhy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free as part of a first reads promotion.

[Ginny Yurich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!!! All about gravity and how it affects our bodies!!

[Batisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game changer!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an advance copy.

This book raises some interesting points about how gravity affects pretty much all aspects of our health. Spiegel includes some tips of varying practicality for things that can help us live healthier lives and alleviate some of the issues described in the book. While Spiegel is a doctor, and most of the book is rooted in medical science, he did at times drift off into discussions that got a bit metaphysical for me and rather felt like filler. Speaking of filler, this is a fairly short book that (like too many other non-fiction books these days) did get repetitive at times.

Overall though, a worthwhile read, especially for people with some chronic conditions that they haven't been able to explain.

[Adam K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 stars, maybe 2.5

Gastroenterologist Brennan Spiegel introduces us to a sort of unifying theory of human health: gravity intolerance. He claims that many disparate ailments that have been studied and diagnosed in isolation are a part of this more comprehensive issue that reframes how we look at our health. Everything from IBS to vertigo are not merely the sum of their parts, but place people on a spectrum based on how well their bodies are able to handle living in Earth's gravity.

This is an interesting way of viewing many aspects of human health, and there is some sense to the logic here that is undeniably compelling. However, I can't help but feel like Spiegel is shoehorning all of this together in order to suit his theory. One thing he says that I absolutely agree with is that medicine and health care should be holistic—far too often diseases and ailments are viewed as siloed incidents to be treated separately while the body is clearly one big complex system. Is the solution to look at it through the lens of gravity? Maybe. But we must be careful not to allow the framework presented here to be the guiding factor in and of itself.

Declaring people who suffer from things like IBS, GERD, dysautonomia, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, anxiety, vertigo, etc. to have "gravity intolerance" is like saying a fish with fin rot has "water intolerance." This framework is problematic because the explanatory umbrella is far too broad—correlation is not causation—and it lacks falsifiability.

Even if he is just arguing for us to think about our health in a slightly different way, he undermines this somewhat by citing dubious studies and treatments that have yet to be rigorously tested.

Brain-body integration gastroenterology and neurology is absolutely a thing and an important field of study, but that doesn't mean that some unifying theory of health can rest on a vague and amorphous concept of "gravity intolerance" on its own without a more solid theoretical framework.

Spiegel organizes each section into some basic science/medical introductions followed by stories about people who suffer from some form of "gravity intolerance" and their medical history. These stories can be very interesting (such as the "hypermobility disorder leads to IBS" thing). He closes chapters by recapping what was discussed and what some potential treatments/conclusions are. First of all, the introduction is way too long. He spends far too much time repeating himself and his theory over and over. I get that this must be aimed at grade school or high school students with the repetition and recitation in each chapter, but it makes reading/listening to this book very tedious.

He also recaps his treatments for various ailments in the closing chapter of the book which, again, feels redundant. To his credit, I found his writing to be clear and his explanations fitting for a very broad audience.

I guess I just feel like this book's theory is still half-baked. There's some interesting stuff here, and the factoids and high-level lessons are good. Once you get into the weeds, though, things become less clear in spite of the author's best efforts.