Good health and fitness are the cornerstones of a productive, healthy, and happy life. Like the three previous editions of this text, this new fourth edition of Lifetime Fitness will help students understand the benefits of exercise and proper nutrition. The information in this book offers readers a concise but thorough overview of the many factors contributing to the development and maintenance of a healthy body.

Lifetime Fitness will help students evaluate their levels of fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness, which plays an essential role in overall good health. Students can design personalized exercise programs to achieve their specific goals. The text includes step-by-step instructions form any exercises and accompanying photographs. In addition, the book identifies problems and injuries that participants may encounter during training and suggests safety measures to avoid them.

An expanded and updated nutrition chapter provides detailed information about nutrients and their functions, as well as current consumption guidelines for fat, protein, and carbohydrates. A separate chapter on body composition and weight control allows students to determine lean and fat body-weight percentages; it also includes a formula for calculating desired body weight.

The final chapter of the book discusses stress—the causes, the symptoms, the results, and what can be done to reduce the stresses of everyday life. The chapter includes a three-part "stress test" developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Review questions follow each chapter.

Appendices for the book again include a pre-exercise medical and fitness information form, fitness evaluation records, and a cardiorespiratory start sheet as well as a new appendix on exercise-related injuries. The forms provided help instructors evaluate student participants accurately and efficiently. As before, the book also includes charts to help students track cardiorespiratory progress and improvements in muscular strength and endurance.

The health and fitness programs students choose today will have a major impact on their future lifestyles. Using the information in Lifetime Fitness, students can design programs that will be both fun and productive.