The Cure or Fitness for Dummies

The Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life

Author: Timothy Brantley

According to Dr. Timothy Brantley, most health problems are not caused by genetics or germs but by the standard American diet. Drawing on Brantley's groundbreaking research and his years of working with nutritional healing, The Cure contains a revolutionary step-by-step program that can flush toxins out of the body, restore balance, promote natural healing, and increase vitality.

New interesting textbook: Microsoft Office XP or Blackwell Cases in Human Resource and Change Management

Fitness for Dummies

Author: Liz Neporent

In the exercise world, there's something new in equipment, research, gadgets, videos, and Web sites just about every day. Health clubs are offering innovative new classes like cardio kickboxing and firefighter boot camp, and nifty new machines, like the elliptical trainer. Meanwhile, scientists have published scores of new studies suggesting that exercise may, among other things, improve memory, reduce the risk of breast cancer, and give you a mood boost.

Fitness For Dummies, 2nd Edition, updates you on all the latest – the good, the bad, and the totally weird. But the central mission of this book is to tackle your fears, whether you worry that operating a stairclimber requires a degree in mechanical engineering or fret that no matter what exercise routine you start, sooner or later you'll end up back in the recliner. This book is for anyone who wants to

• Set realistic fitness goals

• Analyze your eating habits

• Maximize your cardio workout

• Demystify strength equipment

• C hoose a health club

This down-to-earth guide tells you the stuff you really want to know, such as:

• Will you burn more fat if you exercise at a slower pace?

• Which brands of home exercise equipment are most reliable?

• Can you actually become "Rock Solid in 6 Weeks," like the magazines say?

• Which weight training exercises are best for beginners?

• What the heck is Pilates, and how do you pronounce it?

• How many days a week do you really need to work out?

• How can you tell if a fitness trainer isqualified?

• Will exercise ever be fun?

Don't become a fitness statistic. The fact is, among people who start an exercise program, half quit within eight weeks. Fitness For Dummies, 2nd Edition, presents strategies for making exercise a habit and explains the basics of healthy eating so that you steer clear of fad diets and useless supplements. This book gives you the knowledge and motivation to stick with fitness for the rest of your life.

Table of Contents:

