Quick Fit: The Complete 15-Minute No-Sweat Workout

The key to healthful living is no mystery--it's just regular, moderate exercise that anyone at any age or in any condition can do, say Bradley and Wernick in this step-by-step fitness manual. Bradley, the fitness director for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Wernick, a health writer (Strong Women Stay Young), offer a 15-minute fitness routine that even the most sedentary readers would find difficult to sit out. No sweating, showering or changing of clothes is required, just a consistent commitment to being active. It seems too good to be true, doesn't it? Only 10 minutes of aerobic exercise daily, which can include a brisk walk or low-impact floor workout, along with four-minutes of weight-lifting and one minute of stretching will, the authors promise, garner noticeable results in strength, flexibility and muscle tone over time. Since many people are unable or unwilling to devote the optimal hour to physical activity, the authors' simple, fast program may be just what the doctor ordered for sedentary folks; for people already moderately active, though, this program won't be much of a challenge. Bradley is a hearty cheerleader and sprinkles his book with hokey mottoes like:""Inch by inch fitness is a cinch. Yard by yard makes it hard."" However, he's also a realist:""I'm not promising you'll be transformed in just fifteen minutes...but you'll definitely feel energized."" The simple instructions, clear illustrations, motivational plan and convincing testaments from DOT personnel who have adopted the routine should inspire readers, whether they be habitually sluggish or simply sorely pressed for time.