You can improve your fitness
You can change your life. You have what it takes to move yourself and your body to a new level.
How do I know this? Your interest to read these words already demonstrates your curiosity, self-motivation and desire to make a change. My role is simply to make your journey as easy and effortless as possible. This book will help you achieve your objectives. I’ll begin by telling you what you don’t have to do.
You don’t have to invest in expensive exercise equipment. You don’t have to spend hours a day working out. In fact, you don’t even have to read my book! With 1,000 photos you can capture the essence of what I share by simply mimicking the movements in the photos. You don’t have to go through each chapter in sequence and you don’t have to do what’s shown in each chapter. What you do have to do is start.
What you can expect from this easy to follow process
To get started, begin by reviewing this introductory chapter to know why this fitness plan is special, and how it can help you. Thumb through the book and see what catches your interest. Then begin! The introduction will also give you an overview of what to expect, including:
* Anything Is Better Than Nothing (AIBTN) - Start small, with only 5-minutes per day. * Each chapter is bite-sized - No chapter’s exercises take longer than 5-minutes. * An easy way to know what’s in each chapter - See thumbnail photos and time-guides. * Privacy and convenience of home - All in a space the size of a beach towel. * No special equipment - No cost needed. * Any age and starting condition - Wide range of options for beginner to expert. * Focus on your safety - No need for pain to have gain. * Variety and personalization encouraged - Pick your routine and modify it as you wish. * If questions - Contact me through my website.
Regardless of where you are now in your life and fitness level, you can improve. Anything Is Better Than Nothing. I’ve capitalized each word so that the abbreviation, AIBTN, will be a motivational trigger and reminder for you as you continue through this book.
Get started
Start easy. Start small. Pick any place in the book and try the exercises. Heck, try any one exercise. Ten repetitions of one exercise, done every day, represents nearly 4,000 repetitions in a year! AIBTN. The cumulative effect of even a small change, done over time, can change your life and fitness level.
Following the suggestions in this book will improve your balance, flexibility and strength, which are fundamental to keeping fit and healthy. There’s something here for everybody. The range of exercises includes movements you can do from a chair, literally, for those who may be advanced in age or just starting out. On the other extreme, there are tips for advanced gymnastic and martial arts movements including headstands, handstands and aerial flips.
My recommendation: browse through the book, see what interests you, and begin. Each person has his or her own learning style. Some are visual learners and some learn best by doing. Some want the big picture and others want the detail. I’ve structured this book so that you can pick your best way to learn. Try the techniques and develop a plan yourself.
If you’re a big-picture person, look at the pictures. Try what you see and read the captions to learn more. If you are detail oriented and like a structured plan, start by following the orderly explanations, aided by the accompanying photos.
I’ve organized the sequence of activities in chapters, from warm-up to cool-down, following my own daily routine, which I continue to modify over time. I encourage change. Let this guide be the start of a journey, which you adjust based on your own interests and needs.
Each of the 17 chapters and the five special-skill appendices begin with a set of thumbnail photos (small size as shown above) to give you a visual overview of what’s to follow. In addition, there’s a time indicator at the start of each chapter, letting you know about how much time you would need to do the particular exercise.
Normally, any one chapter lasts from two to five minutes. Two chapters are as quick as three seconds of effort. The end of the book has two pages with over 100 thumbnail photos to help you easily find any particular exercise or chapter, and serves as a handy summary of the book. As shown on the next page (parts of chapters 4 though 7), you can browse the exercise overview and look for the chapter numbers that precede the photos to find what you need.
You don’t have to follow my routine. I encourage that you find what works best for you, follow your interest and change your fitness formula when you want to try something new. However, my routine may serve as your initial guide to your improved health and fitness.
I’ve been a competitive gymnast and coach, and at over 67-years of age as this book was published I am still active in martial arts, walking, biking and enjoying life to the fullest. I am confident that my focus on fitness has helped me to achieve a more vibrant and richer life. I wish the same for you. That is what motivated me to share these tips with you.
AIBTN!
I briefly mentioned AIBTN above, and want to explain its importance a bit more. It’s actually the basis for this whole book. AIBTN is an abbreviation you will see me use throughout, for Anything Is Better Than Nothing.
My objective in writing this book is to help you to begin, and to sustain, a fitness process that is easy to do, is self-rewarding so that it is fun, and can bring you from whatever level of physical condition you now have to an improved and better-feeling state.
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