Book review: Physical Activity and Health The evidence explained: Second edition (Adrianne E. Hardman and David J. Stensel)

I was lucky enough to be lectured by Adrianne Hardman at Loughborough University during my degree. She was such a knowledgeable academic that her lectures were tough, challenging, and very informative. She raised the bar of sports science.

The purpose of this short review is to provide links to further reading that has helped me understand the value of exercise to health. This text and others like it change the way you think about health and how to improve it for yourself and for others. it will also help you understand why I focus so much on getting people out and about to be more active any way they can.

This book is as informative and thorough as the lectures she gave. I bought the older version because I could afford it. If I had the money, I would jump straight for the latest book, no question.

For our purposes this book is perfect. It introduces the facts behind exercise and its influence of health and the serious problems countries now face with such inactive populations.

The text begins with a thorough analysis of the evidence surrounding physical activity and health.

I have listed the main summary of the research on activity and its effect on health. The book gives a very technical summary. I have translated this into non-academic plan text terms, and there is a little loss in translation, but the main points don’t change. Being physically active is better for you no matter who you are. The summary points are:

• Observational studies consistently show that the less physical activity someone does and the lower physical fitness someone has, the greater risk they have of dying. It’s blunt but true. This is true even when taking into account existing health conditions.
• In general the more active you are the lower your chance of death from disease and te lower your chance of suffering from disease.
• The results are the same for men and women.
• If you are obese, then being fit improves your health and protects you from many diseases, just like it does for those who are not obese.
• Spending around 1,000 kcal per week on physical activity is enough to lower the risk of health problems associated with inactivity. Vigorous exercise is likely more beneficial than nonvigorous exercise.
• Being fit improves the quality of life but not length. You are less likely to die from a disease like a heart attack, but you will die of old age; You will just get old more comfortably.
• Activity on its own is not enough. A complete healthy lifestyle is needed for the full benefits.

The focus then moves on to the health problems that occur from a lack of exercise. YOu learn that the problems are profound and increasingly recognised including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• Cancer
• Skeletal health

The book also covers the special topics of:

• Childrens health
• Ageing

Testimonials

‘Drs. Hardman and Stensel have prepared an excellent second edition to their book on physical activity and health. The book is comprehensive, the literature review is extensive and up to date, and is well written. The book covers topics relevant to persons across the age range, from children to older adults. The closing chapter presents a strong rationale for the urgent need to incorporate physical activity policies and promotion into public health strategies.’

– Steven N. Blair, PED, Professor, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina

‘I wish I had had this textbook as a student – it would have made learning about the health benefits of physical activity much easier! By housing a comprehensive variety of topics in a single volume, the textbook is a wonderful resource for anyone, whether student or exercise or health professional, wanting to find out more about physical activity and health.’

– I-Min Lee, MBBS, MPH, SD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Synopsis

Physical Activity and Health explains clearly, systematically and in detail the relationships between physical activity, health and disease, and examines the benefits of exercise in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of important conditions.

Containing useful features throughout, such as chapter summaries, study tasks, guides to supplementary reading and definitions of key terms, and richly illustrated with supporting tables, figures and plates, Physical Activity and Health is an essential course text. Now supported by a companion website featuring

Now in a fully updated and revised edition, and still the most complete and engaging textbook on this important subject, Physical Activity and Health offers a balanced examination of the very latest evidence linking levels of physical activity with disease and mortality. It offers a wide-ranging assessment of the importance of inactivity as a factor in major diseases and health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and osteoporosis.

The book is designed to help the reader evaluate the quality and significance of the scientific evidence, and includes an invaluable discussion of common study designs and the inherent difficulties of measuring physical activity. It also explores the full range of contemporary themes in the study of exercise and health, such as the hazards of exercise; exercise and the elderly; children’s health and exercise; and physical activity and public health policy. It also includes a critical appraisal of current recommendations for physical activity.

Containing useful features throughout, such as chapter summaries, study tasks, guides to supplementary reading and definitions of key terms, and richly illustrated with supporting tables, figures and plates, Physical Activity and Health is an essential course text. Now supported by a companion website featuring self-test questions, PowerPoint slides for lecturers, additional learning activities and web links, this book is vital reading for degree-level students of sport and exercise, public health, physical therapy, medicine and nursing.

Authors

Adrianne E. Hardman is Emeritus Professor of Human Exercise Metabolism at Loughborough University, the UK’s leading centre for sport and exercise science. Adrianne has over 25 years experience in university teaching and research, has published widely, given invited lectures in many countries and has contributed to the development of guidelines on physical activity in the UK and in North America.

David J. Stensel is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Loughborough University and was formerly a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. An experienced teacher and researcher, David has also given invited lectures in the UK and overseas.