Health & Fitness in Plain English Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book in conjunction with "The Ab Revolution" and since putting the advice contained in both into practice, I feel better and more importantly, I feel like I'm getting much more out of my workouts. The books advocate incorporating fitness strategies into your daily life, not just during an hour or two doing obligatory "exercise". I am a real gym rat and enjoy the time I spend there, but I never gave much thought to working on my fitness level throughout the day. For example, now I run up the four flights of stairs at work several times a day to work on my anaerobic capacity, thanks to the abs book and the info on abs in the Health and Fitness book I get a lot more out of my time spent on the stairmaster and elliptical machines because I maintain proper posture.
I always have a million questions related to proper stretching, proper weightlifting technique (eg lower weight more reps? or more weight fewer reps?), etc. and this book is proving to be an invaluable reference tool - so much so that now I schlep it around in my gym bag.
The author does a very good job of explaining complicated exercise physiology so that people like me understand and can apply the concepts. I feel like I'm really progressing now whereas before I always wondered whether I was working hard enough, etc. I've been on a weightloss/fitness building mission for almost a year now and now I'm as motivated as I was in the beginning because I feel like I know what I'm doing.

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This remarkably rich book explores the most frequently asked about (and misunderstood) aspects of health, nutrition, and fitness. Each subject is addressed in non-technical language that aims to replace myths and misinformation with easy-to-apply knowledge. Ideal for individuals at any level of health and fitness experience, and for personal trainers and related health & fitness professionals who wish to share information with their clients in terms that they can understand. Includes information on Exercise (abs, stretching, workouts, body-building, weights, what works & what doesn't), Health (heart, cholesterol, osteoporosis, body fat tests, weight loss), Nutrition (vitamins, health foods, diets supplements, ergogenc aids), Pain & Injury (back pain, neck, shoulder, and knee pain, ankle sprains, leg cramps, headaches) and much, much more.Produced in cooperation with the American Council on Exercise.

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Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain Review

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(More customer reviews)Over 3 years ago I had constant shoulder, back, and hip pain. I had already invested in over a dozen books and had come to the conclusion that nothing was ever going to help me - chronic pain was a part of growing older. I also had a difficult time doing the Taijiquan (a martial art) form I was working on because my back was overly curved. On the advice of a friend, I got Egoscue's first book, Pain Free.
After doing the exercises (30 minutes each day) for a few months, wonder of wonder, my curved back relaxed and I was able to sink into the Taijiquan postures I'd been trying to achieve for ten years. But best of all - the pain disappeared. For the first time in years, I didn't wake up to daily pain in my joints!!!
Unfortunately, almost a year ago, I got into a car accident that is still causing me a great deal of pain in my neck and back. I had been doing those same Pain Free exercises from before, but they didn't seem to be doing much.
I decided to purchase this newer book anyway - since it was written specifically for women. I actually didn't think it would help much and prepared myself for disappointment.
Oh MY!! After just a few weeks, once again, I was amazed at the difference. The exercises in this book (and yes, they do take much longer than the simple Pain Free book) were so helpful that I was able to change from a narcotic pain reliever to a non-narcotic pain reliever. Believe me, for someone trying to function- that is a BIG difference.
Egoscue is a genius. I have seen many doctors, including so-called pain specialists, and the only thing that has significantly helped me so far is Egoscue exercises. I now do them every day, and can feel the difference in my neck, back, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet.
Even better - this book explains in much more detail than the Pain Free book exactly what's going on in my muscles and body - so that I can really tell why the exercises are working (or not). Now that I can feel the difference, I can tell when to stop doing one phase and move on to the next.
I felt compelled to write this review because I noticed a few negative reviews. The only thing that I can postulate is that
1. The people writing were not committed to the exercises for long enough for them to work, or...
2. The people did not really have chronic pain to begin with and therefore no motivation, or....
3. The people have something personal against Peter Egoscue (I have never met him, so I wouldn't know).
All I can say is -- this book changed my life. I only wish I had read it BEFORE my accident - I suspect that I wouldn't have gotten so hurt had I been in better "functional" shape prior to getting rear-ended.
This book is about prevention, about taking control of your body and making it work the way it was designed to work. If you are a women in chronic pain - believe me - if you do these exercises, you will change your life for the better. Don't let others disuade you from doing the most that you can for yourself.

