3 comments about The Essential Walker's Journal: Your Companion to Weight Loss, Health, and Personal Transformation.

1. I think keeping a log of your daily exercise & food intake can be very beneficial; putting it all down on paper and reviewing it periodically motivates me to stay the course in my goal of leading a healthier lifestyle and also lets me see what areas I need to work on improving. However, this book really needs bigger spaces to write in, especially the meals sections, which seem tiny and cramped. I'd also prefer it if it was set up to check off your daily intake of fruits, vegetables, multi-grains, etc the way it is to monitor water consumption. I do enjoy the inspiring daily "words to live by", and as a cancer survivor who finds something positive in each new day, I really like the space to write in "a beautiful thing" everyday.



2. Designed for people who use walking as their main form of exercise, "The Essential Walker's Journal" has several parts. The first part explains how to use the journal. The second part asks users to write down their dreams. Next is a space to write down statistics such as weight, dress size, and cholesterol so that users can compare their stats before and after they start their exercise program. Next is a brief section on exercise, fitness, and nutrition. The next section is the journal itself, which is the largest section in the book. The journal is based on a four-month exercise program and there is a page for each day of the week, except for Sunday. Each page is full of useful information to be filled out, such as what you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, how far you walked, how much water you drank, and how many hours you slept. There is also a section titled "A Beautiful Thing" where users can write something good that happened during the day and a space at the end titled "Notes" where users can write down anything they want. At the end of each month there is a progress report section. At the end of the book is a section titled "Four Month Wrap-Up" with a series of questions designed to help users realize how far they've come in their exercise program and help them plan future exercise programs. Interspersed throughout the book are several testimonials from people that have lost weight and improved their health through Leslie Sansone's walking programs.
   
   For the most part "The Essential Walker's Journal" was pretty useful. I like being able to track what I eat and drink each day, although there's not enough space to write it all down. It would be nice if I could keep track of how many calories I consume each day. Although the journal entries are dated Monday through Saturday, I ignore that and just put the date down. Since the journal is geared towards walkers, there's a section titled "Today's Walk" where you are supposed to right down how long you walked, but if I do some other type of exercise I make note of that in the space instead. Each day there is some tidbit at the top of the page: quotations, thoughts, diet information, that was fun to read. I also enjoyed the various profiles of people who lost weight through walking.
   
   Leslie Sansone fans (and fans of walking in general) should find this journal to be helpful although they may need to make some modifications.



3. I like this journal. It is made to look at your progress in a more positive manner than most. Leslie Sansone really knows who her market is and uses this journal as a continuation of her workout series. In saying that if you are simply walking outside this is a great journal as well. If you're simply getting up and walking a mile today - good for you - better than sitting on your butt! Yeah it's not a lot, but some days that's all I have in me - the 1 Mile Jog - start to finish in 16 minutes is great!. I couldn't believe that I walked 50 miles in December! I was shocked - it didn't seem like I did much, but looking back at the journal - sure enough I did - which meant I got to buy those cool new walking shoes I wanted. The deal with myself - new shoes when I reach 50 miles. Wooo whoo!
   
   To quote Leslie - "I'm an athlete, I'm a mother of 3"

3 comments about Get Rolling, the Beginner's Guide to In-line Skating, Third Edition.

1. This book is very systematic and teaches basic and intermediate technique in an easy to follow format. The strength of this book is the descriptions and the pictures that match many of the descriptions. The focus on safety and confidence-building drills "before you roll" make this a good book for us beginners. This book would augment any class. But here in rural Utah where there are no inline skating classes, the drills allow one to practice in stages using the book alone. The author DOES recommend professional instruction and says early on not to depend on the book alone...



2. Just an intro about me, I'm a 40yr old male and having lost weight and seeking a more active lifestyle decided that all the times I'd seen rollerbladers on the beach walk, it was for me.
   
   This book will take you from a never skated numbty to a skater with confidence in about 15hour sessions, I'm now over 20-25hours skating and have progressed through the book. It is quite straight forward and although you will find the need to have the book on hand during practice, it will guide you through what corrections you may need to take to finally master the skills. (Some skills took me more time than others to pick up, when I finally realised I wasn't quite carrying out the practice/tuition right.)
   
   While I still manage to have the odd moment (almost falling) it is nice to be able to skate the local beach walk (3km's) knowing that I can stop turn and steer to avoid 'moments'.
   
   Without this book, I believe I'd still be stumbling along in the carpark, frustrated that I wasted so much money. In my area there is limited tuition and this book was just what I needed.
   
