CM February 16, 1996. Vol. II, Number 18

image Active Living: The Miracle Medicine for a Long and Healthy Life.,

Gordon W. Stewart.
Windsor, Ont; Human Kinetics, 1995. 136pp, paper, $19.50.
ISBN 0-87322-678-X.

Subject Headings:
Exercise.
Physical fitness.

All grades / All ages
Review by Marsha Kaiserman

*** /4

excerpt:

Active living means taking things in stride - doing what comes naturally. It's gardening and golfing, dancing and dodgeball. It's squash and swimming, walking and wheeling. It's playing in the park with the kids, even washing the car or mowing the lawn!

image Baby Boomers have, for the most part, been concerned about their health and that of their children. Yet, considering recent reports from Statistics Canada, we haven't really been doing a good job about it. Now, as Baby Boomers move into middle age, fitness experts have developed a new way to stay healthy -- active living.

This time, I think that they finally got it right. I don't know about you, but I've felt a little guilty that all I can do after putting in a full day at work, battling the traffic home and putting in another five hours of housework is to collapse into bed without exercising. I just don't have any energy left. In addition, nobody ever told me that the things that I did have time for, such as gardening and walking, were actually good for me.

image

Gordon Stewart has come up with the one program that I can buy into. In this book, he presents a lifestyle program that any child or adult can follow. The secret is that it is tailored to your life, and you can do as much or as little as you want. The secret is to do what you can -- but to do it. I can handle that.

Stewart has an accessible style, neither preachy nor condescending. With illustrations by Keith Blomberg, Stewart provides guidance, encouragement and advice in just eight chapters. Topics range from indoor and outdoor exercises to eating right to quitting smoking and drugs to being happy. In addition, there is a bibliography of suggested reading and organizations to contact for further information.

A fine book for anyone, including children, looking to improve their lifestyle.

Highly recommended.

Marsha Kaiserman is Head of Conferences Cataloguing at Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) in Ottawa.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cmeditor@mts.net

Copyright © 1996 the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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