	Introduction	1
	About This Book	1
	Conventions Used in This Book	2
	Foolish Assumptions	2
	How This Book Is Organized	3
	Icons Used in This Book	6
	Where to Go from Here	6
Part I	Getting Your Butt off the Couch	7
Chapter 1	Fitness 101: Getting the Scoop	9
	Yes, This Class Has Tests	9
	Choosing Your Weapon	10
	Stretching Your Mind (and Body)	11
	What Are You Eating?	12
	At Home or at the Gym - Choosing What's Best for You	12
	Special Exercises for Special People	13
Chapter 2	Testing Your Fitness	15
	What's Your Health History?	16
	What's Your Heart Rate?	17
	What's Your Blood Pressure?	17
	How Fit Is Your Heart?	18
	How Much of You Is Fat?	19
	How Strong Are You?	25
	How Flexible Are You?	28
	Your Fitness Test Results	31
Chapter 3	Establishing Your Plan of Attack	33
	Setting Goals	33
	Finding Ways to Reward Yourself	36
	Writing Everything Down	36
	Making Exercise a Habit	40
Chapter 4	Hiring a Trainer	45
	Five Smart Reasons to Hire a Trainer	45
	Weeding Out the Poseurs	46
	Knowing a Quality Trainer When You See One	53
	Getting the Most out of Your First Training Session	54
	Being the Best Client You Can Be	55
Part II	Enjoying Total-Body Health: Eating Well and Staying Injury-Free	57
Chapter 5	This Doesn't Have to Happen to You: Avoiding Common Injuries	59
	Taking Care of Common Injuries	59
	RICE, RICE Baby	67
Chapter 6	The Scoop on Stretching	69
	Why You Need to Stretch	69
	Before, After, During? Knowing When to Stretch	70
	Following a Few Rules of Stretching	71
	A Simple Stretching Routine	71
	Finding Alternative Ways to Stretch	79
Chapter 7	Nutrition Basics	85
	Control Your Calories	86
	Get the Skinny on Fat	87
	Choose Your Carbs Carefully	89
	Get Enough Protein, but Don't Fall for High-Protein Propaganda	91
	Analyze Your Eating Habits	92
	Follow a Food Pyramid	93
	Fuel Up for Your Workouts	97
	Drink Lots and Lots of Fluids	99
	Don't Waste Money on Useless Supplements	101
Part III	Getting to the Heart of the Matter	103
Chapter 8	Cardio Crash Course	105
	Two Cardio Rules That You Can't Break	105
	How Hard Do You Need to Push?	108
	How Much Do You Need to Do?	115
	Following a Cardio Plan for Good Health	116
	Following a Cardio Plan for Weight Loss	117
	Following a Cardio Plan to Maximize Your Fitness	121
	Giving It a Rest	124
Chapter 9	Using Cardio Machines	127
	Can You Trust Those Calorie Counters?	128
	Combating Boredom on Aerobic Machines	129
	Exercising in the Great Indoors	132
Chapter 10	Exercising Outdoors	147
	Walking	147
	Running	149
	Bicycling: Road and Mountain	151
	In-Line Skating	154
	Swimming	156
	Snowshoeing	158
Part IV	Lift and Curl: Building a Stronger Bod with Weights	161
Chapter 11	Why You've Gotta Lift Weights	163
	Five Important Reasons to Pick Up a Dumbbell	163
	Building Muscle: Myths and Reality	166
Chapter 12	Your Muscles: Love 'Em or Lose 'Em	171
	Shoulders	174
	Back	176
	Chest (the Pectorals)	179
	Arms	180
	Abdominals	183
	Butt and Hips	185
	Legs	188
Chapter 13	Demystifying Strength Equipment	191
	Weight Machines	191
	Free Weights	196
	Cable Pulleys	201
	Tubes and Bands	202
	Your Body	203
Chapter 14	Designing a Strength-Training Program	205
	The Building Blocks of a Weight Workout	205
	All about Abs	213
	A Simple Functional Workout	214
Part V	Cardio-Strength Workouts: Getting the Best of Both Worlds	237
Chapter 15	Circuit Training for Fitness and Fun	239
	Setting Up Stations and Knowing Which Exercises to Do	239
	Moving through Sample Stations	246
	Putting the Stations Together into a Circuit	247
Chapter 16	All about Yoga: Mind and Body	249
	Knowing Your Asana from Your Elbows	249
	Finding a Yoga Style That's Right for You	250
	Taking Yoga Classes	251
	A Yoga Routine	252
Chapter 17	Pilates: Sculpting and Strengthening	259
	Understanding How Pilates Works	259
	Finding a Class or Instructor	260
	Looking at a Some Pilates Exercises	262
Part VI	Conquering the Gym (Even at Home)	265
Chapter 18	Health-Club Primer: Getting the Most Out of Your Gym	267
	Should You Join a Health Club?	268
	Knowing How to Judge a Gym	269
	Braving the Gym Alone	276
	Health-Club Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules	278
	A Classroom Code of Conduct	282
Chapter 19	Choosing an Exercise Class or DVD	283
	Why Take a Class?	284
	Choosing from Among All the Exercise DVDs	294
Chapter 20	Designing a Home Gym	303
	Planning Your Exercise Space	303
	Equipment Shopping Tips	305
	Investing in Cardio Equipment	307
	Buying Strength Equipment	316
	Considering Flexibility Gadgets	324
Part VII	Exercising for All Ages and Stages	327
Chapter 21	Fit Pregnancy: Exercising for Two	329
	Understanding the Benefits of a Fit Pregnancy	330
	Working with Your Healthcare Provider	331
	Great Activities to Consider During Pregnancy	332
	Monitoring Your Prenatal Workout Routine	335
	Keep Exercising after the Baby Arrives	338
Chapter 22	Kids, Tweens, and Teens: Fun Activities for the Whole Family	339
	Getting Your Toddler Outdoors	340
	Finding Time with Your Preteen	342
	Connecting with Your Teenager	344
Chapter 23	Staying Active as You Age	347
	Keeping Yourself Young with Exercise	347
	Knowing Where to Begin	348
	Staying Safe	351
Part VIII	The Part of Tens	353
Chapter 24	Ten Great Reasons to Break a Sweat	355
	You Reduce Your Risk of Medical Problems	356
	You Can Control Your Weight	359
	You Improve Your Looks	360
	You Gain Psychological Benefits	360
	You Enjoy Social Benefits	361
	You Improve Your On-the-Job Performance	362
	Your Family Benefits	362
	You Satisfy Your Competitive Urges	363
	You Have Fun	364
	You Enjoy Life More	364
Chapter 25	Ten Great Fitness Investments under $100	367
	A Water Bottle	367
	A Good Pair of Socks	368
	Stretching Mat	368
	Weightlifting Gloves	369
	A Workout Log	369
	PlateMates	370
	A Gym Bag	370
	A Heart-Rate Monitor	371
	A Personal Training Appointment	371
	A Massage	372
Chapter 26	Ten Fitness Rip-Offs	373
	Anti-Cellulite Products	374
	Metabolism Boosters	374
	Fat Blockers	375
	Effortless Exercisers	375
	Electronic Muscle Stimulation Machines	375
	Spot-Reducing Gadgets	376
	Weight-Loss Clothing	376
	Four-Minute Workouts	377
	Gym Cardio Machine Knockoffs	377
	Hand Weights	378
Chapter 27	Ten Ways to Stay Motivated	379
	Train for an Event	379
	Keep Your Goals in Plain Sight	380
	Work Out with a Club or a Team	380
	Work Out with a Buddy	381
	Join an Internet Fitness Community	381
	Test Your Fitness Regularly	382
	Mix Up Your Workouts	382
	Dress the Part	383
	Keep Yourself Entertained	383
	Read Success Stories	384
Appendix	Educating Yourself	385
	Sifting Through Scientific Research	385
	Look for context	386
	Consider the source	386
	Don't assume cause and effect	387
	Look for comparison groups	387
	Do some math	387
	Notice the length of the study	388
	Pay attention to the number of subjects	388
	Don't make too much of animal studies	388
	Recognize that people lie in surveys	388
	Fitness Magazines	389
	Check out specialty magazines	389
	Beware of sensational headlines	389
	Know that advertisers influence editorial copy	390
	Newspapers	390
	The Internet	391
	Index	393