Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain


John J. Ratey - 2008
    Ratey, MD.Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance. In SPARK, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run---or, for that matter, simply the way you think

Daniels' Running Formula


Jack Daniels - 1998
    In the book that Runner's World magazine called "the best training book," premier running coach Jack Daniels provides you with his proven VDOT formula to guide you through training at exactly the right intensity to become a faster, stronger runner.Choose from the red, white, blue, and gold programs to get into shape, target a race program, or regain conditioning after a layoff or injury. Race competitively with programs for 800 meters, 1500 meters to 3000 meters, cross country races, 5K to 15K, and half-marathon up to the marathon. Each program incorporates the right mix of the five training intensities to help you build endurance, strength, and speed, and Daniels' intensity point system makes it easy to track the time you spend at each level.The formula can be customized to your current fitness level and the number of weeks you have available for training, and it provides the perfect solution for short training seasons. Get the results you're seeking every time you lace up your shoes for a training run or race with the workouts and programs detailed in Daniels' Running Formula.

Trim Healthy Mama -- No More Fads!


Serene Allison - 2012
    It is more than a recipe book, although you will find hundreds of quick and tasty recipes to satisfy your family and trim your waistline at the same time. Serene and Pearl coach you all the way through to freedom from food restriction and excess pounds. They go far beyond food and talk exercise, how to balance your hormones, and how to keep the fire alive in your marriage relationship. It's a one stop book-640 pages! Why read only snippets of dietary truth from many books when you can get the full understanding in one book?

Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease―and How to Fight It


Benjamin Bikman - 2020
    Around the world, we struggle with diseases that were once considered rare. Cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes affect millions each year; many people are also struggling with hypertension, weight gain, fatty liver, dementia, low testosterone, menstrual irregularities and infertility, and more. We treat the symptoms, not realizing that all of these diseases and disorders have something in common. Each of them is caused or made worse by a condition known as insulin resistance. And you might have it. Odds are you do—over half of all adults in the United States are insulin resistant, with most other countries either worse or not far behind. In Why We Get Sick, internationally renowned scientist and pathophysiology professor Benjamin Bikman explores why insulin resistance has become so prevalent and why it matters. Unless we recognize it and take steps to reverse the trend, major chronic diseases will be even more widespread. But reversing insulin resistance is possible, and Bikman offers an evidence-based plan to stop and prevent it, with helpful food lists, meal suggestions, easy exercise principles, and more. Full of surprising research and practical advice, Why We Get Sick will help you to take control of your health.

Running Is My Therapy: Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Fight Depression, Ditch Bad Habits, and Live Happier


Scott Douglas - 2018
    Longtime running writer Scott Douglas marshals expert advice (especially his own, cultivated from more than 110,000 miles of personal experience), and a growing body of scientific research to show how running can make us happier. How? Everyone knows that running builds stronger muscles and a healthier heart; science now shows it also helps develop a healthier brain. For those struggling with depression and anxiety, a consistent running routine can enhance the mental-health benefits of talk therapy, antidepressants, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The key to running’s therapeutic power lies in its lasting physiological effects, inducing changes in brain structure and chemistry that other forms of exercise don’t—including the best mood boost in all of sports, thanks to the body’s release of natural pain-relievers.Running is my therapy is no longer just a mantra for seasoned runners; with science behind him, Douglas presents proven methods so that we can all use running to improve our mental health and live happier—in and out of running shoes.

Slim Calm Sexy Yoga: 210 Proven Yoga Moves for Mind/Body Bliss


Tara Stiles - 2010
    Let Slim Calm Sexy Yoga be your blueprint for a brand-new you!

The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice


T.K.V. Desikachar - 1995
    • A contemporary classic by a world-renowned teacher. • This new edition adds thirty-two poems by Krishnamacharya that capture the essence of his teachings. Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya's teaching have become well known around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya's yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya's fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual's changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value. In The Heart of Yoga Desikachar offers a distillation of his father's system as well as his own practical approach, which he describes as "a program for the spine at every level--physical, mental, and spiritual." This is the first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to the age-old principles of yoga. Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga--poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation, and philosophy--and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is a revised edition of The Heart of Yoga.

Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health


Victoria Boutenko - 2009
    We may not be obviously sick, but may suffer from lack of focus, insomnia, sluggishness, or any host of symptoms caused by nutritional deficiency. Green Smoothie Revolution takes aim at this silent epidemic by restoring balance to our diets. Combining nutrition and know-how with recipes that pack a powerhouse punch, Victoria Boutenko reintroduces long neglected fruits, vegetables, and greens in the most persuasive style for our busy lives: with fast prep and delicious results. Featuring 200 recipes, Green Smoothie Revolution offers both simplicity (4 ripe pears, 1 bunch parsley, 2 cups water; blend well) and enough variety to keep taste buds happy and nutrients coming from a wealth of options.

Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: The Complete A-Z Book on Muscle Building


Robert Kennedy - 2008
    Featuring the most up-to-date information and 800 pages of color images, "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" presents a user-friendly book that offers valuable information on nutrition, supplements, exercising, and posing.

Your Personal Paleo Code: The 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Reverse Disease, and Stay Fit and Healthy for Life


Chris Kresser - 2013
    But what happens when we hit a wall and weight loss stalls, energy flags, or we're tired of restricted eating? We're not cavemen anymore, so why should we follow a strict caveman diet? In YOUR PERSONAL PALEO CODE, Chris Kresser uses the Paleo diet as a baseline from which you can tailor the ideal three-step program-Reset, Rebuild, Revive-to fit your lifestyle, body type, genetic blueprint, and individual needs. Kresser helps further personalize your prescription for specific health conditions, from heart disease and high blood pressure to thyroid disorders and digestive problems. Along with a 7-day meal plan and delectable, nutritious recipes, YOUR PERSONAL PALEO CODE offers natural solutions and an avalanche of groundbreaking advice on how to restore a healthy gut and immune system; how to eliminate toxins; which fats to eat liberally; how to choose the healthiest proteins; and much more. Best of all, you only have to follow the program 80% of the time; there's room to indulge in moderation while still experiencing dramatic results. Based on cutting-edge scientific research, YOUR PERSONAL PALEO CODE is designed to be flexible and user-friendly, with helpful charts, quizzes, and effective action steps to help you lose weight, reverse disease, and stay fit and healthy for life.

Runner's World Big Book of Running for Beginners: Winning Strategies, Inspiring Stories, and The Ultimate Training Tools for Beginning Runners


Jennifer Van Allen - 2014
    And they’re realizing that running is the simplest, cheapest, and most effective way to lose weight, gain confidence, and relieve stress. For newcomers, the obstacles are fierce. There are fears of pain and embarrassment. There are schedules jam-packed with stressful jobs, long commutes, endless meetings, and sticky-fingered toddlers.The Runner’s World Big Book of Running for Beginners provides all the information neophytes need to take their first steps, as well as inspiration for staying motivated. The book presents readers with tips for smart nutrition and injury prevention and includes realistic training plans that enable beginning runners to achieve gradual progress (by gearing up for a 30-minute run, a 5-K, or even a 5-miler). Above all, it will show newbies just how fun and rewarding the sport can be, thanks to the help of several "real runner" testimonials.

Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training


Tudor O. Bompa - 1994
    Bompa revolutionized western training methods when he introduced his groundbreaking theory of periodization in Romania in 1963. Today, periodization is the basis of every serious athlete's training.Periodization is a scientifically based method for structuring short- and long-term training plans. Grounded in current research on exercise physiology, athletic psychology, and training methodology, periodization varies the intensity and volume of training to optimize the body's ability to recover and rebuild. This results in better performance and less risk of injury."Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training, Fourth Edition" presents Bompa's latest refinements to the theory he developed. Formerly titled "Theory and Methodology of Training, " this long-standing classic has been translated into nine languages and has come to be regarded as the definitive reference on training theory. Now in its fourth edition, it's even better organized, easier to read, and more up-to-date than before.No other book discusses planning and periodization in such detail or with so many specific, practical examples from a variety of sports. Periodization clearly describes-the underlying principles of effective training;-the objectives and components of an effective, comprehensive, long-term training program;-proven strategies for optimal peaking; and-how to train for better motor ability, working capacity, skill effectiveness, and psychological adaptability.Learn how to train for maximum gains with insights from the man who pioneered the concept of periodization. With Bompa's Periodization, you'll build stronger, faster, more durable athletes for better performance.

