JIM PALMER'S WAY TO FITNESS

Ex-Baltimore pitcher Palmer doesn't know anything many others haven't already told us about exercise, but his is the solid, no-fads approach to fitness. Palmer attributes the longevity of his pitching career to maintaining overall general well-being (rather than just protecting his arm), and encourages readers to adopt the same approach no matter what their specific recreational sport. He offers a well-rounded program complete with warm-up and cool-down phases, graduated for increasing difficulty, and supporting general nutritional guidelines. This is mostly fine--with just one rare slip: Palmer is still using the discredited, knee-injuring ""hurdler's stretch."" He rounds out his regimen with advice on hair and skin care and good grooming for men (the rest of the book is directed at both sexes); and a word on stress. The easy-going Palmer urges moderation rather than obsession (a healthier lifestyle ""is not something that needs to be done in a kamikaze fashion""). Nothing new here, but a sound program from a popular figure.