Water Aerobics for Fitness and Wellness (The Wadsworth Activities Series) Review

I really like this book and find it very user friendly. The exercises contained are excellent!

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Fitness through Aerobics (7th Edition) Review

If you had to own just one book on fitness, this would be an excellent choice. It covers the waterfront -- basic fitness concepts; clothing and equipment selection; flexibility exercises for warm-up and cool-down; resistance exercises for improved muscle tone; step aerobics and aerobic dance; exercise variants using weights, bands, stability balls; nutrition and weight control; injury prevention; even how to select an exercise facility and instructor. The content is based on the latest research in the field, and supplemented by helpful worksheets for key elements of a fitness program, such as determining your target heart rate and monitoring your fitness and cardiorespiratory performance status. There are excellent photos illustrating the exercises to do and, perhaps more important, the exercises to avoid. Before I got this book I was trying to cobble together my own fitness program from various web sites, and wondering why I was hurting most of the time. This book helped me enormously in putting together a more sensible fitness and weight-loss program that I have been able to sustain without injury.

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Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course, Finger Aerobics Book 1 Review

I am an adult beginner and using the Alfred Basic Adult course books. I like this 'Finger Aerobics' book and I use it every day in conjunction with the lesson book. I use the exercises in this book as warm-ups because it gets my mind thinking about which fingers play which notes before I open up and review lesson material.

Highly recommend this book for piano students of any age, young or old. My kids who are also piano students, have fun with this book as well.

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Swimming for Total Fitness: A Progressive Aerobic Program Review

I have carried this book around with me for weeks, have been swimming laps since late June. Lost 8 lbs (so far and today is Sept 14). Don't believe those websites that say swimming laps does not burn fat. I have lost 2 inches of fat just from my waist and 2 inches from my back.... SO, get this book, read it and get in the pool! Swimming is great for the body AND the mind... (-;

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Fitness Through Aerobics, Step Training, Walking (Wadsworth Activities) Review

Reach your fitness goals with FITNESS THROUGH AEROBICS, STEP TRAINING, AND WALKING, This book covers the principles and techniques of aerobic dance exercise, step training, and fitness walking. With this innovative book, you will be able to structure a complete physical and mental training program that can work for a lifetime!







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Your Water Workout: No-Impact Aerobic and Strength Training From Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and More Review

As a total non-swimmer and out of shape middle-aged woman, I found this book extremely helpful and the exercises a lot of fun. I don't really know any swimming strokes, but love the water and found these exercises have helped me to put on some muscle and take off some weight. I have osteoarthritis in my knees, shoulder problems, neck problems, and had hurt my feet on the treadmill. With this book I was able to keep exercising. I have loved it. The only reason I didn't give it a five is because it's not water proof and needs something you can take with you to the water area, if not into the water. I found the directions easy to follow.

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Aerobics Program For Total Well-Being: Exercise, Diet , And Emotional Balance Review

After misplacing my copy of Cooper's earlier "The Aerobic Way," I purchased this book. This book is a bit weaker.

Cooper's unique "point system" is the book's greatest asset. The system is an elegantly simple, scientifically sound way to help you achieve health. Cooper assigns aerobic points to a wide variety of exercises, another huge plus.

How's good is this system? I have tracked my Cooper points since college in the late 80's as a runner/ jogger. As 40 approached, my knees began to rebel. To quell the revolt, I decided to switch from running/ jogging to cycling and cross-country machines. Having lost the earlier book, I went out of my way to buy this book so I could determine the point-level of the new regimen. That should tell the reader of the utility and draw of Cooper's over-all approach.

One vital thing Cooper added, which had been missing from the earlier book, is a series of pragmatic, easy-to-follow dietary recommendations. Eat lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains: complex carbohydrates. Focus on lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Avoid processed foods and gratuitous fats and simple sugars.

My criticisms begin with Cooper's questionable blanket statements regarding the fit versus sedentary: fit people are more creative, stress hardy, happy, effective and independent thinking than those in poor condition. Is this opinion or data driven? Never disclosing the sources of his statements, Cooper then prescribes exercise to improve a person's mental heath. Again, has this been proven with a double blind or thorough, longitudinal study? Or just dogma?

Lastly, there is a strange, almost comical messiah complex sprinkled through the text. Cooper mentions quite a few times that he was "chosen by God" to spread his gospel of preventative medicine. This is overkill, even for a Christian like me. A simple "I thank God for giving me the opportunity to help people lead healthier, happier lives," in either the Preface or Dedication pages would have sufficed.

With all these down-sides, however, I still have to grant the book a four-star rating based on Cooper's excellent point system and solid, if incomplete dietary recommendations. Now, if we could only weed out the silly pop-psychology and evangelical fervor, we'd have a great book...


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