[...]... overweight and obesity It is apparent that the world, in general, and the U.S., in particular, is getting less and less healthy due to an epidemic of obesity due to overeating and the lack of physical activity The health of many individuals is at risk because they are unable or unwilling to change their eating and exercise habits In the U.S., for instance, about 63% of U.S men and women are overweight, and about... While we value a “holistic” approach to client treatment, and often recommend that our clients exercise more” to improve their mental xv xvi Foreword and physical health, few practitioners know the science or have adequate knowledge to systematically prescribe an exercise program to clients and then monitor and evaluate their progress These are missing skills in the mental health profession Dr Anshel’s... physical activity (as opposed to occupational or household physical activity) that is undertaken to achieve a particular objective such as reduced stress, improved fitness and health, improved physical appearance, and so on Physical Activity All bodily movement that cause increases in physical exertion beyond that which occurs during normal activities of daily living Cardiovascular (Aerobic) Fitness. .. structured exercise, it is imperative to start slow, than build up our resistance to fatigue and discomfort Leading an active lifestyle will help overcome our refusal to move more than we must and why we find exercise so undesirable Common Barriers to Exercise Participation There are reasons, good and bad, valid and invalid, that explain a person’s decision to engage or not engage in regular exercise Here are... and others who promote mental or physical health should read this book I can attest to the credibility, quality of writing, and clear application of content Informed mental health practitioners now have information and guidelines for delivering a higher quality of care to their clients No one has more credibility and trust in the community to encourage behavior change than mental health professionals... servesup research in a practical, clear, and straightforward manner, and delivers a credible, scientifically based book This is a clear application of the scientist-practitioner model Dr Anshel articulates principles than can be readily generalized to a wide range of clinical situations He proposes interventions that are practicable Anshel is one of the rare researchers who speak the language of the... has got to change!” In 35 years of practice as a clinical psychologist, I have seen many men and women reach the end of their rope Those who practice mental health care are trained to evaluate alcohol abuse, know the signs of depression, deal with marital problems, and many other maladies We tend to address these problems from a limited professional perspective—psychological, biological, and social,... Prescribing exercise as a stress management strategy The principles, concepts, and theories that describe, explain, and predict sport performance also apply to all forms of human performance, including exercise There is now more research, articles, books, and job opportunities related to factors that contribute to exercise participation and nonparticipation, partly due to an increasingly overweight, inactive,... practitioners, that has yet to receive adequate attention by researchers and influence public exercise behavior Examples of applied exercise psychology include examining effective interventions that influence exercise participation and adherence among healthy and unhealthy populations, designing specific exercise programs that lead to psychological and emotional benefits, studying the psychological... lifestyle At the same time, the client s mental disposition will go from unpleasant to pleasant emotions and dispositions, a particularly important issue for many clients who seek counsel The MHP is in a unique position to provide both emotional support and information to clients in providing guidance and leadership toward starting an exercise program Certainly the health and fitness industry are not . principles that can be applied by any well-trained mental health specialist. He serves- up research in a practical, clear, and straightforward manner, and delivers. psychology consultants, allied health and rehabilitation profes- sionals, and students (graduate and undergraduate) who intend to enter a career in any of the