Part VI: Conquering the Gym (Even at Home) ...................................
Walking into a health club can be a terrifying proposition, sort of like landing
cold in some foreign country where you don’t know a soul, don’t speak the
language, don’t know the customs, and feel like everyone’s staring at you.
This part gives you the information you need to enter a gym with confidence.
We explain how to choose a good club, fill you in on locker-room etiquette,
and tell you how to get through an exercise class when you feel like you have
two left feet that are tied together. We also update you on the latest in exercise
classes, from spinning to treading to kickboxing.
Health clubs aren’t for everyone, so in this part, we also help you choose the
best fitness equipment for your budget, your goals, and the size of your living
room. We cover a wide range of equipment, from space-age treadmills to $3
rubber exercise tubes. We offer tips for designing your home gym so you’ll
actually use the stuff you buy. And we tell you everything you ever wanted to
know about exercise DVDs and videos.
Part VII: Exercising for All Ages and Stages .......................................
Worried about continuing your workouts during your pregnancy? Don’t be.
This part helps calm your fears and gives you the basics on what to do — and
what not to do — to keep you and your baby healthy. And to help get your
kids off on the right fitness foot, this part shares some ways you can involve
the whole family in fun activities, whether you’re the parent of a toddler or
a teenager. If you’re moving into your senior years, this part is for you, too.
Here, we show you how to get and stay fit into your 90s, so you can enjoy this
golden time in your life.
Part VIII: The Part of Tens ....................................................................
Every For Dummiesbook has a Part of Tens. These chapters give you a differ-
ent spin on some of the information already presented in the other parts. For
example, scattered throughout this book are many reasons to get and stay fit;
in Chapter 24, you find a whole chapter of reasons. In Chapter 25, we tell you
which low-priced fitness products we consider to be the best bargains.
Conversely, in Chapter 26, we give you our picks for the worst fitness products
and pills. Finally, in Chapter 27, we present ten tips for staying motivated.
Introduction 5