Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Most people realize that physical activity can help them look and feel good. But with so much hype and so many false claims about exercise today, it's difficult to know the real benefits and risks.

In The Exercise-Health Connection , Dr. David Nieman sets the record straight. He presents the bottom line on what exercise can and cannot do to benefit personal health.

Nieman examines how major diseases and health afflictions can be prevented and controlled by appropriate exercise programs. With the help of a question and answer format, he reveals what the latest research says about the benefits and risks of exercise on such conditions as:

- coronary heart disease,
- cancer,
- stroke,
- diabetes,
- osteoporosis,
- arthritis,
- low back pain,
- asthma,
- infection,
- high blood pressure,
- obesity,
- and more.

This comprehensive, no-nonsense guide also devotes special attention to physical fitness and activity issues specific to children, teenagers, women, and the elderly. The book answers such important questions as 'Does physical activity improve the health of children and youth and carry over into adulthood?,' 'Can too much exercise be harmful to women?,' and 'Is exercise as beneficial for older people as it is for younger people?'

An excellent reference for individuals interested in fitness, health fitness professionals, and physical educators, The Exercise-Health Connection cuts through the hype and presents the true benefits and risks of exercise.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Part I Physical Activity, Health, and the Human Body (p. 1)
• Chapter 1 Physical Activity Components and Health (p. 3)
• Health and fitness defined (p. 4)
• Components of health-related fitness (p. 6)
• Exercise guidelines for improving health (p. 16)
• Chapter 2 How the Body Adapts to Exercise (p. 21)
• Effects of exercise on the body (p. 21)
• Influence of genetics on aerobic fitness (p. 29)
• Influence of gender on aerobic fitness (p. 30)
• Influence of age on aerobic fitness (p. 31)
• Detraining (p. 33)
• Part II Physical Activity, Disease, and Disability (p. 37)
• Chapter 3 Coronary Heart Disease (p. 39)
• What gives me the greatest risk of developing coronary heart disease? (p. 42)
• How does exercise prevent coronary heart disease? (p. 45)
• How much exercise is necessary to lower my risk of heart disease? (p. 47)
• If I have atherosclerosis, will exercise cure it? (p. 48)
• If I have coronary heart disease, will exercise cure it? (p. 50)
• Is there a risk of dying of a heart attack during exercise? (p. 52)
• Chapter 4 Cancer (p. 57)
• Can I avoid getting cancer if I exercise every day? Is exercise more effective at preventing some cancers than others? (p. 60)
• You've said that regular exercise lowers the risk of getting colon, prostate, breast, and female reproductive cancers. How? (p. 62)
• Can exercise help treat cancer once it is formed? (p. 71)
• Chapter 5 Stroke (p. 75)
• If I exercise, am I less likely to have a stroke than if I don't exercise? (p. 78)
• If physical inactivity isn't a primary risk factor for stroke, why do you say exercise can help prevent strokes? (p. 79)
• If I exercise more intensely, does the risk of stroke go down more? (p. 81)
• Are the benefits of exercise in reducing stroke risk the same for women as for men? (p. 83)
• Chapter 6 Disabetes (p. 85)
• If I exercise, will my chances of developing diabetes be lowered? (p. 92)
• My doctor said that because of my weight and poor diet I'm at risk for developing diabetes. What role does physical activity play in this whole mix? (p. 95)
• How does exercise affect my insulin and blood glucose levels? (p. 96)
• Of what value is regular exercise for the person with insulin-dependent diabetes? (p. 96)
• Are there potential risks for the individual with insulin-dependent diabetes who initiates an exercise program? (p. 97)
• Can I compete in sports if I have insulin-dependent diabetes? (p. 99)
• What does exercise do for people with noninsulin-dependent diabetes? (p. 100)
• Is there a "best" exercise program for people with diabetes? (p. 101)
• Chapter 7 Osteoporosis (p. 105)
• Which is the best sporting activity I can undertake to reduce my risk of getting osteoporosis? (p. 111)
• How old is too old to benefit from exercise as a way to stop osteoporosis? (p. 113)
• I'm taking estrogen to prevent bone loss. If I exercise, can I stop taking the estrogen? (p. 114)
• What type of exercise program is most effective in treating osteoporosis? (p. 115)
• Chapter 8 Arthritis (p. 119)
• Can I exercise if I have arthritis? (p. 124)
• Can regular exercise keep my arthritis from getting worse? (p. 126)
• I've played sports and exercised for years. Has that increased my chances of getting arthritis? (p. 128)
• Chapter 9 Low Back Pain (p. 133)
• Is there a way to predict if I'm at risk for developing low back poin? (p. 137)
• I never scored very well on the fitness tests I took in school, including the strength and flexibility tests. Is it true that those predict future low back pain? (p. 139)
• Is it dangerous to exercise if I have a bad back? (p. 139)
• Will exercise help my back get better? (p. 140)
• Chapter 10 Asthma (p. 145)
• It seems logical to assume that exercise would trigger asthma attocks. Is that true? (p. 150)
• Can exercise-induced asthma be prevented or controlled? (p. 151)
• Chapter 11 Infection and the Immune System (p. 155)
• How does exercise affect my chances of getting a cold? (p. 157)
• Is there anything I can do to reduce the risk of infection when I'm training hard? (p. 160)
• Should I keep exercising if I am sick? (p. 161)
• Can HIV be transmitted during sports? (p. 163)
