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Rating: 
Summary: The Spark works wonders!
Review: As a family nurse practitioner and a participant in Dr. Gaesser's study, I am a believer in his program. Not only have I seen tremendous results in my fitness level and cholesterol levels, I am able to recommend this program to my patients! It is easy to begin and maintain, even for the most serious "couch potato." I wish to stress that Dr. Gaesser's work is based on real scientific research--this is NOT a fad diet but a program that allows the participant to easily change his/her lifestyle. The program includes a fitness plan and a diet rich in fiber. The ten minute Sparks are easy to fit into a hectic schedule, and the recommended amount of fiber is easy to achieve with minor dietary changes. I highly recommend this book to anyone. The benefits go far beyond losing weight!
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Summary: The SPARK
Review: As an overweight, stressed-out, 40-something professional, I am thrilled to find this book! The SPARK is exactly what I needed to get my body moving again. I am one of those who had fallen for the 1-hour a day exercise trap, and if I didn't have an hour, which I usually don't, I just didn't exercise. I love doing my three to four SPARKS a day, knowing I am doing my body far more good than waiting for that elusive day when I can fit in 45 minutes or more for my workout. This is a wonderful concept, and so doable! It's working!! Thank you!
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Summary: Not the revolutionary scheme it claims to be
Review: Dr. Gaesser is a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia. Karla Dougherty is the author and co-author of 32 books on health. Their 256-page book, The Spark, has an index, but no bibliography, footnotes or references of any kind backing up Dr. Gaesser's scientific assertions.Dr. G used to believe that the greatest results from exercise came only with intensive workouts of 30-60 minutes done several times a week, over a long period. He worried that sedentary people couldn't do this and developed a program just for them, testing it on 40 eager men and women, age 32 to 68, for three weeks: (1) Exercise. Fifteen 10-minute sessions per week of: (a) 7-10 sessions of aerobic exercise, (b) 2-4 sessions of strength training; (c) 2-4 sessions of stretches. (2) Diet. Lots of high-high fiber food, including: fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans. Low protein, with protein coming mostly from beans rather than meat. The diet is also low-fat because Dr. G believes that "dietary fat goes straight into fat cells." (I was amazed to hear this claim. I had assumed information from the field of endocrinology regarding the nature of fat production in the body had put this hoary truism to rest four or five years ago.) Not surprisingly, everyone in the study got results. Not, in my opinion, because of some revolutionary new insight Dr. G had, but because he wisely focused on the eternal Big Two of health: exercise and diet. =Any= health program that involves giving up junk food, getting off the couch and moving around a few minutes a day will provide strongly noticeable results in increased vigor and weight loss in a matter of weeks. I also disagree with Dr. G's assertion that all that stands in the way of sedentary people committing to working out regularly is boredom, burning lungs, and bothersome scheduling. Bad as these obstacles are, I believe there is a much more enormous boulder in the path of people who sorta, kinda think they oughta exercise: the strong discomfort involved in establishing new, positive habits which replace time-worn, familiar, safe-feeling, negative habits. Dr. G doesn't deal with this issue at all in his book. In addition, I cannot understand how anyone could label 15 exercise sessions a week "convenient." There is certainly no doubt that this goal is far less convenient than 20 minutes of mild aerobic exercise three times a week. Which is all anyone needs to do to insure basic fitness--a reasonable, non-taxing goal much more tailored to Dr. G's targeted client, someone who, normally, is completely inactive and unfit. There is also nothing easy or convenient about eating a healthy diet if it isn't part of your usual way of life already. And if, as Dr. G asserts in his book, fitness is the end-all and be-all of health (he rightly reports that a fit, fat, middle-aged person is at less risk of heart attack than a sedentary, thin person of that age), why not just stick to one simple thing, getting fit, and leave diet to the nutritionists, which Dr. G obviously is not. Dr. G also doesn't admit that there are multiple variables automatically built into any exercise-diet study such as his that researchers rarely examine as possible factors affecting their study's positive outcomes. Some of these include: (a) The subjects in Dr. G's study, as they are in most health studies, were self-selected volunteers, meaning they were highly motivated to change their lifestyle and willing to work to improve their health. (One of them posting a review here is a graduate nursing student dedicated to health and healing.) There is a large body of medical research indicating that a patient's will to get well has a major effect on the outcome of any healing program he is pursuing. The same can be said for a study-participant's will (motivation) to get healthier affecting the positive outcomes of a diet-exercise regime. Unfortunately, people at home trying out Dr. G's ideas on their own will need even more motivation than Dr. G's enthusiastic study participants. They will have to seek out his book, read it carefully, decide to try out his program all alone, actually begin it, keep it up for three weeks, and evaluate at the end of that time if they want to keep at it indefinitely. That's a heck of a lot to ask of an unmotivated couch-potato. (b) Participants in these types of studies enter a group situation where they are connected to other people, as motivated as they are, who are doing the same things they are to improve their health. Even if the researcher provides no regularly scheduled meetings of the participants as a group, the participants inevitably know of the existence of their fellows and enjoy the comfort and encouragement of being part of a like-minded group. Readers of this book who try out this program will have none of this support. (c) Study participants invariably have regular check-ins with the researcher in charge. Whether or not the researcher gets excited about the participant's progress (which he/she almost inevitably will, because progress is presumably proving the researcher's pet theory), just having this contact with a concerned, involved authority figure is very affirming. People who read this book and try to implement The Spark alone will not enjoy any of this reinforcement. I am actually quite sorry this book isn't the solution it claims to be for motivating discouraged would-be exercisers. Because if such a book could exist, it would fulfill a great need. Unfortunately, in spite of its grandiose claims, The Spark is merely one more redundant health regimen with a catchy name.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: Dr. Gaesser's schedule of several 10-minute "Sparks" each day has helped me and several co-workers get the beneficial exercise we need. As firefighters in Southern California, we are routinely called out to emergencies while in the middle of drills, meals, showers and, of course, workouts. Our daily schedule allows for 90 minutes of workout time in the morning. After 5 p.m., we can workout as long as we like. However, these long workouts are quite often interrupted by 911 responses. Most times, we are out of the station for over an hour. Most of us are pretty fit people because the nature of this business calls for it. The flip side is that fire house cooking isn't always the healthiest food around (But man is it good!). Several of us have increased cholesterol levels, while others have that plus mildly elevated blood pressures. These 10-minute "sparks" have helped us get some beneficial exercise throughout the day. Most of the time we get a "base" of 20-30 minutes in the morning before the first call comes in; then "Sparks" after lunch, before dinner and a couple hours after dinner. Personally, I have had only one "Spark" workout interrupted by an emergency call. Some of us have lost weight, which is the most recognizable result of any workout program. Others have realized a decrease in their blood pressures. Cholesterol? Remains to be seen. I haven't been tested since January (it was 260). One thing is for sure: There are fewer workouts interrupted by emegencies now. Thanks, Dr. Gaesser, for coming up with a program that fits around the busy schedule, thus helping us stay fit.
