The thing about exercise 3 in 5BX re taking care when doing. My question is -- Has the safe back exercise question been addressed in the Simple Fitness program? Are those back exercises relatively safer to do than the 5BX one?

Chris Duncan, the Personal Trainer who created Simple Fitness for the site suggested that B4 at http://www.statesa.com/gettingfit/beginner.php was a much safer replacement for the 5BX back exercise.

Why do you have two exercise programs on your website? Which one do you recommend.

Over the years I have started and re-started 5BX. When I started this site I committed again to 5BX. Over the past 6 weeks there have been quite a few comments that some of the 5BX exercise may not be safe. Opinions vary with no two agreeing. I personally am comfortable with 5BX. Thousands have got fit with it and had there been major problems it would not have sold the millions of copies that it did.

However to ensure that I suggest a 'perceived safe' exercise program I asked a personal trainer to develop one based on modern physiological understandings as an alternative to those looking for a home exercise plan.

I will be mainly working with the new program but will utilise 5BX at least one day a week to add some interest into my fitness regime.

Finally on your website you state that the 5bx plan recommends advancing each day if you find the exercises easy. This is not the case so far as the penguin edition is concerned - in my book there is a section called maximum rate of progression through chart one which takes a more cautious approach of 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 10 days in ten year ranges from twenty up.

AND ALSO

I remember doing the 5Bx exercises as a teenager and from what I remember you had to do each level for a number of days before progressing to the next level?

Both comments above are correct after reference to my trusty Penguin book which states:

20 yrs or under, at least one day at each level
20-29 at least 2 days
30-39 at least 4 days
40-49 years, at least 7 days
50-59 at least 8 days
60 years and over at least 10 days.

In my case however I find that if I get through a level easily I progress to the next one the next day.

It is only now that I have reached Chart 2 that I realise that it is getting harder and that I may need a few days on each before I am 'ready' to go to the next level.

Do you have the 5bx booklet?

Sorry but I don't have the 5BX book. What is on the site has been extracted from the Penguin Book that is now out of print and has been for a while. Someone has emailed me and said they have the original booklet and will try to at least scan the pages and send it to me. When I recieve this I can make it available on the site.

I read this in a newsgroup just yesterday (26th August 2003) ": ....still a good plan except exercise 3 is not considered the safest exercise ( cpould cause back damage) to do and exercise 2 has a problem with the hands forcing the head forward. Put your ring finger in your ears and exercise 2 is ok." [Editor: on Exercise 2. Or put you hands across your chest in a crossover position. Re Exercise 3 I am chasing up a fitness trainer as to a substitute for Exercise 3)

I'm not clear on how to progress through the 5bx program: do you keep trying one level until you make it, and then progress to the next?

That's correct. You start at Chart 1 Level D- and when you have accomplished the requirements of that then you go to Level D and the level C-.

If you struggle with one..don't force it just come back to it until you accomplish it.

eg if you are for example Aged 45-49yrs level A+ on Chart 2 is the maximum 5bx suggestS you go to. Of course this is flexible and depends on how fit and healthy you are. I guess if you find A+ on Chart 2 relatively easy to achieve you could move on further.

I want to get cracking and get fit seriously. How do you suggest I go about it?

A personal resolve like yours to 'get fit seriously' is a great start.

It is important to remember " How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" Otherwise when you don't see the progress you want in the short term it can de-motivate you from sticking to it.

Then you need a fitness program like 5BX that is simple to do. It has been proven by many people that this program improves fitness and overall well being. It is portable so if you go on holidays you just keep going on it.

Getting someone else to be accountable to is of great assistance to. My son is my 'encourager'.

Getting someone else to do it with is also helpful. You don't have to do it together in the same room as that maybe hard to organise especially if they are not immediate family. But finding someone who you can talk to over the phone or at work and talk about each other's progress is advantageous. Meeting together on a weekly/fortnightly basis to workout together could be incorporated.

One day I'd like to see GetFit - StayFit groups that could meet from time to time to talk about their progress etc.

If you are own your own in it then you can always drop me an email and I will be plotting my progress on a week by week basis on the website.

Where can I get a copy of the Penguin book detailing the 5BX program?

It has been out of print for many years now. When I decided to start back on the 5BX program I printed off the charts from the only website that had it then. It was only on the 15th August 2003 that I found my tattered old copy.

You maybe able to get one on Ebay.com otherwise the only other place is secondhand bookshops or Collector copies going for US$30-40!