Fitness and Exercise Sourcebook

Basic Consumer Health Information about the Physical and Mental Benefits of Fitness, Including Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, and Flexibility, with Facts about Sports Nutrition and Exercise-Related Injuries and Tips about Physical Activity and Exercises for People of All Ages and for People with Health Concerns

Regular physical activity offers exercisers a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer. The benefits of exercise do not end there. Recent research has also shown that regular exercisers experience a mental boost from regular doses of physical activity.

Despite the numerous positive effects of exercise, most Americans fail to make fitness a priority in their daily lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 50 percent of U.S. adults do not exercise enough to reap health benefits, and 25 percent of Americans spend no time exercising at all.

Fitness and Exercise Sourcebook, Third Edition provides basic information about the numerous physical and emotional benefits of exercise and explores the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and athletic performance. The reader will also find details about the basic components of physical fitness, including aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility, as well as specific information on recent trends in fitness, including yoga, Pilates, and balance training.

Issues surrounding exercise in children, adolescents, pregnant women, and seniors are discussed, as are the physical activity needs of people with health conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and arthritis. In addition, the Sourcebook offers guidance on purchasing and using common exercise equipment and details the prevention and treatment of common sports injuries that affect adults and children. The volume concludes with tips for staying motivated, a glossary of exercise-related terms, and a directory of government and private organizations that provide information about physical activity, fitness, and exercise.