Synopses & Reviews
Make Exercise a Pleasurable Habit The Athlete’s Way presents a practical, motivational fitness program by an ultra-endurance athlete that incorporates brain science, positive psychology and behaviorism to transform lives from the inside out. It is the antidote to the imbalances created by living a sedentary, inactive existence. Christopher Bergland, the son of a neurosurgeon, has created a program to help improve life through exercise.
The Athlete’s Way program, focusing on cardio, strength, stretching, nutrition and sleep, uses neurobiology and behavioral models to enable you to think, train and behave like an athlete, making you more optimistic, resilient, and intense. You will want to get a glow on every day to increase your daily bliss quotient. Exercise will no longer be something to dread but something to enjoy and experience to the fullest.
The Athlete’s Way teaches you how to make exercise a source of joy and something you will want to engage in daily. Sweat will become a symbol of your striving for a standard of excellence and a solid work ethic that is synonymous with peak performance. The stamina, tenacity, and drive fortified through athletics--and this program--can be applied to any dream, obstacle, or goal you aspire to achieve. Christopher Bergland is a Manhattan-based world-class endurance athlete. He holds a Guinness World Record for treadmill running (153.76 miles in 24 hours) and has won the longest nonstop triathlon in the world three times. He completed The Triple Ironman, a 7.2-mile swim, 336-mile bike, followed by a 78.6-mile run (done consecutively) in a record breaking time of 38 hours and 46 minutes. He directs the triathlon program at Chelsea Piers and has been sponsored by Kiehl's since 1996. He has been featured in dozens of TV, magazine, and newspaper articles including CNN, PBS, ABC, CBS, Fox, Men's Journal, ESPN magazine, and the L.A. Times. He currently manages a specialty sporting goods shop in New York City called "JackRabbit Sports." Inspiring Lessons from a World-class Endurance Athlete “I love to sweat. All told, I have run distance equal to four trips around the world on a treadmill and on the streets of Manhattan where I live. I have biked to the moon and back, dueling it out with a red, blinking pacer light on a LifeCycle control panel or logging countless laps in Central Park. I’ve even crossed the Atlantic a few times – in the pool – and I’ve swum in almost every ocean around the world competing in Ironman triathlons. When I am running, biking, or swimming, happiness pours out of me. I am not alone. Everyone who exercises regularly experiences this bliss. And it is available to you, too, anytime you break a sweat. The Athlete’s Way is an individual process but ultimately a universal experience. We feel good when we sweat. I have learned how to find Nirvana on the treadmill, and I am going to teach you my secrets.”
--Christopher Bergland
Synopsis
"Dr. Donahues calm, reasoned approach will help moms and dads sort out their concerns so they can stop worrying about the future and enjoy their rapidly changing kids — now.”
--Thomas. W. Phelan, author, 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children
The ‘perfect parenting expectations imposed on you by the media, society, your family, and your community can seem impossible to live up to and only make you more fearful and anxious. Paul Donahue, Ph.D. has uncovered the six most common fears that prevent you from being the effective, loving, and successful parent you want to be:
-The Fear of Letting Go
-The Fear of Not Doing Enough
-The Fear of Taking Charge
-The Fear of Slowing Down
-The Fear of Unstructured Time
-The Fear of Falling Behind
Parenting Without Fear gives you the tools to confront your fears, rethink your goals and teach your children how to be independent, to persevere, to cooperate and respect adults, to be mindful, to imagine and explore their world, and to develop compassion for others. Discover how to gain the confidence to trust your own judgment, and the courage to make choices about your childrens academic, social and athletic lives that reflect your familys values and balance your needs with theirs.
“Dr. Donahue has masterfully identifies the key fears faced by many parents as they confront the challenges of raising children in todays world and he does so with warmth, humor, and empathy. This book will serve as an invaluable resource for parents."
--Robert Brooks, Ph.D., co-author, Raising Resilient Children and The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence and Personal Strength in Your Life
“This book provides welcome reassurance to parents who worry they are not doing everything they can for their kids.”