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Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries Review

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(More customer reviews)As a yoga instructor, I am always looking for books to assist my growth as a teacher. Anatomy can be a challenging aspect of teaching yoga - until now. "Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries" by Susi Hately Aldous is a very accessible anatomy book for yoga instructors and practitioners alike. Unlike other similar books, which tend to be dry, boring reading, this book is written in an easy to understand fashion with clear illustrations. I felt more comfortable with my understanding of anatomy and how it relates to yoga after reading this book. It will be a very useful companion to my other anatomy books - and most likely, it will be the main one I turn to.

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Anatomy and Asana offers an easy and successful method to learn anatomy andits relationship to yoga in a way that helps prevent injuries. It is written by a certified yoga teacher with a diverse background in kinesiology, ergonomics, and physical rehabilitation.

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Precision Exercises Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this book and use it on a very regular basis to help my own clients in a busy orthopedic practice. Brian's recommendations are based on sound principles of posture and strengthening muscles that are prone to weakness and inhibition. He illustrates the use of his exercise concepts with case studies. Well worth the tiny investment.

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Exercises to relieve pain, restore posture, improve balance, and to regain control of muscles and movement needed for everyday living.

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Posture Alignment Review

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(More customer reviews)The Author of this book coaches you through everything in the simplest terms possible. The basic theory of the book is that our bones become misaligned (forward head or twisted pelvis for example) because our muscles become stiff and weak from lack of use. our bones actually shift when they are weak to acomodate the demands placed on our bodies.
To be more specific, we have pairs of muscles on either side of our joints that move them in opposite directions, whether it be our hips wrists, Knees shoulders ect. When we use our joints, the muscles on one side contract and the muscles on the other relax. Muscle imbalances on both side of a joint cause the bone to be pulled out of alignment.
I have seen many people-- even before I read this book--with forward heads, feet that were tilted outwards like a duck or excesivly inward and shoulders that were uneven. The goal of alignment is to get our bodies back into their proper sympatry and thus restore function and mobility to our joints.
a forward neck for example, puts strain on your shoulders, upper back and neck which limits its mobility, and requires greater energy to maintain. Every postural misalignment puts strain on other parts of the body, thus using unessesary energy. Arezo teaches you how to access yourself for misalignments and then tells you exactly how to fix them with exercises. He guides you through step by step with clear illustrations for every exercise. At most they will take you half an hour. He has different exercise menus for different postural misalignments. He even has short menus that help overall alignment.
The great thing about Posture Alignment is that the author tells you exactly how you will feel after doing the exercises and what to expect from them. This is really the least intensive and effective home solution for anyone with postural problems.
He makes good sense. This is the best sum of money I have ever spent in a personal effort to correct my own postural problems and back pain. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
The Posture Alignment theory, has proved its worth in working wonders for my posture and how I feel. I am very surprised that I can feel the difference, and others can see the difference in such a short time.
I cannot in good conscience give this anything but what it deserves. Five stars.

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A clear, easy-to-read book on the importance of postureor body alignment in maintaining appearance, physical function, andpreventing muscle and joint pain and disability particularly as wegrow older. Book includes postural self-assessment and over onehundred exercises in various short menus to correct and maintainproper body alignment.

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Core Awareness: Enhancing Yoga, Pilates, Exercise & Dance Review

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(More customer reviews)Liz Koch knows what she is writing about, having worked with her own 'core awarenss' for many years. For myself, as someone professionally involved with yoga, Pilates, exercise and dance for years, the book was an instant fit. There is much valuable information in this book, and the general approach to movement that it advocates is something that desperately needs to become more widespread. On the down side, I wish Ms. Koch had paid attention to the amazon reviews of the previous book (The Psoas Book,), which suffers from the same production problems as this newer one does. I hope her next book gets professionally published (or even republish this one professionally). There are many typos, grammatical problems, and other errors that a good editor/proofreader could help with. Also, the incredibly simplistic line drawings that illustrate her sophisticated "movement explorations" don't begin to do justice to the material. Even I, an experienced movement professional, could not understand the proper body positioning on many of them. Please, please, some good photos!! In conclusion, this book is definitely worth reading for the information, but it is sad that the production of the book was so amateurish. But don't let that hold you back from getting the book--there aren't many books out there with this in-depth approach to core awareness. Most of what passes for 'core training' out there is nowhere near this level of somatic understanding.

