Joan Price: Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fitness

Are you a novice exerciser, not sure how to set up a program that's right for you? Or are you a lapsed exerciser, who can't seem to make it a habit? The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fitness presents everything you need to know to get started and keep going. The authors--respected fitness writer Claire Walter and Swedish Olympian and personal trainer Annette Tannander Bank--lead you to set realistic goals (health, weight loss, fitness gains), investigate many indoor and outdoor options, find the right workout for you, understand how and why to weight train, and more. You'll learn about traditional fitness activities, plus many unusual ones that might be new to you. The authors even include what to do if you "fall off the workout wagon." There's plenty of information here, presented clearly.

This book has a few shortcomings. The weight training exercises (using machines and free weights), stretches, yoga postures, and step-aerobics moves are described well, but they are not illustrated, making them hard to follow if you're not already familiar with them. The authors include only one page about ways to use the Web for fitness information, with no URLs for reference (please check out The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Health and Fitness for that). This book also lacks the punchy style of most Complete Idiot's Guides, which are known for a snappy, witty style. But all the information you need to begin a fitness program is there, in simple steps--along with tips, cautions, and enlightening quotes from experts.