   I encourage beginners to heed the safety advice and also purchase 'crash pants' - I spent 2 weeks waiting for skin and bruising to heal from being over enthusiastic in attempting a hill trail too soon.
   
   Get the book, get some good skates and find a vacant flat lot for your first 10hours - try some trails and go back to the lot to build your skills.
   
   I'm enjoying the sport and hope that I can do so for many more of my 'aging' years.
   
   
   Good Luck.



3. The most complete guide on, comprehensive step-by-step, In-Line skating lessons. It takes you from beginner to advanced intermediate in the safest way. The fear of falling is gone; you learn how to fall and get up properly. The Yoga poses are very helpful for balance, strength and increased range of motion. Chapter 7 teaches you how to stay fit with "roll-aerobics". Key terms, skate maintenance, safety, etc. are all covered. If a DVD on the skating techniques accompanied the guide on "GET ROLLING" it would obliterate every in-line skating manual.

5 comments about The Nia Technique: The High-Powered Energizing Workout that Gives You a New Body and a New Life.

1. I've read the entire book, and it is informative and easy reading. The exercises don't seem at all difficult. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.



2. Whether you are totally fit or flab, "The Nia Technique" can give you instant motivation. Learn all about Nia and how it can enhance your fitness. The only draw back, to learn the moves, I needed to get the DVD. The book will motivate to get you going.



3. A friend discovered The NIA Technique (neuromuscular integrative action) while researching something to help her cope with difficult health problems. After the first class, we were sold on NIA with it's non-impact, yet aerobic, fluid dance, martial arts and healing arts moves. Nia stresses the joy of movement, and taking the path of least resistance to move "The Body's Way."
   
   Our instructor, Kellie, stressed pleasure while moving. That intrigued us. We could achieve optimum effects with no more pounding or even low-impact aerobics, or repetitive motions on a machine. But how? Kellie suggested The Nia Technique by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas for obtaining more background information than she could share during our hour plus class.
   
   In The Nia Technique, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, the creators, share their story. In the 80's and 90's Debbie owned and operated a successful aerobics fitness center in California. Due to the high burn out and injury rates involved for the teachers and students, the Rosas set out to research fitness techniques that would eliminate injury and help heal and make fit the body, mind and soul. The culmination of their intense study and research is fusion fitness like no other, incorporating nine classic movement forms from martial arts (T'ai Chi, Ta Kwon Do, Aikido), dance (jazz, modern and Duncan), and the healing arts (Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Alexander) using 52 specific movements.
   
   Besides the history of the creation of The NIA Technique, this book gives detailed descriptions of all the movements, along with wonderful testimonials in every chapter of people who have experienced everything from alleviation of severe pain, to weight loss, to the ability to self-heal from a variety of unhealthy situations and circumstances.
   
   I doubt that I would have been able to do perform the Nia Technique from reading the book alone. But it is a very helpful tool in understanding the movements and what the intentions are behind them. After reading and receiving more knowledge and wisdom of the history and creation of The Nia Technique, I am even more enamored of my classes, and in every move I make not only in class, but in my dance through everyday life.
   
   - Victoria Austin



4. I started NIA 4 months ago. This book is an excellent supplement to the two classes a week that I take. NIA is an incredible fitness and spiritual experience and this book supports my participation.



5. Find a Nia class ([...]), take a Nia class, buy the book to deepen your practice. You'll never experience life the same again. I use this book in conjunction with regular weekly Nia classes to explore pleasure in my Body. How much pleasure can you stand?

5 comments about Simple Treats: A Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free Guide to Scrumptious Baked Goods.

1. This little book is packed with inspiring ideas, taking "eating healthy" totally into consideration. These two girls who wrote the book are inspirational to me, an omnivore, to eat more healthy and still enjoy these better choices in desserts. It is a perfectly presented manual and guide to vegan eating and the recipes are truly works of art and a labor of love.



2. This book is just what I needed. I can't eat wheat right now because it bothers my nursing son. Finding wheat free, vegan recipes for sweets that taste good was proving to be a daunting task. I was really missing dessert until I found this book. True, it's not gluten-free, but I didn't get the impression it would be. I was able to look through the book a bit on amazon and knew what was used in the recipes.(Thanks amazon) There are people who can't have wheat but have no problems with other gluten containing grains and for them, this book is great. The cookie recipes are amazing. The recipes that call for more barley flour like cakes, muffins and quick breads are a bit health-foody. But we like that. My four year old devours the rapberry muffins like they are going out of style. The gingerbread cookies have also become a favorite around here. I really love having recipes for treats that I can feel good about giving to my kids. It doesn't hurt that us grownups love them too. Thanks Ellen Abraham, for filling the void.



