Customer Rating: Summary: Exceptional fitness book Comment: I've read a few fitness books (Matt Roberts, Anita Bean and Running Made Easy). There are some very good books out nowadays and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading Walking for Fitness. It's not really true that the book is aimed purely at Power walkers as I think any fitness seeking walker would benefit from the advice here.
Of all the books I've read, this one made the most sense to me. It is motivational without being OTT (as these type of books often are). The book is clear and progresses very naturally through all aspects of fitness without making it feel like any part is going to be a struggle. That is the beauty of this book for me: a lot of the time, fitness manuals (in their OTT approach to superhuman healthy living) send you into an OTT regime you'd rarely keep up with. This is gentle and sensible and covers so much more besides just power walking (meditation whilst walking, positive thinking and visualisation, pedicures, massage, healthy diet (where fry ups are allowed!!!), and even basic pilates and yoga). On top of this, you get a good grounding in walking and general fitness. Nothing is too much; just enough to start and enjoy without feeling there is any pressure to succeed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope that Nina Barough writes more books in future. It may not be strong enough to motivate a health fanatic, but if you're looking for a solid and gentle fitness book -- which allows you to develop at your own pace without feeling pressured to do more -- you can't really go wrong. Customer Rating: Summary: Power walking is not like normal walking! Comment: This book is great if power-walking is what you want to do. Unfortunately this is not implied in the title. Any information you might want about how normal walking can make you fit is simply not here. This is for serious fitness freaks only. Unfortunately thats not me, so the book is no use to me at all. Customer Rating: Summary: All you need to know! Comment: This book has pictures, explained diagrams and a good layout. Inside you can read all you need to know on walking!All aspects are covered and I fully recommend it!
Customer Rating: Summary: Everything you need to know about walking for fitness!! Comment: If you're thinking that walking could be a good way of getting fit, losing weight or just keeping you healthy, then this book will tell you how to go about it. If you have already started walking and want to hone your power walking technique, or train for a specific goal (e.g. the London Moonwalk), then this book will tell you everything you need to know. But if you're more into hiking or country walks, then this is not for you.
A brilliant book at all levels, Walking for Fitness is written by Nina Barough who started the Walk the Walk charity and is a power-walking guru. It covers absolutely everything, with sections on how to get started, basic walking technique, stretches and complimentary exercises, good walking shoes and clothing, cross training, food intake, related injuries, walking with children, walking while pregnant, walking for charities or in competitions and training programmes.
Barough has devised different training programmes for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, for weight loss, and for those with distance goals. I am in training for the Moonwalk marathon this summer (2005), but I started using this book when I was a complete novice and it has held my hand all the way through. I am still referring to it to remind myself of things I have forgotten, for information that is relevant to me now but wasn't when I started, or for the extras I can focus on now that more of my routine has become automatic.
It doesn't matter whether you are 20 or 60, this is an uplifting book that will encourage you into a way of keeping fit that you can rely on for the rest of your life. After all, you can walk anywhere and everywhere. Worth every penny.
Customer Rating: Summary: Good for walking fitness Comment: The author, Nina Barough, is the organiser of the Moonwalk, which is a marathon walk held every year in London to raise money for Breast Cancer research. This book is excellent if you want to use walking to build up your fitness or lose weight through walking. However, it really does mean walking in the park or on roads. The author spends no time at all on any sort of off-road walking, which is what most people would choose to do if they want to walk long distances (and this builds up to walking marathons). She suggests walking shoes rather than boots - again, only suitable for road walking. There are lots of handy tips on nutrition and stretching and some useful training guides for marathons and half-marathons. I do lots of walking and I did find some of the book helpful but would suggest it is mainly for beginners. If you are doing the Moonwalk, this would be an excellent training guide.
