Lust For Life

Punk Rock Aerobics: 75 Killer Moves, 50 Punk Classics, and 25 Reasons To Get Off Your Ass and Exercise by Maura Jasper and Hilken Mancini

The Goods: The title pretty much sums it up. Apparently, these broads were a couple of hard-drinking, chain-smoking, flabby 30-somethings who one day got the brilliant idea to become licensed aerobics instructors. Once certified, they started offering punk rock aerobics classes in the beer-soaked basement of the Middle East restaurant in Boston. The book contains a ton of moves that are easy to follow and fun to do in your living room, interviews with indie rock types like Mike Watt, John Doe, and Thurston Moore, and goofy pictures, including one of J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. doing a move called the "Face Down Butt Lift." The best part is making yourself a workout mix on iTunes, all the while thinking, "Oh dear... if Richard Hell knew what I was doing with 'Love Comes In Spurts,' he'd never stop throwing up."

Thoughts: The Los Angeles Marathon is this weekend, and I was checking their website for street closures when I discovered that walkers are allowed to enter the race. This gave me an idea. Because while I am fairly certain that I could not run 26.2 miles, really, I am only interested in being able to say to people, "Did you know I finished a marathon?"

So 2007 Los Angeles Marathon... here I come, with a little help from Maura, Hilken, and Iggy. Maybe I'll even be able to run, like, a quarter of it.

If you like...: the general idea of exercise, but feel that fitness has been co-opted by loathsome, bouncy-haired women who do not sweat, look pert and kicky in athletic shorts, and seem perfectly at ease doing the grapevine step, this book is for you.