--Nancy Samalin, M.S., author of Loving without Spoiling and 100 Timeless Tips for Raising Terrific Kids
Synopsis
< div=""> Dr. Donahue& #8217; s calm, reasoned approach will help moms and dads sort out their concerns so they can stop worrying about the future and enjoy their rapidly changing kids & #8212; now.& #8221; & nbsp; < br=""> --Thomas. W. Phelan, author, < i=""> 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children<> < br=""> & nbsp; < br=""> < div=""> The & #8216; perfect parenting& #8217; expectations imposed on you by the media, society, your family, and your community can seem impossible to live up to and only make you more fearful and anxious.& nbsp; Paul Donahue, Ph.D. has uncovered the six most common fears that prevent you from being the effective, loving, and successful parent you want to be: < i=""> <> < br=""> & nbsp; < br=""> -The Fear of Letting Go< br=""> -The Fear of Not Doing Enough< br=""> -The Fear of Taking Charge< br=""> -The Fear of Slowing Down< br=""> -The Fear of Unstructured Time< br=""> -The Fear of Falling Behind< br=""> & nbsp; < br=""> < i=""> Parenting Without Fear<> gives you the tools to confront your fears, rethink your goals and teach your children how to be independent, to persevere, to cooperate and respect adults, to be mindful, to imagine and explore their world, and to develop compassion for others.< b=""> & nbsp; <> Discover how to< b=""> <> gain the confidence to trust your own judgment, and the courage to make choices about your children& #8217; s academic, social and athletic lives that reflect your family& #8217; s values and balance your needs with theirs.< br=""> < iv=""> < iv=""> < div=""> & nbsp; < iv=""> < div=""> < div=""> & #8220; Dr. Donahuehas masterfully identifies the key fears faced by many parents as they confront the challenges of raising children in today& #8217; s world and he does so with warmth, humor, and empathy.& nbsp; This book will serve as an invaluable resource for parents.& nbsp; < br=""> --Robert Brooks, Ph.D., co-author, < i=""> Raising Resilient Children<> and < i=""> The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence and Personal Strength in Your Life<> < br=""> & nbsp; < br=""> & #8220; This book provides welcome reassurance to parents who worry they are not doing everything they can for their kids.& #8221; < br=""> --Nancy Samalin, M.S., author of < i=""> Loving without Spoiling<> and < i=""> 100 Timeless Tips for Raising Terrific Kids<> < br=""> < i=""> <> & nbsp; < br=""> < div=""> Paul J. Donahue, Ph.D., a nationally-recognized clinical psychologist, is the founder and director of Child Development Associates in Scarsdale, New York, and the co-author of < i=""> Mental Health Consultation in Early Childhood<> . Visit www.drpauldonahue.com for more information.< br=""> & nbsp; < br=""> & nbsp; < iv=""> < i=""> <> & nbsp; < br=""> < i=""> <> & nbsp; < br=""> < iv=""> < iv="">
About the Author
Paul J. Donahue, Ph.D, a nationally-recognized clinical psychologist, is the founder and director of Child Development Associates in Scarsdale, New York, a practice specializing in young children and their families.
Reading Group Guide
Suggested Book Group Questions from the author... 1. What are your biggest worries for your own kids?
-Is it keeping up with everyone else?
-Keeping them safe?
-Making sure they are happy?
-Do you find yourself peering into the future- thinking about college and their economic prospects when they are young?
-What other worries come to mind? 2. Does it make sense to have a “mission statement for our kids?”
-How do we decide which lessons are the ones we want to focus on and teach our kids?
-What happens if we dont go through this exercise? 3. In PWOF, there is a chapter called “The Tools to Combat Fear.”
-Which of these “tools” are the hardest to attain -- and maintain - for you as parents?
-Endurance?
-Confidence?
-Courage? 4. Do you agree with the Dr. Donahues emphasis and theories on teaching kids to be independent and work hard when they are young- starting as early as preschool? Or do you believe that it puts too much pressure on kids and leads us to expect too much of them? 5. How would you have handled the dilemma faced by the author in the beginning of Chapter Six/The Fear of Taking Charge (pages 116-118)?
-Have you been in circumstances with other parents where you had to stand up and go against the group?
-What are the biggest challenges for parents in your town who want to teach their kids to be respectful and cooperative?
6. How can you teach your kids to slow down and be more “mindful?” (Chapter 7).
-Is this realistic given our fast-paced, on-the-go family lives?
-Without dramatically altering their lifestyle, how can parents look to cut back and de-stress, and find moments for quiet reflection and focused attention?
7. Dr. Donahue makes the case for giving kids more time for play and outdoor exploration. Do you agree with this?
-Will our kids be harmed if they are not in a number of structured, skill-building activities like sports or dance or music?
-How do we find the right balance?
8. Few parents would argue against raising a caring and compassionate child, but how can we incorporate these values into our daily lives? Will we have to de-emphasize competition and helping kids strive to do their best? 9. How can parents in your community or in your neighborhood (or your book group) support each other in their attempts to focus on “what really matters” and live “without fear?” 10. In ten or twenty or thirty years from now, how will we know if we have done a good job as parents?
-What skills do you believe your kids need to be happy, successful and resilient adults?