We’ve all seen the hit 90s movie “Clueless,” starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd (who wears a KU hat throughout the movie, in case you didn’t notice). If you haven’t seen “Clueless,” you need to call me. I’ll loan you my VHS. While I was watching it for the umpteenth time today, I spoke this line along with Cher:
“From now on, we’re alternating Cindy Crawford’s ‘Aerobicise’ and ‘Buns of Steel,’ and reading one non-school book a week.”
I stopped. Could I possibly have stolen this idea from “Clueless?” Is this embarrassing or awesome? She continues:
“My first book is Fit or Fat.”
I stopped again. This is the required reading for my JCCC aerobics class. Is it just a coincidence that Cher reads one book a week and her first book happens to be a book that I need to read anyway? No, it is not a coincidence, dear readers. It is fate. Even though the book is technically a school book for me, Cher counts it as pleasure, and who am I to question the ways of Cher Horowitz?
In the movie, Cher reads The New Fit or Fat, while I am reading The Ultimate Fit or Fat, both by Covert Bailey. The difference between the two, according to the author, is that Ultimate ties together how to get fit without dieting, while diet isn’t mentioned in New. Both books teach readers how to measure their percent body fat, exercises they can do at home and fitness tips.
As a teenage girl who can use a computer and is on Pinterest, I am surrounded by diet and exercise regimens. I always pin pictures of really toned, fit ladies with “30 squats, 20 jumping jacks, 10 reverse crunches, etc.” typed over them, thinking that maybe someday I’ll get around to doing those. I don’t even know what a reverse crunch is! I was at lunch one day and some girls were doing a weird diet/cleanse where they ate one type of food a day. That day was soup. What? It doesn’t even make sense.
One of Bailey’s main points is that people who don’t necessarily have the best diet but work out regularly are less fat, and more fit, than someone with an amazing diet who rarely works out. It’s an interesting idea, and he has science to back it up, but I think having a balanced diet and workout regimen is crucial for good health. I’m pretty good about the diet part (except during Chick-fil-A week. You can forget about my health then), but I always feel too busy to do a real workout. Bailey’s book provides exercises and routines to fit into any lifestyle, and after taking my aerobics class I think I’ll be able to keep it up.
Now, my reasoning behind reading this book is obviously very specific, but I think anyone could and should read it. Obesity is a huge problem in our country right now and it’s a totally solvable problem. Plus, if you enjoy hilariously posed pictures of people working out as much as I do, it’s worth the $12.95.
Have a book suggestion? Post it in the comments or tweet @SME_Harbinger with the hashtag #bookaweekproject.
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