The Exercise-Health Connection

SHIPPING INCLUDED Most people realize that physical activity can help them look and feel good. But with so much hype and so many false claims about exercise today, it?s difficult to know the real benefits and risks. In The Exercise-Health Connection, Dr. David Nieman sets the record straight. He presents the bottom line on what exercise can and cannot do to benefit personal health. Nieman examines how major diseases and health afflictions can be prevented and controlled by appropriate exercise programs. With the help of a question and answer format, he reveals what the latest research says about the benefits and risks of exercise on such conditions as: ? coronary heart disease, ? cancer, ? stroke, ? diabetes, ? osteoporosis, ? arthritis, ? low back pain, ? asthma, ? infection, ? high blood pressure, ? obesity, ? and more. This comprehensive, no-nonsense guide also devotes special attention to physical fitness and activity issues specific to children, teenagers, women, and the elderly. The book answers such important questions as ?Does physical activity improve the health of children and youth and carry over into adulthood?,? ?Can too much exercise be harmful to women?,? and ?Is exercise as beneficial for older people as it is for younger people?? The Exercise-Health Connection cuts through the hype and presents the true benefits and risks of exercise. About the Author David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM, has been a professor of health and exercise science for more than 25 years. He currently teaches at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Not only is he the author of several books, including Fitness and Sports Medicine: A Health-Related Approach, Nutritional Assessment, and Fitness and Your Health, but he has written more than 200 articles that have appeared in such publications as Women?s Sports and Fitness, ACE Fitness Matters, and Vibrant Life. He is also on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition, Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation, and Exercise Immunology Annual. Nieman received a doctorate in public health from Loma Linda University in California in 1984. In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, he is certified as a Health/Fitness Instructor by that organization. He is also a member of the American Public Health Association and the American Physiological Society. Table of Contents Part I: Physical Activity, Health, and the Human Body Chapter 1. Physical Activity Components and Health Chapter 2. How the Body Adapts to Exercise Part II: Physical Activity, Disease, and Disability Chapter 3. Coronary Heart Disease Chapter 4. Cancer Chapter 5. Stroke Chapter 6. Diabetes Chapter 7. Osteoporosis Chapter 8. Arthritis Chapter 9. Injury and Low Back Pain Chapter 10. Asthma Chapter 11. Infection and the Immune System Chapter 12. Cigarette Smoking Chapter 13. Blood Cholesterol Chapter 14. High Blood Pressure Chapter 15. Nutritional Habits Chapter 16. Sleep Chapter 17. Weight Management Chapter 18. Stress Management Part III: Physical Activity and the Life Cycle Chapter 19. Children and Youth Chapter 20. Special Issues for Women Chapter 21. The Elderly Chapter 22. The Benefits of Regular Exercise Words of Praise "Health fitness professionals frequently encounter questions about how exercise will help (or might hurt) a client who has a disease condition or is at special risk for a chronic disease. In The Exercise-Health Connection, David Nieman helpfully reviews the latest scientific knowledge in plain English and has organized it for easy reference under nine headings, seven risk factors, and three life-cycle groups." Edward H. Pitts Founder and Co-publisher Fitness Management magazine