If exercising has turned into drudgery (and at this point, who isn’t a little sick of treadmills and free weights?), try injecting some fun into your workout with Elena Rover’s The Chelsea Piers Fitness Solution. An enormous New York City gym/sports complex with rock climbing walls, batting cages, boxing rings and skating rinks in one bustling locale, Chelsea Piers offers it all. Sounds great, you think, but I live in Santa Fe/Duluth/Seattle. What does this huge NYC gym have to do with my fitness regime? Plenty, as it turns out. Rover explains that while not everyone has access to one of the world’s largest gyms, everyone should vary his or her exercise plan to keep from becoming bored and discouraged by a stale routine. The author offers useful background information and tips on a wide variety of physical activities that should put newbies at ease as they try kayaking, snowboarding, golf or gymnastics. By detailing what kind of gear you’ll need for, say, snowshoeing or yoga, what to expect the first time you try it, and suggesting websites and books to learn more about each activity, Rover demystifies exercise and even makes it sound fun again.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
