cover image The Family Fitness Handbook

The Family Fitness Handbook

Bob Glover. Penguin Books, $9.95 (448pp) ISBN 978-0-14-046863-2

For those who want to improve their family's fitness without resorting to extremes, this handbook serves up an extensive repertory of enjoyable activities. Donning leotards and frequenting high-powered aerobics classes is not the only option, according to Glover and Shepherd, coauthors of The Runner's Handbook. As a painless addition to daily routines, they suggest aerobic exercises based on traditional children's games such as Simon Says and Follow the Leader. To help parents determine if their children are getting correct formal fitness training, they offer guidelines for assessing school physical-education programs, a ``Bill of Rights for Young Athletes,'' a ``Code of Ethics for Parents'' and a chapter on nutrition. Aids to fitness evaluation include a ``wellness'' quiz and a chapter on holistic approaches to health. Parents concerned with their children's development will judge this a blue-ribbon effort. (June)