Jack wants to put on an acrobatics show in time for the holidays. Every week he practices doing somersaults and building pyramids with Mum and Dad. Do you want to join in the fun too? Jack's Acrobatics is a collection of 24 acrobatic exercises for the whole family. From simple practice games to acrobatic tricks, Jack's Acrobatics brings pure pleasure to young and old and helps with the development of motor skills along the way. 'Wonderful!' Peter Duncan in his foreword.

Now beginners, experts, and teachers alike can make rejuvenating meditations part of daily life with this beautifully illustrated deck of fifty yoga poses and meditations. Each easy-to-use card gives detailed instructions, benefits, and an affirmation. If you're short on time, you can pick just a single card, or for a more guided experience, follow one of the sequences provided. Create an exercise routine that focuses on your specific needs. In the park or at the office, these portable cards are perfect for stress relief, promoting strength and energy, and relaxation--anytime, anywhere.

Walking surpasses jogging as most people’s favourite form of exercise by five-to-one. The Spirited Walker introduces the idea of expanding one’s walking regimen from simply a physical workout to a spiritual one – a fitness routine for the body and soul. Drawing upon the Buddhist concept of the ‘walking meditation’ – spiritual practice on the move – Kortge offers instruction and encouragement for:• Developing a walking routine• Learning and using proper walking techniques• Developing awareness and focus while walking• Practicing techniques for increased attentiveness, peacefulness and tranquility.Using breathing exercises, visualizations, and active affirmations.A unique approach to spiritual development, Kortge’s methods are simple, eminently practical, and rewarding for men and women of all ages and physical conditions. Beautifully written and gently inspiring, the Spirited Walker is one of the first books to explore the hidden and profound benefits of this enormously popular sport, offering a spirited new lesson in the pursuit of good health.

The world famous classic by the originator of the Alexander Technique, with a new perspective by Anthony Kingsley. Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. In his twenties, he became a professional reciter of dramatic pieces. After almost completely losing his voice he pioneered a method of improving the 'use' of his body musculature in all positions and movements and cured his vocal problems without medical aid. Alexander then realised that most people stood, sat and moved in a defective manner and that incorrect 'use of the self' might be the cause of much human suffering. He moved to London and established a school, publishing several books and achieving success, with recommendations from famous contemporaries such as Aldous Huxley and Sir Stafford Cripps. Alexander died in 1955 but his 'principle' lives on through the work of many teachers of his method.

The HIIT Bible is the ultimate guide to High-Intensity Interval Training - the fastest and most effective means of getting fit and improving body composition. A complete reference guide, The HIIT Bible explains everything you need to know about the exercise method that delivers big results - fast. Read about its many benefits and gain expert advice on how to use HIIT to get fit, look toned and feel fantastic. Accessible, practical and written by a globally recognised fitness authority, it features masses of tried and tested high intensity exercises and moves, each accompanied by easy-to- follow photos and instructions. The HIIT Bible is the only book on High-Intensity Interval Training you'll ever need.

You have an owner's manual for your car, your stereo, and even your blender, so why not your body? The Fighter's Body is exactly that-an owner's manual for your most complex piece of equipment. As a martial artist, you make special demands of your body. Have you ever wondered how that latest fad diet might affect your performance on the mat? Ever wanted to take off a few extra pounds? How about putting on muscle without slowing down? Making weight for a tournament? Losing five pounds fast? Eating better? Changing weight classes? Are you confused about supplements, vitamins, and protein shakes? Don't know where to start? Start here. This book will answer your questions about important topics including *Why some diets are harmful for martial artists* How to calculate your protein needs for training*When and how to use supplements*How to eat at fast food places and not ruin your diet*Why it's OK to splurge on "dirt day"*How to safely make weight for a tournament*Why HIIT training is essential to weight loss*What to eat on competition days*How to create a plan that works and stick to it Loren W. Christensen and personal trainer Wim Demeere combine their knowledge of martial arts, weight training, nutrition, diet, and exercise to answer your questions and put you on the road to becoming the best martial arts athlete you can be.

FINALIST - Sports, 2016 Best Books Award This 3rd edition includes a new and easy-to-follow layout. Each technique is presented in four to six large photographs with detailed instructions on how to perform the movements. Motion arrows are used on the photographs to help you execute the movements correctly. DISCOVER THE MARTIAL ESSENCE OF TAICHI CHUAN Here's your chance to take the next step in your tai chi journey Martial applications found within tai chi chuan are a direct link to your tai chi as a form of self-defense. When you study the martial side of tai chi, you can become proficient in a variety of high-level skills, including sensing, neutralizing, yielding, striking, chin na, and even throwing. If you know a tai chi form, you are going to discover the essence of your movements by becoming aware of their martial applications. If you are practicing tai chi pushing hands, you will greatly improve your skills with this understanding of martial applications. If you are ready, you are going to love the amazing tai chi fighting set. This fully choreographed set (requires a partner) will combine all your tai chi skills into one 5-minute routine. This book includes *Martial applications for the Yang-style long form*Martial applications for Yang-style tai chi pushing hands*The complete Yang-style tai chi fighting set For any style of tai chi chuan, this book will be important for practitioners who wish to develop a deeper understanding and advanced skills. *Learn how to analyze the forms and defense applications in your tai chi, gaining higher-level knowledge of your style.*Discover the martial applications of Yang-style. These insights will give you greater understanding of your own art.*Find inspiration. Dr. Yang's writing will inspire you to investigate the martial applications of your tai chi style.