3. This book has some of the most amazing vegan cookie recipes i've ever tried. Although i am not a vegan, i am unable to eat dairy or eggs. All of the cookies i've made with these recipes have been delicious and actually taste like they're made with butter. The cakes, breads and muffins are moist, and healthful without tasting like sawdust! For anyone on a restricted diet, i would definitely recommend this book! Most of the ingredients are easy to find, especially if you have access to a health food store. The recipes are simple, consistent, and satisfying.



4. I bought this cookbook 8 months ago so I could make a cake for my daughter's 2nd birthday that she could eat--she has been off dairy and wheat since her first birthday. From chocolate cupcakes to zucchini bread, every recipe is delicious and "real" enough to serve to friends and family. Our favorites are the blueberry muffins, zucchini bread, coffee cake and the almond butter and chocolate chip cookies that are AMAZING! My daughter loves every recipe we have tried, and I feel great knowing that she is eating such healthy food. So far everything freezes really well, too.
   
   I love the fact that this is wheat free, not gluten free. If you don't have to worry about avoiding gluten...you have a lot more tasty options. And this cookbook has plenty of examples. The authors also do not use white sugar and you don't miss it at all. They do a great job with easy recipes for moist, yummy baked goods. I no longer eat white sugar, wheat or dairy so we are relying on this cookbook even more now.
   
   The cornbread recipe has a typo that I noticed way too late--tablespoons instead of teaspoons for baking soda and baking powder.



5. I've made multiple recipes from this book. Although barley flour is used in almost every recipe, with some experimentation, I'm sure other flours will be good substitutes. The barley flour does result in darker final baked products. The baked goods do not come out too sweet (a lot of maple syrup is used) and the recipes recommend date/prune sugar, which I have no idea where to get. Instead, I use regular evaporated cane sugar or brown sugar, which is less preferred, but more accessible. Plus the recipes I've tried did not require a whole bunch of dry sugar. Very versatile book, ENJOY!

5 comments about The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness.

1. The Maffetone method is not revolutionary and is not a break-through. Hence the title of this book may be a bit misleading. The MAF method is simply low heart-rate walking in order to burn maximal amounts of fat (instead of carbs) while exercising.
   The author makes a very strong case for something that any runner knows: slow running builds fitness, is easy on the joints, and also is maximally effective in promoting weight loss. What makes the book strong is the author's ability to take the time and explain the rationale behind this method of slow aerobic burn. I appreciate mixing theory and practice and presenting his case in an intelligent and learned manner.
   For those who are not exercisers and who are looking for weight loss, this is a very important book to explain the rationale and get one going.
   The book is best used in conjunction with a heart rate monitor.



2. I read this book because a coworker very strongly recomended it to me. He also recomended that I try it. Initially I dropped some weight and was pretty well convinced that it worked but I held out the final acceptance until this past weekend when I ran a half marathon and came within striiking distance of a personal best.

   I do not agree with all of the arguments of the book. But I have tried running at a slower rate to maintain my lower heart rate and it has worked out well for me. I suggest reading this work and implementing the parts that are right for you.




3. His take on fitness is unique. While I tend to dismiss chiropractors, his ideas make some sense. He also has clinical experience to support his ideas.
   
   His overall diet ideas are sound. That advice will take you far. I'm not so convinced by the low-carb test, but its worth a try. My low-carb experiences have been less than pleasant. Probably give it a try again his way in the next few months.
   
   His stress on aerobic stuff is questionable as well. Plenty of good evidence supports more build mass and speed approach. Before an injury limited my exercise, I was following his approach on the treadmill and it seemed to be working. But my "experiment" was cut short.
   
   Finally, I am glad somebody has covered at least a bit on issues like stress reduction, breathing and footwear.



4. An excellent, educational read for anyone who wants to maximise performance, or just get healthy.



5. I have done a lot of research on exercise and the concepts presented here are boiled down from extensive research. This works! It is really not much different than Friel, just explained in a different way.

5 comments about Workouts for Dummies.

1. I bought this thinking it would suggest aerobics moves. You know, one can only watch Richard "sweatin'" so many times. Plus, I like to aerobicize to my own music - CD's from the late 60's or even space music. Tamilee's book did not help with that.

