ShapeWalking: Six Easy Steps to a Healthier Life

Marilyn L. Bach, Ph. D. is a fitness consultant and Lorie Schleck, M.A., P.T., is a fitness consultant. Together, they have developed a total fitness program to encourage a healthier life. There are six main chapters/steps: 1. Making the Decision - Deciding to "fitness walk." 2. Getting Started with Fitness Walking - Target Zone information and Creating a Custom Program. 3. Fitness Walking Plus - Incorporating toning into your walking 4. Strength Training - A 15 and 30-minute strength training program. 5. Target Toning - Toning exercises that will enhance your walking. 6. A Week in the Life of a ShapeWalker - Liz, Tom and Jodi share their secrets and you can see charts of walking activities. Throughout this book, you will find pictures of toning exercises and walking techniques. At the end of the book, you can find a Fitness Walking Record. I also found I could keep track of my walking in a fitness journal. This section of the book is essential to keep you focused and motivated. Before keeping a fitness journal I could not see where I was going or where I had been. When you keep track of your progress, it is highly motivational. At that point, you keep increasing your knowledge and you find out what works. If you are continuously working on your New Year's resolutions, this book can give you new goals for the coming year. I tend to want to start new projects in the summer, although walking is a year-round activity you can enjoy in any season. I started becoming more serious about my walking over 51 weeks ago and it was the breakthrough I needed. When you only stretch and do Pilates and Yoga, you can see good results in muscle tone, but it is the walking or other aerobic exercises that take you to a new level in your fitness. I found that just doing one or the other is definitely not as effective as doing aerobics and toning. That made my walking easier and made my toning sessions much more enjoyable because I had more endurance and a new level of confidence. Not only does walking oxygenate the body, it helps you to feel less stiff, can reduce bodily pain and will definitely help you lose inches. Since I started my walking program I've lost about 11 ½ inches. I did notice that when you gain muscle, your weight takes a while to regulate and then drops week by week. This was also mentioned on some of the makeover shows on TV, but is rarely mentioned in health books. Whether you are just starting a walking program or have decided to incorporate target toning, this book has a lot to offer. This is the new edition and not only does this book help you develop a walking program, the authors give special attention to the abs, butt, thighs and arms. What will you need? Walking shoes, an exercise band and free weights. Some of the helpful items in this book include: Advice for various weather conditions. Advice about heart-rate monitoring. How to get rid of cellulite - no creams needed. Ideas about keeping a Food Journal Develo

ShapeWalking: Six Easy Steps To Your Best Body by fitness consultant professionals Marilyn L. Bach and Lorie Schleck is a straightforward , "user friendly", and very highly recommended fitness guide to customizing an easy-to-follow exercise routine with the goal of improved overall health and fitness. Enhanced with illustrative photographs for recommended exercises; step-by-step instructions; charts to record personal progress; and a great deal more fill the pages of this upbeat and simple regimen guide especially designed and intended to help people of all fitness levels get into shape.

This book covers everything you need to get started towards a healthier lifestyle. The three parts to "Shapewalking" is the most complete I've seen. With the easy to follow pictures and text, made this book unintimidating. The bands with the different strengths are great! They are also compact enough that I can take them with me anywhere. So if you want a book that will help you stay with a wonderful walking, strength and flexibilty training this is the book for you!

This is a well written & well organized exercise book. It is easy to follow and reasonable to use. The pictures are clear and concise making it easily accessible.

The exercises work and I can really identify with the people demonstrating them in the photos.