Shape Yourself with Navratilova's New Book

[Marius_Hancu]

If this is like her previous books, it should be a quality item:

Shape Your Self : My 6-Step Diet and Fitness Plan to Achieve the Best Shape of Your Life (Hardcover)

by Martina Navratilova

# Hardcover: 288 pages
# Publisher: Rodale Books (March 21, 2006)
# Language: English
# ISBN: 1594862826

http://www.wtatour.com/newsroom/?ContentID=363

[North]

I got the book. I think the older you get, the more you appreciate what's in it.

The material on nutrition describes the benefits of fruits/vegetables and organic foods but the core of that part of the book is all the recipes in a 30-day meal plan. They look pretty good (you can use dairy milk in all of them wherever she says to use soy or oat milk) and are not hard to make. It is obviously time- and labor-intensive to cook so you have to make a committment to really wanting to eat right.

In the section on exercises I was pleased to find most of what I have been doing for a number of years that has kept me, at 50, competitive with (and faster than) people half my age. The exercises are geared to core strength and dynamic flexibility.

The thing that surprised me was that the book is - well..... it's compassionate. Navratilova suggests setting reasonable goals, taking one step at a time, making realistic changes, not being too hard on yourself,and hanging out with people who support your goals and won't sabatoge your efforts. She reiterates the need for a real change in attitudes and lifestyle and is very positive about anyone's ability to get in shape.

Especially for those of us approaching, or smack dab in, middle-age it's a workable way to get in shape that I felt was all the more credible coming from someone like Navratilova.