The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too Little, and What's Just Right for You! [Paperback]

Pauline Powers M.D. (Author), Ron Thompson Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2007

Healthy exercise means finding a balance between overtraining and inactivity. By using a combination of clinical studies and real-life examples, this book shows readers how to develop their own personal prescription for discovering that balance. Written by two specialists in the field of eating disorders, it details both ends of the exercise continuum, from compulsive exercisers who push their bodies to the limit to people with little or no physical activity in their daily lives. The authors explain the psychological and health issues that can result from compulsive exercise — including bone loss, fractures, amenorrhea, and unhealthy eating. They also cover the problems arising from inadequate exercise and provide ways that ill people can safely implement fitness programs. The book is not a weight-loss guide; instead, it emphasizes the importance of proper exercise, offering readers of all sizes, ages, and health levels practical solutions for changing their routines and finding a healthy exercise balance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Pauline Powers is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Health Sciences Center, University of South Florida. She has been treating patients with obesity and eating disorders for over 30 years and currently runs the Eating Disorder Program at Fairwinds Residential Treatment Center. She has been involved in integrating moderate exercise programs into the treatment of patients for years, including people with severe obesity, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. She was the founding president of the Academy for Eating Disorders and is the immediate past president of the National Eating Disorders Association. Recently she was a member of the American Psychiatric Association Work Group on Eating Disorders that prepared the Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders, 2006. She also has coauthored Athletes and Eating Disorders with Ron Thompson, which is to appear in the Clinical Manual of Eating Disorders.Dr. Ron Thompson is a psychologist in private practice, specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. He has been a consulting psychologist for the Athletic Department at Indiana University - Bloomington for the past 20 years. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Thompson lectures, writes, and conducts research on the topic of eating disorders, as well as providing education and training regarding eating disorders to athletes, coaches, and other sport personnel and healthcare professionals at NCAA member institutions. Most recently, he has coauthored the Disordered Eating section of the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission Position Stand on the Female Athlete Triad and the NCAA Coaches Handbook: Managing the Female Athlete Triad. Included in his publications are the books Helping Athletes with Eating Disorders, and Bulimia: A Guide for Family and Friends. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Gurze Books (December 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936077026
• ISBN-13: 978-0936077024
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great information for all audiences, June 18, 2008

By 

annonymous - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too Little, and What's Just Right for You! (Paperback)

The Exercise Balance is a great book for anyone who exercises too much, not enough, or not at all. Great practical advice on how to read your body's physical needs, helpful illustrations and charts, and well-written information. Best of all, there is a chapter specifically for people with chronic illness, and great suggestions for appropriate exercise plans. Also has great info for compulsive exercisers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Avoid the temptation to over exert oneself- which can do far more damage to one's body than inactivity, June 14, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too Little, and What's Just Right for You! (Paperback)

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing - people can exercise themselves to their deaths. "The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too Little, and What's Just Right for You!" is a complete and comprehensive guide to the task of exercise - to find the right amount and avoid the temptation to over exert oneself- which can do far more damage to one's body than inactivity. Promoting balance in all aspects of health, "The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too Little, and What's Just Right for You!" is a top pick for anyone arranging their own exercise and community library health collections.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars As someone dealing with overexercise, disappointing..., October 25, 2010

By 

mel (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too Little, and What's Just Right for You! (Paperback)

I bought this book in hopes that it would help me with how to exercise now that I am in recovery from my eating disorder. Overexercise was a serious part of my disease, but exercise is also very important to my self-image and my mood regulation.

On the whole, this book is designed only for people who don't exercise enough. There was not nearly enough guidance for someone who has never been able to exercise appropriately and is just learning to listen to her body. Only one chapter really discussed this issue, and it did so in such brevity that I nearly missed it.