Pearlman, the author of four books on fitness, including Workouts That Work for Women Who Work (1988), has over 20 years of experience in the fitness field. Her newest title offers conditioning exercises and stretches geared to gardeners. She discusses the correct way to lift, carry, rake, and perform other garden tasks and includes soothing baths and skin, hand, and nail care, with a final chapter on dealing with minor medical problems like cuts, insect bites, and sunburn. She shares recipes for natural home remedies as well as her favorite commercially available products from skin care to tools to gloves, listing suppliers. For the most part, the exercises are easy to follow, with a few confusing exceptions. This unique book is recommended for public libraries, but one wishes Pearlman could have avoided phrases like your goldenrod years or Im happy as a clematis. (Illustrations not seen.)Sue OBrien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
An hour of gardening can burn as many calories as a 3 1/2-mile brisk walk, according to Barbara Pearlman, author of Gardener's Fitness . The sport of gardening requires strength, flexibility, and agility. Here Pearlman offers some dos and don'ts for your work in the dirt.
[Pearlman's] book has easy-to-follow exercises and illustrations that include therapeutic movements to relieve discomfort, conditioning exercises and stretches to relax muscles and restore energy after working in the garden.
Exercise maven Barbara Pearlman also happens to have a green thumb. In her book Gardener's Fitness , she presents gardener-specific stretching and strengthening moves—along with inspirational quotes and useful illustrations—that will help your body and your backyard into shape.
Contains basic tips on how you can maximize your time in the garden without all the pain the next day. Whatever you do, try and keep outdoor endeavors light and carefree.
Let Barbara Pearlman show you how to garden safely and comfortably with her new book, Gardener's Fitness . Add a little fitness to your garden to-do list, and you'll enjoy working in the garden for a long time to come.
Flower and Garden - Amy Engelhardt
Stop and stretch before you smell, or prune, the roses. Gardener's Fitness offers advice on how to garden safely and painlessly regardless of age.
Newark Star-Ledger - Korky Vann
It's not just our gardens that need a spring tuneup. Our winterized bodies could use some help this time of year, too. Gardener's Fitness gives a series of stretching and strengthening exercises designed especially with gardening in mind.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
For answers, we turn to fitness guru Barbara Pearlman, or rather to her new book: Gardener's Fitness . It is a slim, chatty volume that covers everything from strengthening and stretching exercises to proper tools, from remedies for scrapes and rashes to warding off bugs.
The Washington Post - Stephanie Cavanaugh
Pearlman has written a balanced, thoughtful, and very useful book filled with simple conditioning exercises to help our bodies survive the gardening season.
The News-Review - Sarah Robertson
With proper conditioning, gardening should not wreak havoc on your body.
Have you been digging, raking, lifting, and hauling while going along with the theory that gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it? If so, do yourself a big favor and read Gardener's Fitness . It can make you a truly fit and happy gardener.
Perennial Notes - Nellie Nichols
Most other gardening books help you to enjoy gardening; this one will make you feel good about it.
Garden Showcase - Lynn Lustberg
Undoubtedly, Pearlman loves gardening, and her background in fitness makes her the ideal candidate for writing this book, which should appeal to any gardener. [Gardener's Fitness ] is an excellent reference book to help people who love to garden continue to enjoy their labor of love.
Amarillo Globe-News - Marlene Feduris
Follow Pearlman's suggestions for warm-ups, and reap all the pleasures made possible by your green thumb, without suffering from a complaining back. Gardening should never be a painful experience.
This book is a well-researched, sound compendium covering just about everything you need to know to garden safely and healthfully. It belongs on every gardener's reference shelf... make sure you follow the advice in it each time you go out to work in the garden.
The News Journal - Nancy Wingate
A handy guide for preventing strain in the garden.
Okay, gardening may be Grandma's workout, but you still can burn up to 400 calories per hour and strengthen leg muscles digging in the dirt. But if you don't use proper form, you may throw out your back along with the weeds. To do it right, follow tips from Gardener's Fitness .
Your muscles are on fire... it feels like they've been impaled by red-hot skewers. It's painfully clear you've overdone the gardening thing. [Pearlman's] book offers simple exercises to help you get out of bed the next day.
The Sacramento Bee - Dan Vierria
As any serious gardener knows, putting in those plants is no job for pansies. Digging holes, pulling weeds and lugging bags of soil for hours is a serious workout. Pearlman shows gardeners the right moves in her book, Gardener's Fitness .
A good book [Gardener's Fitness ] has come out, aimed at conditioning you to minimize the chances of getting hurt while gardening.
Until recently, I thought the only preventive actions I could take were bending my knees when picking up manure bags and saying nightly prayers. Then I met Barbara Pearlman.
The New York Times - Tovah Martin
No wonder Martha Stewart looks so good: Gardening is a total-body workout that burns between 200 and 500 calories in an hour. But pulling weeds can be tough on your body, so follow these tips from Gardener's Fitness .
This health guide for gardeners features conditioning exercises to prepare for the new season; therapeutic movements to relieve discomfort; and stretches that help relax tired muscles and restore energy.
Owwww, garden elbow. Ohhhhh, the aching back. Pearlman has written a book addressed to the special needs of recreational dirt grubbers. Gardener's Fitness includes therapeutic stretches, correct posture positions, and exercises to relax tired muscles and restore energy.
Do you have a love-hate relationship with your garden? You love working in it, but you hate the aches, pains, sunburn and bug bites. A new book, Gardener's Fitness , filled with information, has some tips on how to avoid the latter.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
With spring close at hand, I welcome this little book with its dozens of how-to line drawings and its handy advice for making gardening less stressful on our bodies.
Eugene Register-Guard - Marcella Garcia Moore
If you're looking for advice on how gardening can keep you in shape for a lifetime, try Gardener's Fitness .
If you want your time outdoors to be productive and injury-free, make sure you do some simple exercises to get your body in shape before the annual dig.
Los Angeles Times - Charles Downey
[Pearlman's] book has easy-to-follow exercises and illustrations that include therapeutic movements to relieve discomfort, conditioning exercises and stretches to relax muscles and restore energy after working in the garden.
Springs Gazette Colorado Springs Gazette
