The Fitness Instinct; The Revolutionary Approach to Healthy Exercise that is Fun, Natural, and No-Sweat

"Glistening hard-bodies strut their stuff on magazine covers, billboards, and television shows," writes Peg Jordan. "Every time we stare, our shoulders slump, our bellies feel soft, and we grow a little more disappointed, thinking that fitness is something that's beyond our reach. What a mess." (Of course we don't realize that the gorgeous photo of that fitness celebrity is the result of $1,000 worth of airbrushing.) Jordan, respected fitness expert and editor of American Fitness magazine, set out to discover why 80 percent of us don't exercise and what works to get us moving. Jordan interviewed 400 formerly inactive people who had become active. She also studied both current research and movement styles of ancient cultures. In The Fitness Instinct, she puts it all together with an innovative, 11-step method to get you exercising and loving it. The point is not to force yourself to do the trendy exercise of the day or join the flashy gym downtown--in fact, not to force yourself at all--but rather to "tap into your seventh sense--your natural instinct for movement--which, once awakened, will guide your every stretch, run, jump, dance, pushup, and crunch" and help you develop your own, personalized program of "holistic fitness." A tall order, but Jordan delivers what others only promise. Your movement choices have to match your personality, for example, and she shows you how to figure out whether you're a racer, stroller, dancer, or trekker, and then which kinds of movement and times of day are best for you. Besides the big picture of finding the exerciser within you, Jordan addresses how to avoid being scammed by product promises, myths, and quick fixes. --Joan Price