cover image Water Workout P

Water Workout P

Bill Reed, Murray Rose. Harmony, $9.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-517-56183-6

Rose, an Olympic gold-medal swimmer from Australia, and Reed, a writer, maintain that exercise in water gives ""great overall muscle toning and conditioning for much less time, effort and specialization'' than comparable exercise ashore, in large part because the force of gravity does not put stress on the joints. As the subtitle indicates, many of the exercises can be done by people who don't know how to swimwhile sitting on steps that lead into the water or while dangling legs over the edge of the pool. The authors include a crossreference for toning particular parts of the body and offer tips on water exercise during pregnancy, for those with arthritis, injuries and joint disorders, for couples. Each exercise is well described and illustrated. The focus is on water exercises in pools, but many routines may be done in other bodies of water. A comprehensive, valuable guide. (June)