• Could exercise delay the development of AIDS in a person who is HIV positive? (p. 166)
• Chapter 12 Cigarette Smoking (p. 169)
• Does smoking affect how hard I can exercise? (p. 173)
• Will a regular exercise program help me quit smoking? (p. 175)
• Will I gain weight if I stop smoking? (p. 176)
• What benefits can I expect from exercising while quitting smoking? (p. 177)
• Chapter 13 Blood Cholesterol (p. 181)
• Does exercise specifically improve cholesterol levels, or do cholesterol levels improve as an indirect result of the weight loss and dietary changes that usually accompany an exercise program? (p. 187)
• Does exercise affect the cholesterol levels of men and women in the same way? (p. 189)
• How long do the benefits of exercise on cholesterol levels last? (p. 190)
• Chapter 14 High Blood Pressure (p. 193)
• If I exercise regularly, can I prevent high blood pressure or cure it if I have it? (p. 198)
• How long do I have to exercise before I see an improvement in my resting blood pressure? (p. 200)
• What type of exercise works best in lowering blood pressure? (p. 200)
• How does regular exercise lower the blood pressure? (p. 201)
• Is it safe for people with high blood pressure to exercise? (p. 201)
• Chapter 15 Nutritional Habits (p. 205)
• What does exercise have to do with the kind of food I eat? (p. 211)
• Should the diets of exercisers be any different from the diets of people who don't exercise? (p. 213)
• I've heard that bodybuilders and other athletes should eat more protein to build their muscles. Is that true? (p. 215)
• Chapter 16 Sleep (p. 217)
• Does exercise make people sleep better? (p. 222)
• Does sleep loss impair the ability to exercise? (p. 224)
• Chapter 17 Weight Management (p. 227)
• Can regular exercise prevent weight gain during adulthood? (p. 232)
• If I exercise while I diet, will I lose weight faster? (p. 234)
• Will exercise cause my body to burn calories for a long time after an exercise session? (p. 237)
• I know that my resting metabolism (RMR) gets lower when I diet. Will exercise help my RMR stay higher? (p. 238)
• I don't want to lose muscle weight or water weight when I diet. Will exercise help me avoid that? (p. 239)
• What are the chief benefits of exercise for weight loss? (p. 239)
• I've recently lost weight. How important is exercise in keeping the weight off? (p. 240)
• Chapter 18 Stress Management (p. 245)
• Do physically active and fit people have better psychological well-being than their sedentary peers? (p. 250)
• Can physically fit and active people handle stress better than those who are inactive? (p. 252)
• Does regular exercise improve psychological well-being and mood? (p. 254)
• Can regular exercise alleviate or prevent depression? (p. 255)
• Will I feel less tense if I exercise regularly? (p. 257)
• Can regular exercise improve self-esteem? (p. 258)
• Does regular exercise improve mental alertness and function? (p. 259)
• How does physical activity improve psychological health? (p. 259)
• Part III Physical Activity and the Life Cycle (p. 263)
• Chapter 19 Children and Youth (p. 265)
• Should teenagers follow the same activity guidelines recommended for adults? (p. 268)
• Do children and youths respond to aerobic exercise programs similarly to adults? (p. 268)
• Is it safe for children and youths to lift weights? (p. 269)
• Should teenagers have a medical exam before participating in competitive sports? (p. 270)
• Does regular physical activity help children and youths avoid obesity? (p. 271)
• Are children who exercise at less risk of developing disease? (p. 272)
• Are active youths less likely to smoke and drink alcohol than inactive youths? (p. 273)
• Will an active child be an active adult? (p. 274)
• Chapter 20 Special Issues for Women (p. 277)
• Can women get as fit as men? (p. 279)
• Do women and men get the same health benefits from exercise? (p. 280)
• Can too much exercise be harmful to women? (p. 281)
• Is exercise safe for a pregnant woman and her baby? (p. 283)
• Do different phases of the menstrual cycle affect a woman's ability to exercise? (p. 285)
• Can exercise help relieve the symptoms of menopause? (p. 286)
• Chapter 21 The Elderly (p. 289)
• Is exercise as effective in helping older people stay lean as it is for younger people? (p. 291)
• Will a weight-training program help older people gain strength? (p. 292)
• Can aerobic training improve heart and lung fitness even in old age? (p. 293)
• Are there any special guidelines for aerobic exercise programs for elderly people? (p. 295)
• Do active people live longer? (p. 295)
• Chapter 22 The Benefits of Regular Exercise (p. 301)
• Index (p. 311)
• About the Author (p. 317)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM , has been a professor of health and exercise science for more than 25 years. He currently teaches at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Not only is he the author of several books, including Fitness and Sports Medicine: A Health-Related Approach, Nutritional Assessment, and Fitness and Your Health , but he has written more than 200 articles that have appeared in such publications as Women's Sports and Fitness, ACE Fitness Matters, and Vibrant Life . He is also on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition, Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation, and Exercise Immunology Annual .

Nieman received a doctorate in public health from Loma Linda University in California in 1984. In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, he is certified as a Health/Fitness Instructor by that organization. He is also a member of the American Public Health Association and the American Physiological Society.