These Books Can Help You Keep Your Fitness Resolutions Even If You Only Have 15 Minutes for Exercise (And I’m giving them away)

How are you doing with your new year’s resolutions? I’m betting that one of them included a commitment to exercise on a regular basis. It’s only four weeks into the year, but if the thinning crowd at the gym is any indication, this is the time when you see who’s serious about their fitness and who isn’t. If you’re in the latter camp, you MUST watch this engaging 10 minute video that explains why exercise is the single best thing you can do for your health. If this doesn’t motivate you to get with the program, nothing will.

If you do watch the video by Dr. Mike Evans, an Assoc. Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, you’ll learn that even a half hour of daily exercise can be meaningful. Consider these recent research findings that he explained more fully in his talk:

• Just one hour a week of activity reduced the incidence of heart disease by almost half in one study.
• For every increase of 10-minutes in your walk to work, there’s a 12 percent reduction in your likelihood of getting high blood pressure.
• Compared with persons who watch no television, those who spent a lifetime average of six hours a day watching TV can expect to live five years less.

If exercising at least 30 minutes a day seems out of the question, given home and work responsibilities, take a look at Joan Pagano’s exercise books. Joan specializes in full-body strength training that can be done with minimal equipment at home, in the gym or on the road. They’re illustrated with step-by-step photos and clear instructions so you do each exercise properly. But most important, these books are designed for women who want to work exercise into their daily lives but just don’t have much time to devote to it. But everyone can find 15 minutes, right?

Joan’s 15 Minute Total Body Workout (+DVD) combines cardio with resistance training and stretching. And she keeps it fresh with 4 unique programs: Step-touch, Beach Ball, Hop, Jig and Jump, and Lunge Around the Clock.

A second book, 15 Minute Abs Workout (+DVD),  is designed to to strengthen and firm your torso, flatten your belly, trim your wast and stretch out your muscles. Again, she offers four routines: Crunch, Beach Ball, Core Basics, and Core Challenge.

These easy to follow workout programs are included in a third book, Best Health Home Workout: Pilates Yoga Abs Body Toning with DVD that offers even more options for 15-minute workouts at home.

And a fourth book, a long-time favorite of mine, is Strength Training for Women.  It’s perfect for women who want to incorporate weights for shaping, toning and bone-building. I’ve never met Joan in person, but with this book, she’s been my personal trainer at home and at the gym for many years!

This year, I’m going to be giving away books and products that I think you’ll find helpful and worth your consideration.  I’ll start this week with a set of these four books, which Joan has graciously offered and signed.

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment in the box below saying how many minutes a week you exercise.  If you have time and want to share details of your workout, even better.  All comments must be posted by midnight PST on Sunday, January 29th. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and I’ll announce it on February 1st.