Through this book, you can
-gain student interest and convince them of the importance of this life-changing information,
-encourage students to examine how the information may apply to them in the real world, and
-show students how to use the information to their benefit.Preparing for the future is what school is all about. Unfortunately, many students fail to see the importance of establishing healthy lifestyle habits during these crucial years. While they work hard to ensure their future financial health, many young people mistakenly believe they can wait until they're older to worry about their physical and mental health.

This updated edition of Physical Activity for Health and Fitness will help students make physical activity a priority today and continue to do so throughout their lives. With the help of many interactive elements, this attractive, full-color textbook introduces important physical activity, health, and nutrition concepts that students will want to remember their entire lives, not just for a semester. Special elements include the following:
-Healthchecks--Quick questions that test students' learning comprehension
-Key points and key terms--Information of special importance
-Laboratories--Practical exercises that ask students to apply physical activity ideas in the book to their own livesPhysical Activity for Health and Fitness begins by presenting students with medical evidence showing that a lifetime of physical activity will improve their fitness and enhance their quality of life. They'll learn the importance of both cardiovascular and muscular fitness and discover how to develop healthy habits in these areas.

Next, the book explains the far-reaching effects of obesity on personal health. It includes updated information and references on good nutrition, and it provides students with guidelines for maintaining a healthy body weight.

Physical Activity for Health and Fitness also explores the close connection between sedentary living and several major diseases and conditions. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and depression are just a few of the conditions covered. Students will learn about the causes of these diseases, ways to prevent or lessen their risks, and how physical activity affects the diseases.

Finally, students are asked to consider the overwhelming benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle and are encouraged to begin incorporating regular physical activity into their lives now rather than later. They'll find basic guidelines for getting started and advice on staying motivated.

This new edition includes new art and references, updated figures and statistics, and practical charts and worksheets to enhance students' learning experience.

Allen W. Jackson is a regents professor of physical activity and health at the University of North Texas (UNT) at Denton. In more than nine years at the school, he has instructed over 12,000 students in a course titled Health-Related Fitness. Jackson is also responsible for developing a Web site (http: //webct.unt.edu/public/PHED1000AJ/index.html) and Internet instruction for the course. Selected as a regents professor at UNT, he is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); a fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education; and a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Jackson received an EdD from the University of Houston in 1978. He has been an associate editor for Medicine and Science in Sports, section editor for the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, and associate editor for the National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. In his leisure time, Jackson enjoys exercising, surfing the Web, and watching classic movies.

James R. Morrow, Jr. is a regents professor in the department of kinesiology, health promotion, and recreation at UNT. Dr. Morrow has authored more than 100 articles and chapters on exercise physiology, measurement, and computer use. He has produced four fitness-testing software packages, including the AAHPERD Health-Related Physical Fitness Test. In addition to teaching, Dr. Morrow was editor in chief of the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport from 1989 to 1993. He is currently Co-editor of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. He is an ACSM fellow and an AAHPERD research fellow and has chaired the AAHPERD Measurement and Evaluation Council. He has earned state, national, and international awards for his teaching, research, and service activities. He enjoys family activities and golf.

David W. Hill has taught exercise physiology for more than 15 years. He began at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1987, and then in 1988 he moved to the University of North Texas, where he is currently a professor of exercise physiology and director of the exercise physiology lab. Prior to teaching, Hill spent nearly seven years working as a fitness program coordinator and researcher in adult fitness and cardiac rehabilitation. He received his PhD in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology from the University of Georgia in 1986. Hill is a fellow of the ACSM and a member of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. A former track and field athlete, Hill held the Canadian record in the mile from 1977 to 1994. Today he enjoys jogging as well as lifting weights, gardening, and traveling.

A professor of exercise science at the University of Georgia at Athens, Rod K. Dishman has served as a consultant on exercise to numerous government agencies in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the National Institute of Mental Health; the National Science Foundation; and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Dishman has edited two books on exercise adherence, and he coauthored Physical Activity Epidemiology as well as the ACSM's position statement, Achieving and Maintaining Physical Fitness in Healthy Adults. He is also an editorial board member for 10 exercise and health journals, including the ACSM's Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. He's an ACSM fellow and a member of the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission Selection Committee, which awards the prestigious biannual Olympic prize for sport science. In his free time, Dr. Dishman enjoys running, resistance exercise, and gardening.