For runners, weight lifters, Crossfitters, triathletes, cyclists, and any fitness enthusiast who loves an intense workout: learn exactly how yoga will benefit your performance. You've heard yoga can improve your fitness pursuits, but all you can find is vague information on starting a "beginner's vinyasa practice." And who really has the time for a 60 minute yoga class when all you want to do is lift weights? The good news is a yoga practice really can make you better at your sport; and specific tips, postures, and yoga workouts do exist to help you. This book is absolutely everything you need, and absolutely nothing you don't, to be a better athlete. Dean Pohlman, founder of Man Flow Yoga and author of DK's best-selling book Yoga Fitness for Men, is your no-nonsense guide for integrating yoga with your existing resistance and endurance training. He's a respected athlete, fitness enthusiast, and functional yoga expert who actually knows how to speak to your fitness discipline. In partnership with other professional athletes in your field, Yoga For Athletes has all of the credible and effective information you need. Choose your primary discipline: resistance training or endurance training (or both!). Then use the targeted assessment to identify your areas of opportunity. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be guided to select from a variety of 10-minute yoga workouts you can easily merge with existing fitness plans. Yoga for Athletes offers: * 30+ yoga workouts designed with the athlete's goals in mind. Most workouts require just 10 minutes of your time and are easily slid into your existing workout program. * 30+ yoga postures in this detailed step-by-step guide for improved mobility, strength, and balance. * Beat your pain points and perfect your fitness with a systematic evaluation of your training program. Discover how to fix muscle weaknesses, overtraining, common injuries, stiffness, and more. "Dean has taken what is essential to our bodies, brains, and minds, and created a model based on the principles of a yogic practice. You can drop this excellent book into whatever sport, practice, class, or activity you love, and it will make you better." -Dr. Kelly Starrett

'Laughter yoga is a perfect way to laugh and get exercise at the same time...I've tried it, and it works.' - Oprah Winfrey With Laughter Yoga, join the worldwide movement and discover how laughter really is the best medicine! This book will show you how to bring laughter into your life at any time of the day - no special equipment needed, no new wardrobe, no expensive classes, not even a sense of humour! Laughter Yoga is all about voluntary laughter - how you can learn to laugh even in the absence of humorous stimuli, and reap the extraordinary, scientifically proven benefits, which include stress reduction, pain relief, weight loss and enhanced mood. If you act happy, you'll become happy - your body can't tell the difference. The exercises in Laughter Yoga combine voluntary laughter with yogic breathing to give you a full mind-body workout. And it turns out that laughter is the fastest way to reduce stress and the best kind of cardio: 30 minutes of hearty laughter is equal to thirty minutes on the rowing machine. 'Laughter connects you with people. It's almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you're just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.' - John Cleese, after visiting a laughter club in Mumbai during the filming of BBC's TV series The Human Face 'Laughter yoga exemplifies a form of 'right-brain thinking' that managers should promote.' - Daniel H. Pink

5K training plans tailored just for busy moms! Whether you're looking for a convenient way to lose lingering baby weight or just want to get in shape to keep up with your kids, See Mom Run will help you achieve all of your fitness goals. Running strengthens your physical body and empowers the mind, a one-two punch to get you through the overloaded days of motherhood. Run Like a Mother 5K founder (and busy mother of three) Megan Searfoss shows you how to take those first steps toward the healthy habit of running, with the goal of completing a 5K race. She teaches you running basics, plus how to eat healthy, strength train, and choose your gear-all in a time-saving, cost-effective way. She will help you assess your fitness level and choose a realistic, week-by-week training plan that you can squeeze in before daycare or school, during lunch dates, or after dinner when the rest of the family is settled in for the night. As your fitness progresses, her programs safely challenge you to move from walking to intervals of walking and running to running continuously. At any speed, See Mom Run will help you cross the finish line and continue running for life!

Orthopaedic surgeon Ray Long blends modern science and the ancient art of hatha yoga to create an indispensable resource for every yoga practitioner -- from beginners to experts. A scientific approach to understanding the practice of hatha yoga: through full-colour, three-dimensional illustrations of major muscles, tendons, and ligaments, Ray Long describes the correct positioning of hatha yoga poses (asanas) and their benefits. Specific anatomical descriptions highlight which muscles to activate in each pose, bringing the experience of the pose to new sensory heights. A novel approach to learning yoga poses: each of the four mat companions focuses on one type of yoga pose: standing poses, forward bends and hip openers, back bends and twists, and arm balances and inversions. The illustrations and descriptions describe the major movements that enable the poses, how to deepen the posture, and sequences of muscle activation. The concealed wire-bound pages make the books perfect mat resources during practice.

