Health and Fitness in Plain English.

Health and Fitness in Plain English Bookspan J. New York, NY 10022-6222, Kensington Books, 1998, paperback, 357 pp, illus, $14.

Most physical therapists and physical therapist assistants would find this book to be very rudimentary. However, its simplistic approach makes this book an excellent patient resource.

This text can best be described as "user friendly." It is divided into 3 sections: "Exercise," "Nutrition," and "Health." The exercise section includes brief chapters on various aspects of fitness, aerobic exercise, warm-up, and stretching and stretching mistakes. Aerobic and anaerobic capacity, strength, power, and muscular endurance are defined and explained in the second chapter. The next chapter describes the 3 energy systems, and it reviews the differences among aerobic and anaerobic metabolism and exercise and provides examples of each. The author uses lists to point out the benefits of warm-up and protecting your back during stretching and to give pointers for proper stretching and other tips for safe and effective exercise. One chapter is devoted to stretching and the "six great stretching mistakes."

The book presents information about abdominal strengthening, which includes the perils of sit-ups and leg lifts and the advantage of crunches. "Good and Bad Exercises" is an excellent chapter that describes exercises that can cause injury or chronic problems while it illustrates the more appropriate, alternative exercises.

The section on nutrition starts with chapter 14 and debunks many nutrition myths. Subsequent chapters in this section include tables for the caloric values and the fat content of common foods. Chapters on the use of sports drinks, ergogenic aids, healthy eating, and healthy weight loss complete this section.

The final section, entitled "Health," offers a potpourri of information ranging from the causes, prevention, and treatment of back and neck pain to a discussion on space flight and how weightlessness affects bone mineral density. Information on body fat, cardiovascular disease, risk factors, good and bad cholesterol, headaches, and leg cramps make up the remainder of tiffs section. The section then concludes with an entertaining chapter entitled "Funny Physical Facts and Foibles."

This is an easy book to read, and most people can complete it in a few hours. The simple line drawings used throughout the text illustrate many of the points described very effectively. Therapists who work with patients who need to get into better overall physical condition should feel comfortable recommending this book to these patients.

John P Sanko, EdD, PT
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pa

Dr Sanko is Associate Professor and teaches cardiopulmonary physical therapy. He has a background in physical education.