Fitness Professional's Handbook - 5th Edition

Formerly titled Health Fitness Instructor’s Handbook, this full-color text has undergone a title change to better reflect its extensive use in the field. Reflective of updates made in the seventh edition of ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, it serves as an essential text for those seeking ACSM health/fitness instructor certification and an invaluable reference for certified fitness professionals striving to stay informed amid ongoing research advances.

Every chapter has been updated based on the latest standards, guidelines, and research, allowing readers to explore the newest theories, research findings, and current issues in the field. The following are among the most significant changes to the text:
• A completely rewritten chapter on health appraisal that focuses on the sequence of steps to follow in screening participants
• Updates based on the most recent dietary guidelines and current standards for nutritional intake
• A thorough discussion of how to develop effective exercise prescriptions for strength and endurance in a very small space
• A new chapter that focuses on yoga, Pilates, and other mind–body exercises
• Additional insight from an expert providing real-life experiences in both fitness- and hospital-based programs and details regarding budget development

Through this text, students with little or no background in fitness testing and prescription will learn to screen participants, carry out standardized fitness tests to evaluate major components of fitness, and write appropriate fitness prescriptions. They will also learn how to apply this information to special populations, including children, older adults, women, or those with chronic disease (e.g., hypertension) or a specific condition (e.g., pregnancy). To aid readers with comprehension, the text retains the best features of previous editions, such as reproducible forms, useful key points, interesting sidebars, case study questions and answers, key terms and glossary, and extensive references throughout the book.

The text features an array of ancillaries, making it easy for instructors to develop and effectively teach their course. All materials are offered through a convenient product-specific Web site and include a new instructor guide, a revised test bank, and a PowerPoint presentation package that includes art, photos, and tables pulled from the text. In addition, the text’s attention to detail regarding the most common fitness tests allows it to be seamlessly integrated into lab experiences associated with fitness assessment.

Fitness Professional’s Handbook, Fifth Edition, provides readers with comprehensive information on the fundamentals of fitness, exercise physiology, and biomechanics. Updates on assessing muscular fitness, applying guidelines for strength and muscular endurance training for diverse populations, preventing low back pain, and interpreting nutritional guidelines will allow readers to better understand the role of physical activity in the quality of life and how to follow practical guidelines for screening, testing, supervising, and modifying activity for various populations. As such, it will be a useful text for students and a valuable reference for practitioners.