Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom: Tighten and Tone Your Body in as Little as 10 Minutes a Day

There are a plethora of books aimed at women who have tried various workout regimes and abandoned them, but Lessig's stands out for its focus on "functional-training" (her exercises are designed to "mimic the movements of everyday life") and for its gradual approach: the book offers plenty that may be unfamiliar to the already-active, but really shines in taking one from total inactivity to an effective routine in manageable, injuryless increments. Lessig, who has produced three popular fitness videos, appears in more than 100 b&w photos illustrating the components of her mix-and-match regime, which combines fitness balance (cardio, flexibility and strength training are all covered) and accessibility (no gym membership required, and workouts can be done piecemeal rather than in big, blocked-out chunks of time). The book's focus on sculpting has the effect of making the workouts seem less monumental (and thus less impossible to maintain), and every other page features an affirmative aphorism offset in a "Minna Says" speech bubble ("All success inspires a little bit of fear. Let your fears inspire you to rise to the challenge"). Lessig's is a friendly, doable regime. (Apr.)