Customer Reviews

Prevention's Complete Book of Walking: Everything You Need to Know to Walk Your Way to Better Health

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am the author of this book. I don't recieve any royalties for its sales and I no longer work for Prevention Magazine or Rodale Inc. I've checked here from time to time to see if the reviews change. The single negative review on top has been up for YEARS. I think it's too bad. I know many people have thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it very very helpful. It's true that much of it is a compilation of many years of articles written for Prevention and for my Newsletter. But they were well researched, facthecked and contain lots of helpful info for all levels of walkers. The section on Dynamic Walking is one of kind. You won't find that information anywhere else. I think it's a shame that one bad review by a person who seems mostly interested in marathons can be in place for years and put people off from getting a book that could really motivate them to walk for health for a lifetime. If you're new to walking and or a beginner looking for solid advice and inspiration, this book won't disappoint you. There, I've said my peace. Now MY two-bits will be up here for years. My friends will probably tease the heck out of me for defending my work. So be it! :-)

I have enjoyed Maggie Spilner's writings for many years and it's great to find her walking wisdom packed into one book! I especially recommend this book if your inner sloth needs to be reminded (as mine does) to get out and walk-- Every Day!

Maggie writes, "Walking supports health in every sense--physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It enriches and balances your life. And it just plain makes you feel good."
She is the world's best walking buddy and sprinkles every page with practical --and fun--walking tips, guaranteed to get your inner sloth off the couch!

On a personal note, I want to add that there is a sign at the top of a hill where I walk that says: "Above all, do not lose your desire to walk." I have long been curious about the source of that quote, and, today, I found it:

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. . . Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be alright."
--Søren Kierkegaard, a prolific Danish writer, letter to Jette (1847)

Maggie's passion for walking is contageous -- reading her book will help assure that you never lose your desire to walk!

Suza Francina, author, The New Yoga for People Over 50 and Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause. www.suzafrancina.com

I got the chance to start reading this book last week and I haven't been able to set it down.I used to walk everyday before I had my kids and then stopped, put on 50 pounds. Reading this helped me to get motivated enough to start up again and I feel great.A defininate pre-summer, get into shape book!!

This book is a good read. Two others that were better for me from a walking program perspective are: "The 90-Day Fitness Walking Program" by Mark Fenton (GREAT walking program for the couch potato beginner - starts w/ 10 minutes a day and gradually works up to 30 minutes a day - also not an information overload for a beginner) and "Walking Magazine The Complete Guide To Walking: for Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss" by Mark Fenton (this is the one i'm using now - great walking program schedule and tons of very good info on keeping variety in your fitness routine). If you can afford them, get all three. (I also like "The Sprited Walker" by who I forget, for motivation.) If not, start w/ the "The 90-Day Fitness Walking Program" by Mark Fenton and maybe this Prevention one to get you additionally fired up.

This is an excellent walking book because it is so informative and motivational! It provides oodles of information about what shoes to wear, what gear to wear, winterize your walking program, how to walk off your weight, a routine for the road, how to prepare for a 5-K or a marathon, and dynamic walking routines...and everything else you need to know. I highly recommend this book to the beginner or advanced walker. This book has inspired me to walk three (3) 5Ks in the past four months and I now walk on a daily basis! Just buy it and read -- you'll like it! =-)

I have been an advid walker for many years. When I started walking 12 years ago. I needed to find a form of exercise that I could do consistently and would drop my cholesterol and blood sugars to an acceptable level. I found Maggie Spilner's newsletter on line way back then and found it to be one of the most valuable sources of encouragement and factual information on all aspects of wslking! In fact, I kicked my walking up a notch and formed a walking team who has competed in long distance walking relays (125-140 miles) and have done several chartiable walks and 1/2 and full marathons. This book has been my source of information for years to help inspire and encourage the newest of walker and all the way up to the competitive levels. I have bought several copies and needed to find more to give out at a city wide walking program seminar in my home town. I came to amazon to find the books and I will purchase more! I have been fortunate through our joint walking adventures Maggie and I have become friends and she was my choice to kick off my walking program here is Lake Havasu City, AZ. She is the best and I will continue to provide this book to others and use it as my constant source of valuable information,ideas that really work and enocuragement that changes lives! Oh, by the way my cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure has the been the best for many years now and it is all do to walking! So get on your feet and walk and go buy this book! You will not regret it! Maggie, go girl!!!!

This is an excellent book for anyone considering walking for exercise and enjoying the process
It is a well written, informative,interesting read that will guide one to injury free walking for health, fitness & weight loss.
I have begun the Dynamic Walking program described fully in the book and am quite happy with the progress being made.

I recommend this as the first book to read about walking and suggest that it may then become the only book needed.

Papacucu
October 14,2008

I've looked over numerous walking books, and cannot really refer this one. It is useful, but only in a few places. Most of the book reads like one-page motivational articles out of a magazine like, well, Prevention. Particularly irksome is the article on Walking Marathons: no training schedule, just continuous promotion of a specific fund-raising group.
There are training schedules elsewhere in the book, but they are geared more to the walking athlete then you and I.
Okay, so what's the alternative? Try Dr. Mort Malkin's book,
Aerobic Walking, also available from Border's/Amazon. Despite the bland title, it's a realistic plan for health thru walking.
(And if you want a training schedule for Marathons, look up the Walking section at About.com. Lots of good stuff there.)