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Summary: You're just like a forest fire waiting to happen!
Review: Five years ago I read the Spark 2000 book. I had let myself develop a "low activity" life. I used my children and husband as an excuse for me being too "busy" to work out. Then one day when I was playing with my children one of them jumped and landed on my belly. I reminded them about mommies "bo bo line", from a C-section. Then I sat up and realized that my excuse was sitting next to me and she was 2 now. It took that one spark to at least get me to the book store to buy a book about getting started. When I read the first few pages of the book I realized that I had to get moving if I wanted to change anything. I read the book with a friend. Within one year, we were running road races and having a great time. I have kept up with the stretching, cardio, and strength training. Five years and four dress sizes later I just completed my first Marathon, yep 26.2 miles. It just takes a spark to get you started, you're just like a forest fire waiting to happen! It takes a lot of work but it is worth it when you see those same children standing on the sideline at the Marathon yelling "Run like the wind Mommy".
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Summary: You're just like a forest fire waiting to happen!
Review: Five years ago I read the Spark 2000 book. I had let myself develop a "low activity" life. I used my children and husband as an excuse for me being too "busy" to work out. Then one day when I was playing with my children one of them jumped and landed on my belly. I reminded them about mommies "bo bo line", from a C-section. Then I sat up and realized that my excuse was sitting next to me and she was 2 now. It took that one spark to at least get me to the book store to buy a book about getting started. When I read the first few pages of the book I realized that I had to get moving if I wanted to change anything. I read the book with a friend. Within one year, we were running road races and having a great time. I have kept up with the stretching, cardio, and strength training. Five years and four dress sizes later I just completed my first Marathon, yep 26.2 miles. It just takes a spark to get you started, you're just like a forest fire waiting to happen! It takes a lot of work but it is worth it when you see those same children standing on the sideline at the Marathon yelling "Run like the wind Mommy".
Rating: 
Summary: Very interesting idea, but not enough for an entire book
Review: I read about this book in a review and related exercise plan in Fitness magazine, so I bought the book. Turns out all I needed to know was in that magazine article. The ideas in this book are great - it's a very easy to follow program for someone who is sedentary or hasn't worked out in ages. However, for someone who is used to working out for 20-60 minutes per session, it's hard for me to believe that only 10 minutes two to three times per day will do the trick. And I found it more difficult to find three ten-minute chunks of time than a single 60 minute time block during the day (you're supposed to space of the 10-minute sparks by a few hours), so this book wasn't good for my schedule. I like the diet advice - the changes the author suggests are to made VERY gradually w/o altering your present diet too much.
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Summary: No excuses anymore
Review: I recommend this book to anyone who has such a busy life that exercise just never seems to make it off the back burner. The 10 minute exercises fit into my daily routine. The book explains all the routines very clearly and the fitness tests in the book are a good place to start. To make the strength exercises work best you will need to get a set of hand weights. I was a bit skeptical at first, but after starting the program I realized just how much you can get into 10 minutes. The intensity scale for gauging effort is so much easier than always trying to figure if you're heart rate is okay. I look forward to my daily sparks. The mix of aerobic, strength and stretching, and the fact that they are only 10 minutes, gives me options and variety that I've never seen before in a fitness program. The way the book is written makes it interesting to read. The personal stories of one of the authors, and the comments of the people who have gone on this program, are interwoven nicely around the basic plan. Also, if you are a carbohydrate lover this book will appeal to you.
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Summary: Interesting concept
Review: So far I am intrigued by the Doctor's concept, and like the idea of interval training. I do not agree with some of his dietary theories in relation keeping all meals lowfat and not counting calories. I eat a mediterranean diet which is working beautifully for me, as well as being very conscious of portion control. I think the author might do well in updating his nutritional information. However having said that, the book is fairly well laid out, and his self tests are excellent.
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Summary: Diabetes
Review: There are a few references to blood sugar control, but they seem to be in a context of avoiding Type 11 diabetes. If in fact you are diabetic the common wisdom is that a hi-carb diet is the worst thing that you can do. I would like to be able to talk to the authors about this, but the website listed in the book is really a promotional site and has no real information. If you fit in the norm of trying to exersise on limited time frame I would recommend this book as food for thought. The exersise with a modified diet may actually help people like me
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