What ever possessed us to write a book on senior fitness? That’s a lot of work in our already busy semi-retired, always-having-fun lives! Here’s how it all happened…
One day I realized that my wife and I were not aging as fast or as badly as our contemporaries. We looked around us and all we saw were old people. Older men and women (most of them chronologically younger than us) who had long ago retired and had now decided to take the high road of leisure. Many were sick, weak, bent over from frail bones and decaying muscles, while some were suffering from challenges of the mind, digestive ailments, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Why were our friends aging so badly? Why did our aging seem to be on hold? Had we turned into that golden couple everyone admires and hates because they seem so young, energetic and healthy?
About five years ago we began to study and read as many clinical and scientific studies on aging and longevity; they all led us to the same five solutions:
- Exercise
- Don’t eat crap
- Sleep
- Control stress
- Be socially active
We began a self-study to see where we ranked in these five life-extending keys, and it was then that we realized how much our lifestyle differed from most of our senior neighbors.
Next we began to search for self-help and fitness books aimed at seniors who wanted to add years to their health span. It was due to the paltry few good books on senior fitness that we decided to write our own book.
Why Should Anyone Listen to Us?
Admittedly, we are not longevity specialists, medical doctors, nutritionists or physical exercise trainers. You should know that we’re not giving anyone individual advice; just because we do something doesn’t mean you should. Everyone’s different, and even more so when it comes to seniors.
We’ve seen too many of our friends get old before our eyes. They didn’t believe that vigorous exercise was something they could do as an aging senior. Their doctors wrote them many prescriptions, but not many spoke of prevention or insisted upon daily exercise. That has to stop.
There is plenty of information available for everyone to start advocating health for themselves and their friends. Everyone should know that exercise isn’t “nice-to-do,” but rather a requirement for all seniors.
That’s why we were compelled to write this book. We are merely practitioners of healthy habits, two educated professionals* who are in our 70s and who have learned a lot about exercise and nutrition over our lifetimes. We would really like to see more of our friends and fellow seniors get the amazing, miraculous benefits from exercise and good mental habits that we have. As you will read, we both have had our health challenges, and we use them not to give up but to motivate us.
Recent Comments