Light Your Fire Not all of Glenn Gaesser's 10-minute aerobic "Sparks" are conventional exercises. Some of his "Spontaneous Movement" suggestions: African dancing Badminton Belly dancing Hopscotch Hula hooping Jumping rope Kickboxing moves Martial-arts moves Playing tag with your kids Racing a buddy a couple of blocks Racquetball Sliding boards Swing dancing

IN THE NEW BOOK "The Spark," two promising fitness trends come together for an exercise and diet program that's difficult to dismiss as too difficult.

First is the idea that we don't have to go to a gym or use special equipment to get enough exercise to make a difference - everyday physical activity counts. The second says it doesn't take 30 to 60 consecutive minutes of exercise to improve health and fitness - even 10-minute sessions work.

The recommendation of 30 to 60 minutes of intense aerobic exercise, three times a week, had come in 1998 from the American College of Sports Medicine, in its fitness guidelines for health and longevity. It troubled Glenn Gaesser, an exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia and ACSM fellow: Few people would exercise that much, he suspected, not to mention also follow the rest of the advice, two to three sessions weekly for strength and two to three for flexibility.

Gaesser developed a three-week study in which participants built up to 15 10-minute exercise sessions a week, with startling results: Aerobic capacity improved 10 to 15 percent, strength and muscular endurance was enhanced 40 to 100 percent, flexibility scores increased, cholesterol dropped, average weight loss was 3 pounds.

"The Spark" ($22, Simon & Schuster), co-written by Gaesser and Karla Dougherty, outlines a three-week fitness plan based on Gaesser's study and some self-tests outlined in the book. It starts gently, with two-minute bursts of activity - "Sparks" - three times a day. By the middle of the second week, participants are up to three 10-minute Sparks daily; they eventually spread 15 over each week.

Each Spark peaks at an intensity level of 4 (out of 5). Gaesser recommends seven to 10 aerobic, two to four strength-training and two to four flexibility Sparks each week. He outlines structured routines as well as more spontaneous activities (see chart).

The Spark Food Plan also is implemented in stages, working up to 10 servings (25 grams) of fiber-filled foods a day, watching portion sizes, reducing fat, using snacks, getting enough calcium and drinking plenty of water.

The simplicity and gradual progression of Gaesser's program makes exercising and eating healthfully imaginable for almost anyone. He concludes with some encouraging and decidedly untrendy advice: Don't diet. "The people who maintain a healthy attitude about food regulate their consumption based on internal cues, not the external world of peer pressure, restaurant ambiance, stress and the mighty `shoulds.' ... The result? Bodies that naturally correct themselves after an indulgence."

Other recent books of note:

"Hot Point Fitness" by Steve Zim and Mark Laska ($26, Perseus Publishing). Zim, a personal trainer with a gym (A Tighter U) in Culver City, Calif., says he determined (with the help of magnetic resonance imaging) that most of us are using only 20 to 40 percent of our muscle capability when we work out. He contends his program of intense weight lifting, aerobics with interval training and lean diet works muscles more, burns fat and speeds metabolism. Call it anti-Spark: Phase one of Zim's system takes one hour at a gym, three days a week, phase two 90 minutes four days a week and phase three requires up to two hours a day, five days a week.

"The Longevity Code" by Zorba Paster with Susan Meltsner ($25, Clarkson Potter). Paster, an M.D. and host of a National Public Radio call-in show, examines five spheres of wellness that impact longevity: physical, mental, social, spiritual and material. He recommends finding one's personal balance between the spheres, and rates "the 76 most effective longevity boosters." Five-star activities range from staying away from tobacco and cutting dietary fat to treating depression, extracting yourself from abusive relationships and pursuing job satisfaction.

"You Weigh What You Believe" by Gary Noyes ($19.95, Parchment Press). A mental-health counselor and former minister discusses eight common mistaken beliefs (such as "I need the approval of others to succeed" and "There is no evil force actively opposing me") and contends they must be identified and changed before achieving successful weight loss.

"Jonny Bowden's Shape Up" ($25, Perseus Publishing). A nutritionist and personal trainer consolidates the Shape-Up Challenges he conducted on the iVillage Web site, taking into account commitment, self-esteem, body image, impulse control, addictions, metabolic type, genetics, ethnic heritage and hormones, among other factors. The Zone-type diet is simplified into A- and B-list foods. Walking and strength-training exercise starts easily and increases gradually. Participants receive weekly assignments in five categories: journal, to-do list, food, exercise and self-assessment.

"The Firefighter's Workout Book" by Michael Stefano ($24.95, Cliff Street Books/Harper Collins). A New York City fire captain and personal trainer, Stefano presents eight routines, most short, intense sessions that don't require sophisticated, expensive equipment and don't leave one drained - workouts, in other words, that firefighters can use. Clear photos illustrate weight-lifting exercises; firefighting anecdotes are sprinkled throughout.

"The Formula" by Gene and Joyce Daoust ($23.95, Ballantine). Proponents of the 40-30-30 approach, referring to percentages of carbohydrates, protein and fats in meals and snacks, the Daousts present an overview and five personalized meal-planning categories before outlining a 21-day "Fat Flush" plan (which contains medium- to low-glycemic carbohydrates) and a maintenance plan (that allows also high-glycemic carbs). They offer more than 200 meals and recipes.

Perhaps the most provocative book to cross my desk in the past six months, though, is "Lights Out" by T.S. Wiley with Bent Formby ($14.95, Pocket Books). The authors say they prove that obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are caused by a lack of sleep, a result of the artificial light that extends our days. With a tone worthy of "The X-Files," they say the government knows this, but continues to support a low-fat, exercise-more agenda, when the real answer is simply sleeping 9 hours a night. The final chapter, "Only the Paranoid Survive," is followed by 100 pages of references.

Molly Martin is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine. She can be reached via 206-464-8243, mmartin@seattletimes.com or P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98101.