Commercial Break : The Complete Couch Potato's Guide to Fitness

American women are working harder now than ever before. Between work, kids, family schedules, meetings, and personal obligations it is easy to toss that New Year's resolution of "improving fitness" right into the dumpster. "I cannot squeeze one more thing into my day!" is the familiar refrain. Yet, it is not uncommon for Americans to spend four hours of that day sitting and watching TV. Oh, the guilt! Most people think that, in order to affect positive change for their fitness level, they have to sweat, groan, and collapse into a huge heap of hurt in order to consider the effort beneficial. If this misconception is what has been keeping you from getting up off of the couch, then we have GREAT NEWS FOR YOU! Our solution has no equipment to buy, no special clothing to wear, and (best of all), no schedule changes for your TV plans. Our book,COMMERCIAL BREAK: THE COMPLETE COUCH POTATO'S GUIDE TO FITNESS, will guide you through a series of safe and progressive exercises while you enjoy your favorite television programs. You will perform the outlined exercises (according to your ability) during the 10-12 minutes of commercials which are scheduled during each 30 minutes of TV programming.

Inactivity is one of the leading risk factors in the incidence and prevalence rate for coronary heart disease (CHD). Over 500,000 Americans per year have some type of related metabolic diseases related to inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle. Due to the overwhelming concern for the health and wellness of our fellow Americans the Office of the Surgeon General has released the following statement: "The Surgeon General has determined that the lack of physical activity is detrimental to your health." The Surgeon General's report also states that: "Every American should ACCUMULATE 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity over the course of MOST days of the week." In fact, the Surgeon General equated NOT exercising with smoking a pack of cigarettes a day!

We believe there are five components to an effective and prudent fitness program. They include: 1. Posture 2. Balance 3. Flexibility 4. Strength 5. Cardiovascular conditioning

The COMPLETE COUCH POTATO'S GUIDE TO FITNESS will begin at a level of light intensity and gradually progress to a level of moderate intensity. By engaging in our program, your health will be POSITIVELY AFFECTED without the frustration and humiliation many people experience at the initial stages of an exercise program. You can begin to enjoy a healthier and more productive lifestyle in the comfort and security of your own home and never miss a single episode of your favorite shows.

Linda Buch is a personal fitness trainer certified by the American council on Exercise (ACE). She has been running a successful training business, Balance Enterprises, in Denver, CO for over 14 years. Prior experience includes several years as a YMCA director, gym manager, and bodybuilder. Seth Anne Snider-Copley is certified by the Kenneth Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research (IAR), the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), and is a Registered Kinesiotherapist. She runs a successful personal fitness business, Fitness West, LLC, in Denver, Colorado and is an International presenter for ACE, AEA, and the Aerobic Fitness Association of America (AFAA).