Instant Recess

This lively, inspiring, and informative book zeroes in on the state of American fitness_persistently sedentary, plagued by obesity_and issues a clarion call to action that reaches across economic, racial, and educational lines. Toni Yancey finds that despite our best intentions and repeated resolutions to exercise, as well as a 40-year investment in fitness education and counseling, physical activity in all levels of society continues to plummet. In a warm, reader-friendly narrative that draws on solid scientific research, personal experience, and her own poetry, Yancey calls for a radically different approach: one that respects diversity and is grounded in the cultures of those most at risk. Instant Recess proposes regular ten-minute exercise breaks that utilize music and dance and are easily incorporated into school, work, and community life. Rather than encouraging unhealthful habits like cigarette breaks or high fat snacks, these _instant recesses_ make the active choice the natural one. Here is a new paradigm for fitness and public health that promises vitality, well being, and a greater sense of community_demonstrating, as Yancey argues, that what_s good for the waistline is good for the bottom line.