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REVIEW
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"An eye-opener"
New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata provides an
insightful look at the mythos of exercise. Ms. Kolata is a
participant who enjoys working out, but a claim led her to
wonder what is the supporting scientific evidence vs. the
health industry distortions. Ms. Kolata includes a
comparative historical perspective re exercise beliefs over
the ages so that readers can see how the ancients compare
with other generations to include the information age. The
author shreds several of the leading accepted theories from
the gospels that low-intensity exercise burns the most fat
and that stretching must come before the workout to prevent
pulls, etc. Adding to the account is a terse look at the
promotion of food and food supplements to lose weight and
increase muscle definition. ULTIMATE FITNESS: THE QUEST FOR TRUTH ABOUT EXERCISE AND
HEALTH is more than a simple expose because Gina Kolata
cares deeply about her subject that comes across as genuine
especially when she tells her personal anecdotals and those
of her daughter. The book is easy to read, can be put down
and leisurely returned to, and does not j'accuse us couch
potatoes for failing to save ourselves. Instead even us
out of shape, overweight, non-exercisers will find this
nonfiction work pleasurable to follow as Ms. Kolata makes
it clear that the benefit of exercise at least to her is
not losing weight, feeling healthier and fitter, but is in
the active participation of playing the game. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 10, 2003
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| SUMMARY |
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The bestselling science reporter for The New York Times
tells us what works and what doesn't when we work
outUltimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and
Health is Gina Kolata's compelling journey into the world
of American physical fitness over the past thirty years. It
is a funny, eye-opening, brow-sweating investigation into
the fads, fictions, and science of fitness training.From
the early days of jogging, championed by Jim Fixx— who
later died of a heart attack—to weight lifting, cycling,
aerobics, and Spinning, Kolata questions such popular
notions as the "fat-burning zone" and "spot reducing," the
effects of food on performance, how much exercise helps
build fitness, and the difference between exercise to help
the heart and exercise to change the body. She explains the
science of physical fitness and the objective evidence
behind commonly accepted prescriptions. Along the way she
profiles researchers and mavericks who have challenged
conventional wisdom, marketed their inventions, and
sometimes bucked criticism only to back down from their
original claims.Ultimate Fitness spotlights the machines
and machinations of the fitness industry, and cuts through
the marketing and hype not only to assess what is healthy,
but also to understand what our obsession with staying
healthy says about American culture today.
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