Energy Now!: Small Steps to an Energetic Life

Energy Now! Is a self- help book that is really going to help me help myself. The author speaks from experience and is perfectly qualified to write a wellness prescription for all of us who mean well but can never quite get everything worked out on the health and fitness front.The underlying concept is brilliant - the small steps you can get to now and then make into habits you can build on are way better than the lofty dreams of what you could or "should" be doing. You don't even have to read the whole book! It is written so you can get going quickly and then read more when you need to learn more. Each section is an informative study on the theory and practical tips you need to live a more energetic life. And it's not just exercise, it's everything: sleep, food, fitness, happiness, passion...all the things that come together in little bits every day to determine whether or not life sucks.I don't have the training to know what I should be doing, that's why i buy books like these. With 10 Energy Commandments to guide me and a plethora of tips, stories and challenges to get me into action i finally feel like I know I'm setting myself up for success. The extra online tools like the energy assessment, recipes and especially the awesome Full Body 5 workout are an amazing bonus.Bottom line, this book is the full meal deal. The author knows her stuff, the book is fun to read and tells you everything you need to know to really get ahead. Throw in all the online content and the fact the damn philosophy works and it makes buying Energy Now! the best bang for 20 bucks you'll get this year!

It is all about our daily disciplines, baby steps to success. Michelle provides some great practical advise to have the life you truly desire. I recommend this book to all my heart health community.

Michelle writes a smart, practical book that can really make a difference. Her quick wit and tell it like it is approach should inspire many to get off the couch and start participating in life at a level that makes sense for them.Stephanie Staples, author of When Enlightening Strikes

Michelle Cederberg has written a guide to help those of us who are "tired and wired and ready to drop" to feel more energetic on a daily basis. Her approach is simple--take small steps, literally and figuratively, such as start walking ten minutes a day, eat the right snacks, and find a fulfilling hobby.In the first section of the book, Cederberg focuses on the obstacles we face in starting a program that will energize us. She writes, "if your life sucks, it's your fault" and describes many of the excuses she's heard from clients. I think that the emphasis on self-responsibility has its merits but is overly simplistic and the tone (encouragement as opposed to put-down) might come off better during one of the author's live presentations.Energy Now! lists 10 energy commandments and includes sections that highlight physical fitness including exercise, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress management. The third part of the book discusses ways to "feed your spirit" and examines happiness, kindness, and passions.There are a number of times that the author suggests that the reader go to her website to get more information. In at least one of those instances, concerning diagrams of described stretches, I was unhappy that the topic was not adequately covered in the book. Also the narrative is sprinkled with personal stories, some good ones about clients Cederberg worked with and a few too many about herself. Yet overall, Cederberg gives us a good basic overview of the various approaches one can use to energize. The author, a former personal trainer, is a great cheerleader. Energy Now! can help you get started and emphasizes a program of manageable small steps.by Barbara L. Hellerfor Story Circle Book Reviewsreviewing books by, for, and about women

As with all self-help/coaching books, the "getting better" is up to you. And this is where the book shines. The writing style is fun, energetic, and inherently motivating. Better yet, it leaves no room for excuses. The author makes the provocative statement that "if your life sucks, it's your fault". This book is all about inspiring change, and that even small efforts, sustained over time, will generate big results. You can see the truth in what she's saying just by sitting on your couch, but if you get off that couch in the manner she suggests, you stand a pretty good chance of seeing that truth in your own life.