cover image Aerobic Walking the Weight-Loss Exercise: A Complete Program to Reduce Weight, Stress, and Hypertension

Aerobic Walking the Weight-Loss Exercise: A Complete Program to Reduce Weight, Stress, and Hypertension

Mort Malkin, Malkin. John Wiley & Sons, $19.95 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-471-55672-5

Beyond a basic agreement about walking as the ideal exercise (it's safe, low-intensity and requires no investment other than a pair of good shoes), the approaches of these two books, both April publications, could hardly be more different. Fenton and Bauer, editors at Walking magazine, offer an encouraging, commonsensical guide to a progressive walking program designed to make even die-hard couch potatoes say, ``I can do this.'' Breezy, two-page chapters--one for each day of the training regime--offer information on such topics as stride, step and pacing and include space for the essential daily log-keeping. The authors' positive approach to walking matches the book's easy-to-follow structure. By contrast, Malkin (Walking--The Pleasure Exercise), a dental surgeon, delineates the ``Malkin Technique'' in an authoritative, nearly pedantic style. He urges a minimum of three 45-minute sessions of brisk (``moderate to hard'') walking per week, offering an eight-week training program toward that goal. Chapters discuss health, weight loss, stretching, equipment and motivation; those dealing with diet include some low-fat recipes. The surfeit of information and the moving focus of attention make for a daunting prospect, a view that could easily spill over to the fitness program Malkin prescribes. (Apr.)