Exercise- many an enthusiast is well aware of its addictiveness. We are not sure why we feel good after we sometimes push ourselves to the limit; however, we are convinced that it is essential to our good health. After all, if you don’t take care of your body, your body won’t take care of you. Is this something psychological or does exercise really make you feel better?

New York Times science reporter and author, Gina Kolata, in her most recent book, Ultimate Fitness: The Quest For Truth About Exercise and Health, presents an overview of the multimillion -dollar exercise industry. From the early beginnings, when weight lifting was the fad to jogging in the 1970s, cycling in the 1980s, aerobics in the 1990s, and now the newest craze, Spinning.

Kolata examines various theories as to what drives people to exercise vigorously, and the pros and cons of the various exercise programs.

Along the way, the author points out the derivation of certain formulas that we take for granted, such as why the “maximum heart rate” is calculated at 220 minus our age.

We also receive answers to questions such as, is there really a “fat-burning zone” or does “spot reducing” actually work. Incidentally, according to the author, spot reducing does not work; it is a myth just like many exercise myths.

The “snake oil” side of the exercise industry is also analyzed, and like every other industry, there are some rotten apples in the barrel. Caveat emptor-let the buyer be aware.

As the author is a fan of the exercise of “Spinning,” a great deal of ink is devoted to this latest craze. We are informed that the inventor of Spinning was Johnny G (for Goldberg), who was a former competitive cyclist from Australia.

It was his belief that the stationary bike should no longer exist only for warming up or for burning calories before training. “It should be an entire workout unto itself, on a functional piece of equipment with real handlebars, a water-bottle cage and a variety of settings that offered the ability to emulate everything a cyclist did on the road-time trials, riding the flats, climbing a mountain, maneuvering bumps in the road, sprinting-in a single forty-minute session.” Is this the answer now to all of our exercise prayers?

Kolata is well versed in her subject matter and her journalistic inquisitiveness is quite apparent. However, from time to time I had the feeling that the author was trying to include too much, leading to “information overload.” I also found the organization of the book a trifle haphazard. Perhaps, highlighting the different topics within the chapters would have made it easier to follow.