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Yoga Anatomy Review

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(More customer reviews)Yoga Anatomy is a book that gives the reader a look inside the human body as it is put in various yoga positions.
Chapter 1 covers the dynamics of breathing and actually covers some breathing physiology as well. Chapter 2 talks about the spine and gives some pretty detailed spinal information. Chapter 3 is short and covers the asanas.
The rest of the book, Chapters 4 through 9, make up the "meat" of the book and contains most of the anatomy information most readers probably bought the book for- what muscles are used in what poses. The way the book gives you the information is quite handy- it has a section on standing poses, sitting poses, kneeling poses, on-your-stomach poses, on-your-back poses, and arm supported poses. Sooo, all you have to do is pick a position/pose, and there you'll find pictures of what muscles are involved (and let me say, they show you some great angles of the poses to make sure the reader can see ALL the muscles that are involved). In addition to learing what muscles are involved, the book also tells you what joint actions are involved, as well as what body parts are working AND which ones are lengthening- neat!
A great reference book, its simply perfect for the yoga enthusiast that has become acquainted over time with muscles they never knew they had- but will now after reading this book! Also recommend The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution if plantar fasciitis pain keeps you from doing your yoga.

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See inside every yoga pose! With clear, expert instruction and full-color, detailed anatomical drawings, Yoga Anatomy depicts the most common asanas to provide a deeper understanding of the structures and principles underlying each movement and of yoga itself. From breathing to standing poses, see how each muscle is used, how slight alterations of a pose can enhance or reduce effectiveness, and how the spine, breathing, and body position are all fundamentally linked. Whether you are just beginning your journey or have been practicing yoga for years, Yoga Anatomy will be an invaluable resource-one that allows you to see each movement in an entirely new light. Author Leslie Kaminoff is a recognized expert and teacher in anatomy, breathing, and bodywork. He is the founder of The Breathing Project, New York City's premiere yoga studio dedicated to the teaching of individualized, breath-centered yoga practice and therapy.

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8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot (Remember When It Didn't Hurt) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is by far the single best source for healing back pain that I have seen. I hurt my lower back pretty badly doing heavy deadlifts after too long of a layoff (entirely my fault, I know), and pursued a wide variety of different treatment methods. I had previously been exposed to other postural/ alignment methodologies in an attempt to get rid of chronic injuries, which had been helpful, but nothing was as poignant, simple, or direct as Gokhale's work.
There are three outstanding aspects of this book:
1. Gokhale clearly identifies what ideal posture and alignment looks like, and backs this up with numerous photos.
2. Gokhale's method is very, very simple, and once learned, becomes integrated into your everyday life. I know of other methods where you have to spend 30-45 minutes per day doing exercises - this method requires very little extra bandwidth once you have learned it.
3. The book itself is beautifully laid out, with a balance between illustrative photos and explanations.
Considering the amount of time and money I've spent pursuing other treatment methods, this is a ridiculously good value. Don't discount it just because it is so inexpensive! I bought a copy for my parents, and two extra books as I constantly have them loaned out. If you are seeking to get rid of chronic pain, this is my #1 go-to recommendation.


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Nearly 90% of American adults suffer from back pain, and the number continues to climb. Why does this condition affect so many people in the industrialized world, while in some countries only 5% of adults report back pain? In a quest to find the root cause of back pain, Esther Gokhale studied at the Aplomb Institute in Paris and traveled to parts of the world where back pain is virtually unknown. Her research took her to remote Burkina Faso, rural Portugal, and fishing villages in Brazil. What she learned in each of these places has changed the lives of thousands of people. Preserved in the movements of weavers, millers, and farmers in more traditional societies is ancient body wisdom that prevents pain and enhances health. For the first time, these insights have been brought together in a step-by-step guide designed to help those suffering from back pain re-educate their bodies and regain the posture for which our bodies evolved.

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