Smart Exercise: Burning Fat, Getting Fit, by Covert Bailey. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1994

My doctor recommended this book to me, because I’m having problems with too much visceral fat. Written 30 years ago, I suspect it was cutting edge back then, but today much is fairly common knowledge. Still, for someone who has not paid attention to health information, it is a pretty solid book. He gives you everything about how your metabolism works, from the Kreb’s cycle to what types of exercise burns carbs vs. fats. The chapters are short and to the point; if you find yourself wondering about something you’ve read, it’s dead easy to go back and find where it is and refresh yourself. And it’s got a lot of detail to it; when I first started reading it I thought “oh, this is so boring; I read all this stuff years ago” but found myself learning new things- things that, at this age and physical shape, I needed to know. I have to say I was rather horrified to find that running is the best exercise for losing weight and getting fit, because of the muscles used. Yes, different muscle groups burn things differently.

The book is fast and easy to read, even for something with zero knowledge about metabolism and exercise. You’re guaranteed to learn something about how your body works when faced with exercise, and how to make it more efficient.