Author Wendy Strack, 43, lives on 16 acres outside Asotin along the Snake River. Her book is based on the idea of a weekend getaway to Hells Canyon using recreation as a way to get fit while having fun.
Strack cheerfully describes herself as “a chubby gal” with 20 pounds to lose. What she doesn’t say in the book is that she has a degree in kinesiology from Lewis-Clark State College and is the fitness coordinator at Nimiipuu Health in Lapwai for the Nez Perce Tribe.
“I didn’t want to come off as a professional,” Strack explains. “I wanted to be more of, ‘I’m your new best friend in fitness.’ ”
Strack thought it would be unique to write a fitness book that had nothing to do with a gym. “Chubby Gal Fitness” is centered on the home where, Strack writes, “I realized a chubby gal can have way more fun exercising with a cocktail in one hand and a dumbbell in the other ...”
Using humor and a conversational tone she hopes to connect with women who do not consider themselves athletic. The self-published book is illustrated with photos of activities and exercises. Strack says she wants to reach out to others who live in rural areas and help them overcome the barriers, mental and physical, that stop them from exercising.
“I am a mama grizzly fiercely keeping at bay obsessions with the scale, weight and diet,” Strack says of her laid-back approach. The book is available online at wendystrack.com.
At a glance “Chubby Gal Fitness: Weekend Exercise Getaway” by Wendy Strack Outskirts Press 116 pages, $14.95
