Healthy Reading: Fit4life

Short and sweet

Trainee general practitioner and researcher Stefan van Rooijen developed a program to get fit in four weeks. This book is a guide to running this program yourself. The layout of the book is like a sports workout. There’s a part called “warming up” and it’s about habits. There’s a part called “workout” that deals with the actions you can take in the areas of exercise, nutrition, addictions, and mental strength. The section “cooling down” is about putting together your own goals and training program. Additional to the revised version of the book (2022) is a Fit-na-COVID special.

Who is the author?

dr. Stefan van Rooijen is a general practitioner in training and obtained his doctorate from Maastricht University. There he developed a program to get patients fit for surgery: Fit4surgery. This book is a translation of this scientifically proven program for the general public.

What is this book about?

The book starts with a Fit-na-COVID special. The author briefly discusses the corona pandemic, explains what viruses are and what the relationship is between lifestyle and the immune system. It briefly discusses advice for rehabilitation after a COVID infection, which are very general. The interview with a specialized physiotherapist is interesting because, for example, she tells how people can develop fear of movement after COVID. After this “prelude”, the book really starts. In the first chapters (the “warming up”), Van Rooijen talks about his vision as a doctor – why it sometimes feels so crazy to be primarily concerned with sick people in healthcare, like a soldier at the front. Why are we no longer concerned with health, but without hypes or strict rules? That thought inspired him to develop the Fit4Life plan. This part is also about behavioral change and developing new habits. It ends with a short knowledge quiz.

Training for an hour every day

In the second part (called “work-out”) all aspects of lifestyle are discussed. The explanation is quite in-depth and complete, but luckily it never gets boring. Exercise involves, for example, fitness tests and the structure of a training. It ends with a tough training schedule of four weeks. It contains 1 hour of sports or exercise daily, of which high-intensity training under supervision three times a week. At the end of every hour of exercise, it is recommended to eat 30 grams of protein to stimulate muscle building. That’s quite a lot! It makes sense because this program was originally developed to get people ready for surgery in 4 weeks. You may wonder whether this spicy schedule and all that extra protein are necessary for people who want to live a healthier life. All that in-depth information is also available on other lifestyle topics, such as nutrition, addictions (such as smoking and alcohol), sleep and the mental part of lifestyle. The interviews with experts by experience and with experts such as nutrition professor Jaap Seidell, lung specialist Wanda de Kanter and neurologist Erik Scherder are fun. This part ends with a four-week plan to get fitter, which includes daily exercise, extra proteins and vitamins and healthy eating according to the Wheel of Five. The last part of the book (the “cooling down”) is a kind of workbook in which you can write down your own goals and plans.

What can you practically do with this book?

If you are highly motivated and follow the plan exactly, you can definitely get fitter in four weeks with this book. What I really regret is that there is only a plan for four weeks. It would be nice if a “maintenance program” was also developed.

Final verdict

You will learn a lot about a healthy lifestyle through this book. If you are really motivated, the book will help you get fitter and stronger. But for many people, the plan will be quite ambitious. There is also a lack of a long-term follow-up plan.

Fit4Life, The doctor’s prescription, Stefan van Rooijen, Reprint with additional information, 2022, ISBN 9789083099316, 432 pages, €25, www.fit4life.club.