The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss


Kathy Freston - 2012
    But now wellness expert Kathy Freston lets readers in on her secret: losing weight doesn’t have to be difficult, and it can last. With this book she shares the powerful concept of The Lean--a radically effective approach to positive change--with a practical 30-day plan to transform your health and jump-start weight loss in the most gentle, easy, and automatic way possible.“Leaning in” is about setting an intention for what you want, weight- and health-wise, and then nudging yourself ever so gently in that direction, even if getting there seems impossible. It’s about choosing to eat foods that are delicious, filling, and supportive of your goals.Each day of the scientifically based, vegan-friendly Lean plan, Kathy shows how to make and commit to small diet and lifestyle changes that, over time, yield unexpectedly significant results--something as simple as swapping in nondairy milk for cow’s milk, eating an apple a day, or having an afternoon power shake. These changes propel you almost effortlessly into a forward momentum of ever more healthy choices, and work together to bolster your progress. There are only two rules:1. All you need is the willingness to take just one step. 2. As you add the healthier foods to your diet, eat the new foods first.By gradually adding in these nutrient-dense and fiber-rich foods, you’ll crowd out the problem foods, feel fuller for longer, and simply stop feeling cravings. On Kathy’s Lean plan, readers can experience sustained, healthy, and permanent weight loss of 1-3 pounds per week--plus increased energy, improved digestion, clearer skin, and renewed purpose. Complete with exercises, recipes, and powerful testimonials, The Lean offers not only a truly leaner frame, but also the little push we all need to get on the path to lasting change.

In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration


Shane O'Mara - 2019
    It enabled us to migrate out of Africa and to spread as far as Alaska and Australia. Every day, we put one foot in front of the other―yet how many of us know how we do that, or appreciate the advantages it gives us?Neuroscientist Shane O’Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits walking confers on our bodies and brains. From walking’s evolutionary origins, traced back millions of years to life forms on the ocean floor, to new findings from cutting- edge research, he reveals how the brain and nervous system give us the ability to balance, weave through a crowded city, and run our “inner GPS” system. Walking, in turn, spurs our imaginations and boosts our moods. In Praise of Walking illuminates the joys, health benefits, and mechanics of walking―and reminds us to get out of our chairs and discover a happier, healthier, more creative self.

Conditioning for Dance


Eric Franklin - 2003
    Conditioning for Dance improves your technique and performance in all dance forms by strengthening the body's core (abdominal and back muscles) while improving coordination, balance, and alignment and optimizing flexibility. The result is more lift without tension, deeper plies, higher jumps with less effort, tighter turns, and improved extension and turnout.Conditioning for Dance is the result of years of practical experience combined with scientific and anatomical analysis. Author Eric Franklin is an internationally known dancer, teacher, choreographer, and writer. His innovative, proven techniques will help you execute key dance skills better as you-strengthen the muscles you use in dance by performing exercises with elastic resistance bands;-start and move in proper alignment using imagery;-improve your balance and release tension through playful exercises with small balls;-develop leg and torso power that translates to higher jumps and tighter turns; and-optimize your flexibility through touch, movement awareness, and imagery.The book features 102 imagery illustrations paired with dance-specific exercises to help you maximize body-mind conditioning and develop more fluid mobility, balance, and tension release. The book culminates with a 20-minute, full-body workout routine designed to help dancers warm up, condition, and refine their dance technique. You'll learn how to execute lifelong dance skills that give power without the risk of injuries.By working the muscles through movements and ranges of motion that approximate the demands of your chosen dance form, you directly enrich your performance capabilities. And as you strengthen the body's core, stretch to gain just the right amount of flexibility, and incorporate the power of the mind, you unleash your full artistic and physical potential.