Welcome to the world of the Spark, where "what if?" becomes an exciting reality. Based on the groundbreaking Spark Study 2000 conducted by Dr. Glenn A. Gaesser at the University of Virginia, "The Spark" shows you how short, 10-minute bursts of exercise can improve your level of fitness, increase vitality, and help prevent premature death from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer as effectively as 1 hour in the gym 3 times a week. No more struggling to squeeze exercise into an already hectic schedule, and with simple changes in diet, no more worrying about adding pounds if you want to enjoy a plate of pasta or a side of potatoes.

In addition to providing step-by-step guides to specific 10-minute aerobic, strength-training, and flexibility exercises, "The Spark" also includes:

detailed self-tests that help you discover your exercise personality and tailor a Spark plan to your individual needs; an easy-to-follow 3-week exercise and food plan to maximize weight control and fitness in a manageable amount of time; sample daily exercises and food menus, as well as a selection of kitchen-tested, heart-healthy recipes.

A unique combination of expertise and inspiration, "The Spark" is a collaboration between Dr. Glenn A. Gaesser and Karla Dougherty, who found her own Spark and went from confirmed couch potato to marathon bicyclist at age fifty. In addition to this research-based, practical program, you'll find Karla's story, as well astestaments from participants in the Spark 2000 study -- whose fitness levels now equal those of people ten to twenty years younger!

So ignite your own Spark, and create a powerful flame of good health and vitality that will last a lifetime.

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The spark of inspiration behind The Spark came when Glenn Gaesser looked at the exercise recommendations he and his fellow exercise scientists at the American College of Sports Medicine had come up with: 20 to 60 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, three to five times a week; two to three strength-training sessions a week; and two to three flexibility workouts a week.

That's the recommendation for the "average" person.

No wonder the population keeps getting fatter, Gaesser thought. Other than athletes, models, fitness professionals, and a handful of gym rats, who had time for all that? The people without the time--the vast majority of the unexercised population--couldn't see the point of doing anything less. Armed with some intriguing research showing that three 10-minute aerobic exercise sessions in a day produced equivalent benefits to one 30-minute workout, Gaesser tried something radical: a workout program consisting of 15 10-minute bursts, or sparks, of exercise. He tried this on a sedentary group of women and found that in three weeks they lost weight; lowered their cholesterol and triglycerides; and improved their aerobic fitness, flexibility, strength, and muscular endurance. In other words, in just three weeks, these women achieved results normally seen in three months of an exercise program.

Why do these 10-minute sparks work so much faster than traditional exercise programs? Partly because of growth hormone, an important muscle-building and fat-mobilizing chemical your body releases during and after exercise. If you get three daily surges of growth hormone, you get triple the benefits of one daily surge.

Besides showing how to get off the couch and start sparking, Gaesser includes nutritional recommendations. He's a rarity today: a high-carbohydrate advocate. (He cites a University of Pittsburgh study showing that people of all ages who've lost weight and successfully kept it off followed high-carb diets.) But there's one catch: the carbohydrates must contain a lot of fiber; another study he mentions shows that people gain weight on low-fat, low-fiber diets.

The Spark is a miracle pill for entry-level exercisers, or those who've been inactive for a while. You can get started in exercise without turning over your life to your program, and continue to use sparks your entire life--which will be much longer and healthier as a result of the simple 10-minute bursts of effort. --Lou Schuler