Description:
Can reading the newspaper be hazardous to your health? No studies have proven so, but anecdotal evidence indicates that when the health-conscious individual reads too many conflicting articles about what foods should and shouldn't be consumed and which exercises are mandatory or else fraught with risk, that already harassed, overly stressed fitness neophyte may throw in the towel (thereby burning an insufficiently few calories), plop down on the couch, and reach for the remote. Grabbing The Complete Book of Fitness would be a more rewarding choice. The Editors of Fitness Magazine have done an elegant job of explaining all the terms and conditions related to fitness, summarizing current research, and advising the most healthful paths. The book is divided into four sections: Strength Training, Cardiovascular Training, Diet and Nutrition, and Wellness. Within each chapter, the pertinent topics are arranged in alphabetical order, so Wellness runs from acupressure to yoga, Diet goes from alcohol to weight, and Strength Training covers everything from abdominals to "Weights and Aerobics: Which to Do First." Explaining how consumption of alcohol leads to weight gain (answer: calories from alcohol get burned first, so calories stored as fat are less likely to be needed), which exercises work the buttock muscles (and how to perform them), why eggs make a healthier meal than people have been led to believe, and how to avoid or overcome fatigue and stress, this is a great resource when fitness becomes too complicated to figure. --Stephanie Gold
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