The American College of Sports Medicine Complete Guide to Fitness & Health is indeed a very complete guide given the constraints of writing for a layman audience. The emphasis is on the whole of the body, digestion, exercise, rest, hydration, stress. When it comes to actual exercises they are varied with explanations for flexibility, aerobics, resistance. There are plenty of illustrations and examples of how to live healthily. If nothing else, it could displace practically any other get fit quick epistles so popular near the magazine racks. ( )

I got this book by mistake but was happy I got it. I have fibromyalgia and this book really made me look at things differently. It is a complete guide. It gives so much information and is very helpful. It has a variety of information that you will not really need any other book. ( )

I was surprised when I received this book in the mail. It was not the type of book I was expecting to review. The description given of this book seemed as though it was going to be a book of what to expect if you were going into a field with exercise as your goal. It was however a very useful resource for if you want to know the inner workings of all aspects of exercise and fitness. It also has a nutrition section that I found to be helpful in knowing your body and feeding your body a healthy diet.

I believe this book would make a useful tool for someone who wants to go into the field of a nutritionist, physical therapist or similar field.

The title says it all: "Complete Guide". This is one of the most well written and accessible books on fitness and health that I've had the privilege of reading. It is concisely written and geared toward a larger audience, with something for everyone. The pictures, illustrations, and charts are clear and comprehensible, and I felt motivated to 'get on board' just be reading it. No coercing, no shaming, just a simple underlying message: "this is what a healthy lifestyle looks like. It's easy. Why don't you give it a try?"

I've read a lot of books on health, and this one easily surpasses them all. Easily worth the money spent. A worthwhile investment in your health that will bring continued and very real dividends. ( )

The ACSM Complete Guide to Fitness and Health does a surprisingly good job of living up to its name. A series of chapters on range of topics including fitness assessment, different types of exercise, nutrition and specific health conditions are written by a number of different specialists but come together in a cohesive whole.

Although this work is from the American College of Sports Medicine, the emphasis is not only on exercise as one might expect, but truly on whole body health for individuals of all ages. The first part of the book addresses general health and fitness, including understanding accepted fitness guidelines and chapters on nutrition and developing healthier habits; the stress here is that small changes can make a big difference in overall health. The second section focuses on exercise, with individual chapters on Aerobic Activity, Resistance Training and Flexibility and Balance. Actual exercises are presented with a variety of options; in Resistance Training, exercises are shown on weight machines, with resistance bands and with free weights. In Flexibility and Balance, a series of stretches are shown along with a chart of common stretched to avoid. The third section addresses health and fitness concerns specific to different age groups and the last section highlights coping with a number of common health concerns.

The book is beautifully presented, with many excellent photographs, illustrations, charts and sidebars, making the text easier to understand. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are sidebars titles “A Closer Look,” which are examples using a real person to explicate concepts from the text. While the ACSM Complete Guide to Fitness and Health is an excellent reference for any individual, I would also be very effective as a textbook for a Health and Fitness class, probably at the high school or college level.