Erin Whitehead

Growing up is hard enough as a teenager, but for those that didn't get the luck to have the perfect body (like myself) we have to work hard, and this book shows girls a good path to set out on to achieve this goal.

The book itself is an easy read, and the layout definitely helps keep the readers interest. The author included a section on diet as well, thankfully, since what good is working out for a half hour if you are going to head right to a cheeseburger and fries afterwards.

That being said, I do with the author would have put more into this book about finding time between the every day activities for fitness: the title "Fitting In Fitness" led me to believe that there would be more about finding the time and space in a busy lifestyle for fitness, not just finding the motivation and the means to work out.… (altro)

Fitting in fitness at any age can be a challenge, but can be even more so for teens. The authors do a great job of explaining what healthy living looks like, and then specific ways to go about fitting it into a typical teen girl's life. I was impressed by the fact that all of the claims are consistent with recent literature on fitness. For example, the authors stress stretching at the end of a workout, when muscles are warm, rather than the before a workout, as was common 5-10 years ago. There's a good range of advice in place for girls at different activity levels, with suggestions in every sample workout for easier and harder modifications. The information on heathy eating is also up to date and realistic. The authors discuss the organic trend and, although encourage splurging on organic for the "Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue found non-organic versions, realistically give healthy options when buying organic is not viable. Advice on getting enough sleep, reducing stress, using (or not using, in this case) supplements, and touching on eating disorders and drug/alcohol use are all included in smart, approachable prose, without becoming preachy or dumbing down the content. End matter includes an index and additional web resources. Overall, a great introduction to healthy living for teens.… (altro)

A cute, quick read that teenage girls may enjoy. (I'm too old to be the target audience, so I sometimes found the tips a little condescending, but maybe they won't.) Sometimes the attempts to appeal to young teens were a little heavy handed -- too many references to Justin Bieber, for one thing -- but they bring the message of healthy eating to a tricky population without emphasizing the wrong things, like poor body image or inconsistent habits. Too many books for teenagers focus exclusively on diet, leading to eating disorders, so this was a nice change from that.

I do wish there had been more tips for "fitting in" fitness -- that's the reason I requested this book. A set of tips for making the most of the extra ten or twenty minutes you manage to find in your day would have been more welcome!… (altro)