Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Author Brian Sharkey -- past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and a world-renowned fitness authority -- explains in plain English how the body responds to physical activity, why physical activity is so important to health, and how best to become physically active.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface (p. vi)
• Credits (p. ix)
• Introduction to the Active Life (p. 1)
• Part I Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health
• 1 Health Benefits of Activity and Fitness: Activity and fitness reduce the risk of many diseases (p. 13)
• 2 Activity and Mental Health: How activity helps us deal with stress while reducing anxiety and depression (p. 31)
• 3 Activity and Personal Health: Assess your health and the need for a pre-exercise medical exam (p. 43)
• Part II Aerobic Fitness
• 4 Understanding Aerobic Fitness: Identify aerobic exercise and the factors that influence aerobic fitness (p. 71)
• 5 Aerobic Fitness: The Training Effect: Understand how systematic exercise stimulates changes in the body (p. 85)
• 6 Improving Aerobic Fitness: Develop a personal aerobic fitness program based on your fitness level and goals (p. 99)
• 7 Aerobic Fitness Programs: Make your exercise program safe and enjoyable with training tips, sample fitness programs, and solutions to common exercise problems (p. 113)
• Part III Muscular Fitness
• 8 Understanding Muscular Fitness: Identify the components of muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility (p. 137)
• 9 Benefits of Muscular Fitness: Understand how exercise changes muscle and ways to minimize muscle soreness (p. 151)
• 10 Improving Your Muscular Fitness: Create a personal muscular fitness program (p. 169)
• Part IV Activity and Weight Control
• 11 Nutrition and Health: Understand the basics of good nutrition (p. 213)
• 12 Energy and Activity: Learn to calculate your caloric intake and expenditure (p. 237)
• 13 Activity, Diet, and Weight Control: Why activity is better than dieting (p. 273)
• 14 Weight-Control Programs: Start a personalized weight-control program focusing on activity, food choices, and behavior (p. 287)
• Part V Performance in Work and Sport
• 15 Performance at Work: Explore the relationship between fitness and work capacity (p. 307)
• 16 Performance in Sport: Prepare for athletic competition safely and effectively (p. 319)
• 17 The Environment and Performance: Minimize environmental problems like temperature extremes, humidity, high altitude, and air pollution (p. 345)
• Part VI Vitality and Longevity
• 18 Age, Activity, and Vitality: Activity and healthy habits counteract the effects of aging and improve longevity (p. 367)
• 19 The Psychology of Activity: Incorporate psychological skills into a successful fitness program (p. 379)
• 20 Activity and the Quality of Life: Consider how physical activity contributes to your quality of life (p. 399)
• Glossary (p. 409)
• References (p. 415)
• Index (p. 429)
• About the Author (p. 437)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In this age of trendy diets and looming obesity statistics, this book couldn't be more useful. Fitness researcher, educator, and author Sharkey (health & human performance, emeritus, Univ. of Montana), who first published this renowned guide in 1974, here teams up with Olympic coach Gaskill (health & human performance, Univ. of Montana) for the sixth edition. Known as the "thinking person's fitness book," this work discusses not only how to eat and exercise well but also why one should adopt such a lifestyle. The authors maintain a focus on the emotional as well as physical benefits of exercise and support their recommendations with relevant research studies and statistics. The book's scholarly nature makes it a staple in many college health courses, but in this particular edition, which encourages engaging in "the active life" rather than just focusing on performance, Sharkey and Gaskill also draw in the average reader by including straightforward sample fitness programs, training tips, activities, and basic injury care. Their relaxed tone and dispersed inspirational quotes from such luminaries as Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu and science fiction/fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin also engage readers. Essential for academic and larger public libraries. Jennifer Johnston, formerly with San Bernardino P.L., CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Brian J. Sharkey brings more than 35 years experience as a leading fitness researcher, educator, and consultant. He was president of the American College of Sports Medicine in 1991 and 1992. Director of the University of Montana's Human Performance Laboratory for many years, Sharkey remains associated with the university and lab as professor emeritus. Sharkey also works with the U.S. Forest Service as a consultant in the areas of fitness, health, and work capacity. He received the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Superior Service Award in 1977 and its Distinguished Service Award in 1993 for his contributions to the health, safety, and performance of firefighters. In his leisure time, Sharkey enjoys cross-country skiing, mountain biking, running, hiking, and canoeing. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Missoula, Montana