   Where it helped was with my "tonin'" days, which alternate with "sweatin'" days. This book provides for all the major muscle groups, and provides some cautions to help you avoid hurting yourself! No rocket science here, but hey - this is a "dummies" book.




2. I wanted a book that gives clear guidelines on how to work out effectively, but this book disappointed me. There's a lot of unnecessary stuff on workout theory, and the chapters on exercises are poorly written.



3. What do you do when you've just been hired by a client who hasn't exercised in 26 years, or someone who has just been cleared by their docotor to workout? Well, the knowledge that I have is helpful, but sometimes you need to have the basic knowledge laid infront of you....and you kind of pick up whats really important.
   Thats what I found after buying this book, it reminded me of the important things to focus on, while training and educating a new exerciser.....the results? the clients become very confident! Which I think is wonderul to all exercisers, regardless of whether they have trainers or not.
   I found the specific exercises for working the different body parts to be really cute!-it really reminded me that no matter how advanced I may be with my knowledge, the winner is always the person whose mastered the basics.This is the type of book you definitely want to have in your library, alongside other advanced books you may have.



4. It is the one of the best. It is more used for general fitness than serious weight lifter. Usually, it takes a few months to notice result in weight training, as such, it is important to keep a training log. For convenient and substainable motivation, I have used my mobile phone as a log from [...] in the gym.



5. I bought this cuz I wanted to arange a simple schedule for my bodybuilding program and it really didn't help me that much...this book is filled with common sense knowledge...nothing more,no good help for even a beginner bodybuilder or an average educated person!

3 comments about Your Water Workout: No-Impact Aerobic and Strength Training From Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and More.

1. As a (almost) 16 year old swimmer who has been swimming before I could walk, I am always looking for ways to improve my swimmimg (which is the core of my fitness program). This is an excellent book and I recommend it to anyone who LOVES the water!



2. I recently started doing a lot of swimming and water exercises. There are several great books but this is not one of them. The book was done on the cheap with no photos to help you understand the exercise, just some line drawings.



3. 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.

5 comments about Precision Heart Rate Training.

1. Given some of the less-than-favourable reviews here I thought I was going to find an average, if not hum-drum book. I was very pleasantly surprised! This is a great book, very detailed with good descriptions of the Karvonon method of calculating HRR (Heart Rate Reserve) and its correlation to VO2 Max and Net VO2 and how to use this information to determine appropriate training zones. It had some good sections on various other fitness activities (such as cycling, swimming and walking) and serves as a good resource for anyone wanting to get fit faster while lowering your chances of injury or overtrainig.

   I think if you combined this book with "Heart Rate Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot" you'd posses all the information you'd ever need to train to maximum effectiveness with your heart rate monitor.




2. I had bought the book to help me with Mtn. bike training and my son with running. The book didn't provide information for mtn. biking though it did have a section on road biking. The running chapter seemed incomplete. The major table that was supposed to explain the heart rate targets was not explained fully. Also, oddly, there is a quote in there that is identical in two chapters but attritubted to two different people!

   In summary, I was disappointed with the book but it may be helpful to someone else.




3. I do inline skating, skiing, and weight training, but every time I tried to take up running, I would hit a wall. I just couldn't run for long sessions, and after a few I would hurt something and give up. Then I read about Ed Burke in Outside. This book, along with Burke's "Optimal Muscle Recovery" (I tore an Achilles tendon and developed plantar fascitis from skating and skiing) and "Stretching" finally got me to understand that I wasn't building the base I needed in order to run better. By following the training programs in this book, I've greatly increased my capacity without injury, and am slowly seeing my speed increase. Also liked this book because it took a different approach for each covered sport, and it treated inline skating with the respect it deserves as an endurance activity.



4. I have been interested in improving my performance for years, and finally decided to take the plunge and look into heart-rate monitoring. This book does not really support a specific philosophy and who knows if the so called "science" is supportable. I also read "Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot" by John L. Parker and recommend it. It appears much more scientific and emphasizes recovery over training in a zone. Don't buy this book. Rory Donaldson roryd@brainsarefun.com



5. The book is as much a collection of articles as it is a book, and there were a couple of inconsistencies that would have been caught by one more editorial pass. That said...the book very much informed/improved my running training, and for that reason alone, it's worth the purchase price.

5 comments about The Ultimate Fit or Fat.

1. This is a highly readable guidebook to burning fat through exercise. Bailey uses just enough science to back up his suggestions, but not so much that an unscientific minded reader (such as myself) gets bogged down.