The "New York Times" bestseller - with a new afterword about early specialization in youth sports.
The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training?
In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10,000-hour rule, David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it. Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism.

For all students of tai chi, the 3rd edition of the best-selling book Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power includes a new and modern easy-to-follow layout. Each technique is presented in large photographs with detailed instructions. Motion arrows are used on the photographs as an important aid in performing the movements correctly. Sections offer a brief history of Tai Chi, the role of qi in tai chi, and detailed instructions on how to generate amazing "natural" physical power.

Lyon's book is designed specifically with men in mind, at a time when the number of male Pilates practitioners has rocketed to about three million and will likely continue to grow at an exponential rate. "The Complete Book of Pilates for Men" offers an inspiring self-guided program that adapts to all experience levels and requires nothing more than floor space, an exercise mat, and the desire to look and feel your best. Lyon walks you through forty "traditional mat" and sixty-plus "reformer on the mat" exercises, each one brilliantly illustrated and accompanied by inspiring, easy-to-follow instructions. While the Pilates philosophy applies to both men and women, Lyon has tailored his program to target trouble spots for men and help them achieve a strong, lean, masculine aesthetic. Men tend to have more body strength, but less integrated strength or flexibility than women; they tend to be tighter in the shoulders, back, legs, and throughout the hips. Following the six principles of Pilates - control, center, concentration, precision, flow, and breath - Lyon offers a straightforward, time-efficient program that has proven to make men fitter, healthier, sexier, and altogether more confident. "The Complete Book of Pilates for Men" will appeal to any man who believes in self-empowerment and seeks a competitive edge in all aspects of his life.

The most acclaimed, comprehensive guide for Pilates is back with all-new photos and more variations, modifications, and progressions than ever before. In Pilates, Third Edition, world-renowned Pilates expert Rael Isacowitz draws on over four decades of experience to offer you a path to total health and well-being through the Pilates method. Whether you are a beginner, a teacher using Pilates in a therapeutic setting, or a veteran instructor working with athletes, this resource will help you tap into the potential of the mind-body connection to gain the elusive edge in training. Pilates starts with the foundation for all the exercises by presenting an in-depth treatment of mat work, including photos, imagery, and detailed instruction on breathing to help you perform the movements correctly. After the mat work, Pilates goes on to apply the same depth of instruction and photos to the full range of Pilates apparatus: Reformer Cadillac Wunda chair Ladder barrel, also known as the high barrel Step barrel, also known as the spine corrector Ped-a-pul Arm chair (F2 chair) Magic circle There are more than 200 exercises, categorized by body region. The exercises include difficulty ratings, recommended resistance ranges, and explanations of not only how to perform the movements but also how practitioners will benefit from them. New variations, modifications, and progressions for many of those exercises offer additional options for tailoring the exercises based on ability, skill, or preference. The book includes a purposeful grouping of exercises into programs that work all regions of the body and progress from the fundamental level through the intermediate and advanced levels to challenge you at all stages of Pilates practice. Pilates is a holistic approach to well-being that offers a bridge between mind and body, between everyday life and optimal performance, and between rehabilitation and healthy movement. When used to its full potential, it can enhance every aspect of life. So whether you are young or old, are able-bodied or live with restricted mobility, Pilates can improve your balance, concentration, coordination, posture, muscle tone, core strength, flexibility, and overall well-being. CE exam available! For certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam can be completed after reading this book. Pilates, Third Edition Online CE Exam, may be purchased separately or as part of the Pilates, Third Edition With CE Exam, package that includes both the book and the exam.

Are you ready to get the body you love and discover a more confident, happy and energetic you? If so, then Gemma's plan is for you. The Ultimate Body Plan is a combination of 75 delicious recipes plus a workout plan that can deliver real results. Gemma's 10 Strength Commandments will set you on your way to success, building your positive mental attitude as you embark on your way to a fit, strong, healthy body! Here's your ticket to changing how you look and feel forever and giving the middle finger to anyone who says it can't be done.

Qigong is an aspect of traditional Chinese medicine that involves coordinating breathing patterns with physical postures to maintain health and well-being. Liu Zi Jue: Six Sounds Approach to Qigong Breathing Exercises is an accessible, fully-illustrated guide to this particular qigong exercise, which focuses on breath control. Liu Zi Jue regulates and controls the rise and fall of Qi (vital energy) through the inhalation and exhalation of six sounds. The exercises feature slow, gentle movements that are safe and easy to learn and are suitable for people of all ages and in all conditions of health. The routine strengthens the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys, thus helping to balance the energy and functions of the internal organs, and has also been shown to have a calming effect and to alleviate stress. Each routine is described step-by-step, and is illustrated with photographs and key points. The authors also point out common mistakes and offer advice on how to correct these. Complemented by an appendix of acupuncture points and accompanied by a digital download, this book will be of interest to Qigong and Tai Chi practitioners at all levels, students of martial arts and anyone interested in Chinese culture.