The 30-Minute Fitness Solution : A Four-Step Plan For Women of All Ages [Hardcover]

Dr. JoAnn Manson M.D. (Author), Patricia Amend MA (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0674004795 | ISBN-13: 978-0674004795 | Publication Date: April 16, 2001 | Edition: 1

Just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise--even walking--can save your life. This is the powerful message that Dr. JoAnn Manson--of the lead investigators of both the Women's Health Initiative and the Nurses' Health Study--and her coauthor Patricia Amend want to send to American women.

Regardless of the barriers you may face--too busy, too tired, too "down," or too old--with this four-step practical plan you'll find the excuses falling away and a happier, healthier self emerging. This book offers not only state-of-the-art information from recent medical research but step-by-step instructions on how to get started and maintain a physically active lifestyle. The authors will help you choose a "core" activity that doesn't disrupt your daily life. Then they will show you how to measure your fitness level at the start, how to monitor your progress over time, and how to reward yourself for your efforts. These four simple steps to fitness will work no matter who you are--25 or 75, harried mother or overworked professional (or both), in good health or living with a chronic disease.

The authors have included a clearly illustrated program of stretching and strength-training exercises; sensible activities for women with health concerns; an intelligent weight-loss plan; guidelines for selecting home exercise equipment and choosing a health club; and much more. With over 100 illustrations, questionnaires, and checklists, this book has everything you need to feel good, look better, and live longer, starting today--it's all just 30 minutes away.

(20010401)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Regardless of her age or current physical condition, a woman can improve her physical and mental health by planning and sticking to a workable fitness program. According to the 1996 Surgeon General's Report, 30 minutes of daily moderate exercise plus two (again, moderate) sessions of muscle strengthening exercises each week will do the trick. Common sense? Absolutely. Unfortunately, many women believe they have neither the time nor the tools to follow this plan. As of 2001, 80 percent of all illness, disability, and death among women in the United States still results from heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes--each of which is associated with physical inactivity and poor diet. The 30-Minute Fitness Solution aims to teach the inactive female how to find time for herself, set reasonable fitness goals, reach them, and improve her well-being using four simple steps: planning, proceeding, recording, and rewarding.

Written by Harvard Medical School Professor of Medicine JoAnn Manson, M.D., and fitness specialist Patricia Amend, this primer seems best suited for the mature, beginning exerciser (who'd rather not own a book titled Fitness for Dummies). Early chapters help readers develop a snapshot of their current physical condition, and explain the short- and long-term benefits associated with exercise. Plenty of charts, work pages, questionnaires, and illustrations help readers tailor activities to their own lifestyle, monitor their progress, and build on their success. Sample weekly workout plans, a no-surprises chapter on nutrition (eat less sugar, more vegetables and fruit), and a fact lover's chapter titled "The Scientific Case for Physical Activity" nicely uphold this book's valuable mantra: moderation, consistency, no excuses. --Liane Thomas

From Library Journal

Although studies have shown that just 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week and two strength-training sessions per week provide both physical and psychological benefits, many women do not make time to exercise. Here, Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Amend, a fitness writer, present four steps that even the busiest women can follow to make exercise an enjoyable, daily habit: "Plan Your Active Lifestyle," "Proceed with Your Exercise Program," "Record Your Progress," and "Reward Your Efforts." An inspirational quote begins each chapter, and there are many boxes/sidebars featuring questionnaires, record-keeping logs, and other helpful information throughout. "Points To Remember" sections close each chapter. One hopes that the drawings accompanying the sample strength-training workouts will be reviewed and corrected in the finished copy (for example, one depicts a woman stepping up onto a folding chair even though the written instructions specify an adjustable step or bench). Although well written and straightforward, this book doesn't break any new ground. An optional choice for larger collections. Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press; 1 edition (April 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674004795
• ISBN-13: 978-0674004795
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a fitness book that is realistic!, June 25, 2001

By 

SR (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 30-Minute Fitness Solution : A Four-Step Plan For Women of All Ages (Hardcover)

I just read The 30-Minute Fitness Solution and was truly impressed. It is the first fitness book that provides realistic steps for health and wellness. Rather than preach an all or nothing approach, the book stresses the small steps we can fit into our days and weeks to boost our bodies and our minds. I am a busy person and if I think anything will be a burden, I run from it. In reading the approaches suggested by Ms. Amend and Dr. Manson, I feel like I actually can fit fitness into my life without much of an effort or sacrifice. That's a big lesson for me. In fact, I was so inspired by the book I joined a fitness club and find it to be highly pleasurable.

The book also speaks to readers in a way that is motivating not condescending or scolding. The authors well understand that sometimes we slip on our exercise regimes, and they don't give us slack about it. Rather they provide steps for how to get back on track on our own schedule.

All in all this is one of the best books I've read on fitness.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Encouraging, April 17, 2002

By 

JB from Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 30-Minute Fitness Solution : A Four-Step Plan For Women of All Ages (Hardcover)

This book's friendly, fluid writing style made it very easy and enjoyable to read. Each time I picked it up, I kept reading much longer than I'd intended to. (The medical documentation gave me confidence in the recommendations but didn't intrude on the wonderful conversational style.)
Although I've read several articles and books on fitness, this book gave me enough new, practical information and "sisterly" encouragement to motivate me to resume my walking program.
AND this is the first source that explained the importance of strength training and flexibility exercises in a way that has motivated me to start doing both. The recommended routines are easy to do and require few "props."
Most important, I think, is the authors' caution not to expect to see weight loss right away and to focus on the many other physical and psychological benefits of fitness.
It's occuring to me as I write this that I should give this book as a gift to my two daughters-in-law and to at least two friends...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Guide for Healthy Lifestyle Change, October 6, 2003

By 

Jared Meacham M.S. (Covington, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 30-Minute Fitness Solution : A Four-Step Plan For Women of All Ages (Hardcover)

As a Fitness Director having overseen hundreds of Personal Trainers who have trained literally thousands of women looking for answers to their fitness questions, I find this book extremely useful in helping my team address the needs of our female clientele. Woman have many needs that are often overlooked and The 30-Minute Fitness Solution hits on all of the vital points a lady must have to plan, implement, and continue a healthy, results oriented fitness program. From setting goals, to planning your steps to meet those goals, this book guides you every step of the way. Every client I have recommended read this book, has experienced successes they never thought possible until they followed the insight found within its pages. The language is casual yet scientifically based which makes for an enjoyable and extremely credible reading experience. I would recommend this book to any woman who is trying to make a committment to a healthier and leaner life and body. The 30-Minute Fitness Solution is a must-read book for the lady who is serious about finding the answers to all of her fitness questions and who is tired of the exhausting misinformation that clouds our judgement today.