   Bailey is very adamant that burning fat comes through exercise, and that trying to burn (lose) fat through diet alone is not nearly as effective. The best fat-burning combination includes 4 components: aerobic exercise, cross-training, weight training, and sprints.

   Bailey does a great job of explaining how each of these exercise components works to help retrain the body and muscles to burn fat. There are very helpful tables and graphs throughout the book.

   My one disappointment with this book concerns his formula to measure percent body fat. Although he claims this formula is "nearly" as precise as expensive medical alternatives (especially floatation methods), it has a 2 percent margin of error. That means your final calculation is correct *plus or minus 2 percent.* That means you have a range of 4 percentage points. That does not sound very precise or helpful to me.

   Nonetheless, I found the book overall to be very instructive, and it will help me design my exercise workouts for no doubt much better fat burning results.




2. Ultimate Fit and Fat is an easy and quick read. Just as he did in his earlier book Smart Exercise, Bailey discusses the importance of exercising over dieting in improving and maintaining one's fitness. The recommendations that he makes regarding exercise are practical and easy to implement. I would strongly recommend this book to people who would like to improve their fitness AND understand the process of improving their health.



3. I had bought the original Fit or Fat book many years ago, and may have been the only person on the planet who didn't know that Covert Bailey continued to write new books. I bought this one recently, and discovered it is an entirely new book. The basic premise is still there, but everything else is new, like pulling into your driveway and finding a new, bigger house with more rooms on the old foundation. There is lots of additional information, and even the old jokes and illustrations have been replaced by new ones. Some reviewers are apparently annoyed that Covert does not endorse their pet ideas or theories on fitness, but the bottom line is that this book works. I lost fat with the first book before changes in my schedule caused me to neglect exercising for several years -- well, that's lame my excuse anyway. Then I decided to get serious again, and bought the new "ultimate" book and applied it (including wind sprints and weight lifting) and began losing fat again within weeks, and people are noticing! This book is my coach now, and I'm glad I discovered it. I do wish metric equivalents were included (we don't have pounds, inches, or miles where I live) but I can make the conversions easily enough myself.



4. It's nothing but an exercise book. I don't need a book to know that exercise is good for me. I'm not sure what I expected but this book wasn't it.



5. Covert Bailey is the smartest man in America. How easy it all is when someone finally tells the truth. Through out the diet books and make room on the shelf for The Ultimate Fit or Fat! There are no quick fixes or majic pill, there is only commom sense. Follow what he says, it will change your live in ways you never imagined.
   Thank you Covert Bailey.

5 comments about Aerobics of the Mind Cards: 100 Exercises for a Healthy Brain.

1. The 100 exercises for a healthy mind which are mental fitness cards developed by the Attainment Company,Inc. are a very good means of helping each person address the growth of brain functioning. These are divided into twelve categories such as (1)wake up your brain, (2) creative problem solving, (3)art and imagination, (4)brainstorming (5)double mind and seven other similar and helpful categories. The hundred versions of activities in themselves are an incentive to action and can be used in any order so that a monotonous routine may be changed to a desireable action. The steady use of this approach will help form the concept of keeping abreast of the expansion of knowledge and reduce obsolesence to the same degree that the entire population faces. This text should stimulate many people in the middle age and the elderly to reconsider their life style in order to move with knowledge expansion in a very constructive manner and to live a more composed life.



2. I just love the Brain exercise cards. I wish I had known about this product sooner. I use these cards with my mother who is showing early signs of dementia. The cards are fun and enhance the time my mother and I spend together.



3. I've been usingthese cards with one on one conversations with the elderly people in my church and it's opened up avenues of good conversation. I've used them in a couple of small groups I lead and you can almost hear their brains working as they reflect on the questions, work the puzzles. In fact they have "aha" experiences as they solve the puzzles and cry out "Amazing, I did it!" with great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Several in one group want to get the cards for themselves.



4. I work with seniors and used these cards with one who had stayed sharp and wanted to continue that way. Was able to pick out the ones she could handle more easily re declining sight and arthritic hands, and we had plenty to work with. She found them both fun and challenging, as did I -- despite the fact that I'm in my early 50's and she's in her late 90's!!



5. I had brain surgery two years ago and have had slight memory problems since then. I ordered these cards after seeing a PBS show on brain plasticity and thinking that I might improve my memory with exercise (not just doing the same type of brain game over and over). These cards give you all kinds of ideas to work different parts of your brain, in groups or by yourself. I not only have improved my memory, but also my focus and mental alertness. I have receommended them to many other friends and and we're just in our fifties!