Some things in life never change, like the traffic in Los Angeles or the weather in Tahiti. But fitness doesn’t fall into that category. In the exercise world, there’s something new in equipment, research, classes, gadgets, videos, and Web sites just about every day. In fact, so much has changed since the first two editions of Fitness For Dummies were published that we felt compelled to overhaul the book, adding several chapters and substantially revamping the others.
So what exactly is new in fitness? Health clubs are offering innovative new classes, like circuit training, cardio kickboxing, and firefighter boot camp, and nifty new machines, like the elliptical trainer. Yoga, Pilates, and other “mindbody” workouts have become so popular that we’ve devoted additional space to them. Technology has transformed fitness in many ways, too.
And
many clubs have invested in fancy entertainment systems so you can watch
your own personal TV — or even surf the Internet — while running on the
treadmill.
Of course, this being the fitness industry, the last few years have also seen
the invention and marketing of new schlock — like pills that claim to eliminate cellulite or burn extra carbohydrates and machines that purport to tone
your thighs “without any effort on your part.” And there’s no shortage of
hokey books, Web sites full of misleading fitness information, and magazine
ads posing as articles. We help you sort through all of that.
