New Harbinger Publications: How did one of the founders of CNN and a chiropractor come together to write a book about getting fit in bed?

Genie Tartell: It came through being a sports chiropractor. Ted and I are old friends and he asked me to review his exercises for the purpose of writing this book.

NHP: In the book you talk about how this program is helpful for people with injuries, illnesses like fibromyalgia, and those recovering from surgery, but what does it offer for a relatively healthy, but not terribly fit, person?

GT: It increases strength, flexibility, builds muscle tone, and calms the mind.

NHP: Is it true that anyone can get fit with this program?

GT: Yes.

NHP: It’s a common belief that exercising at night deters sleep. Why, then do you say that these exercises can be done at night before sleep?

GT: New studies have shown that, in actuality, exercising before sleep increases the depth of sleep, which in turn increases the production of a certain hormone that assists in fat metabolism.

NHP: Your program draws from a number of exercise systems, like Pilates, yoga, and karate. Why did you feel the need to draw from so many approaches?

GT: Essentially, integrating these exercises allowed us to produce a program that does indeed increase flexibility, muscle tone, and endurance. By combining the philosophy of each exercise system, we have maximized the overall effectiveness of each movement.

NHP : Can you give us a few examples of the kind of patients this program has benefited?

GT: Patients recovering from injuries (phase 1 or phase 2 injury recovery), post-ops that need to move around to prevent any respiratory problems, people with chronic fatigue, and people unable to move at all who work with caregivers to complete the exercises.

NHP: The subtitle of Get Fit in Bed is Tone Your Body & Calm Your Mind from the Comfort of Your Bed. What effects does this program have on stress levels?

GT: As with any exercise program, it increases the production of endorphins, which is proven to decrease stress levels. Additionally, when you get caught up in the repetitions, it helps take your mind off of your other worries in a meditative sort of process.

NHP: The program is very gentle and many of the movements are quite subtle. Many of us believe that fitness requires a dynamic form of exercise. How do you see this program fitting into the regimen of someone who wants to lose weight, gain muscle, and generally be more fit?

GT: They would do the exercises with more repetitions, while increasing the rate of the repetitions.

NHP: Can you walk us through one or two of the exercises?

GT: Each exercise starts working the smaller muscle groups, then advances to using all the muscle groups, broken down into exercises to do on your back, stomach and either side.

NHP: The concept of getting real results from exercising in bed may strike some people as too good to be true. What do you say to the skeptics?

GT: I think that, like any exercise program, the program needs to be tried on a consistent basis for a minimum of one month. The results achieved with consistency will surprise any skeptic.