4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Existence proofs that people can be competitive athletes well into their seventies, March 8, 2010
This review is from: 50 Athletes over 50 Teach Us to Live a Strong, Healthy Life (Kindle Edition)
Fortunately, while people are generally living longer, there has not been as significant a corresponding decline in the quality of that life. The extra years are generally not spent in a state of weakness that has some percentage of being an invalid. This fact is common knowledge, what is not so well known is that many people can remain athletically competitive over the age of fifty, sometimes decades over. This book is a case study of fifty such people.
Granted, there has been some "cherry-picking" of the representatives, but that does not change the fact that it is proven that it is possible for humans to remain active to the point of being athletic several decades after hitting their fiftieth birthday. Some of these people even had to overcome serious injuries from auto and other accidents. The overwhelming message from the acts of these people is that determination is generally more important that the physical aspects of your body. In chapter 10, Dr. Vonda Wright M. D. makes statistical arguments to support the position that "Only 30% of how we age is determined by genetics, while the remaining 70% is determined by the lifestyle choices we make." Furthermore, Wright also uses data supporting the point that, "Masters athletes' performance declined less than 2% a year for both men and women from age 50 to 75. Then, after the age of 75, something else happened. Their performance suddenly dropped by 8% a year."
These statistics point out that it is not only possible to remain extremely active after the age of fifty, but something that should be done. While it is true that not everyone can remain as active and competitive as the 50 portrayed here, together they are an existence proof that it is possible. Even old dogs need role models, and these are some very good ones.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb motivation in hard cover, even better on the iPhone for Kindle, March 5, 2010
This review is from: 50 Athletes over 50 Teach Us to Live a Strong, Healthy Life (Kindle Edition)
Wine is one of the joys of my life, and I enjoy it in two different ways: first, going to a large "tasting" for a couple of hours, say one with 50 different wine lovers and 50 different wines; and second, spending an hour or two with a single wine, sipping and watching it develop over time. Each event provides different types of pleasures, but each is highly rewarding.
This is a wonderfully motivating book for an OF like me, who tries, sometimes successfully [ :) ], to keep in shape, primarily by walking and hiking in the hills near my home in the Ramapo Mountains. Don McGrath has put together an outstanding collection devoted to 50 different athletes who are committed to maintaining their health through exercise.
Reading the book straight through is like my large wine tastings: there's a kaleidoscope of impressions: some people stand out and their techniques and approaches resonate in many ways for me. Others sunk into the background and didn't have much to say of importance to me. But, taken together, it was an exciting and rewarding "event", especially under McGrath's leadership.
McGrath makes an important point early on: it was empowering to read that he refers interchangeably to "athletes as people who exercise, and people who participate in a sport." He makes a very strong case for consistent, regular exercise, relying on a number of studies demonstrating the benefits. And, this is clear, compelling writing, from an author who is clearly enthusiastic and committed to his subject:
"My goal in writing the book was to learn how to stay active and successful in my sport, rock climbing, for as long as possible. Along the way, I discovered that the athletes I was interviewing had a much more important tale to tell. They are all living spectacularly strong, healthy lives....
But, you can get lost in a big wine tasting, and in a certain way, I did with this book -- there is just so much you can remember about any one person when there are so many fascinating people, and people who can help you deal with your own personal challenges -- in my case, lack of time, other commitments and personal motivation.
Putting the book on my iPhone was a wonderful discovery. I've always got the phone with me, and I've been reading about one of the 50 athletes before, during and after each of my hour long hikes. Even athletes I sort of skipped over during the first "read through" suddenly become much more interesting when I spend an hour with them, especially when I'm doing some of the same striving they did, and are still doing. (I've often had the same experience with wine -- not thinking much of a wine during the big tasting, but discovering interesting depths and real excitement when I spend an hour sipping and analyzing.)
I understand that McGrath plans to make this book audio edited and made available in iTunes. I can imagine that an audio version would be excellent for motivation during a hike, and I hope McGrath follows through with his plans to do so. In the meantime, however, reading about McGrath's suggestions, and the suggestions of the 50 interesting people he's collected here, has greatly enhanced my exercising during my rest periods.
It's clear that consistent, vigorous exercise is a splendid idea for OF like me. This excellent book is a superb aid to achieving that goal.
Robert C. Ross 2010
Note: this review is based on a review copy furnished by the author. I found it so useful, that I purchased a copy for my Kindle, to use before, during and after my hikes. B.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
HEALTH IS NOT WASTED ON THE YOUNG, May 16, 2011
This review is from: 50 Athletes over 50 Teach Us to Live a Strong, Healthy Life (Kindle Edition)
Don McGrath's book 50 ATHLETES OVER 50 TEACH US TO LIVE A STRONG, HEALTHY LIFE is that carrot in front of the nose manual that is sorely (!) needed. With the emphasis on youth and the job market focusing on youthful presentation, men and women at 50 and beyond can well benefit from this well written, encouraging examination of fitness. McGrath has obviously devoted a good part of his athletic life observing the spectrum of his comrades - from the energetic youths to the advanced years folks whose health and vigor an attitude towards life is profoundly influenced by exercise routines - or to put it more in keeping with this book's message, transforming the detrimental effects of gravity and cell laxity that accompany the passage of time by envisioning a healthy body and mind, finding a manner in which to raise the bar on endurance and regimentation of workouts, and loving the exhilaration that accompanies fitness of boy and mind. Old Age, be gone!
The technique McGrath uses is the original performance focused model: at the center of the model is Performance and feeing into that core are Mental Fitness, Technical Skills, Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Goals and Planning, and Execution. His focus is on the joy and fun of the feeling of accomplishment that comes by transitioning from a lifestyle ruled by sedentary positions into one that incorporates the fitness goals that provide not only pleasure and heightened capacity for younger thinking patterns and physical abilities, but a giant gulp form the Fountain of Youth.
Yes, there are sound examples of a well considered workout routine and these are accompanied by boxes where readers can fill in the goals and ideals and other participating notes of creating the progress to living well and loving living well. These are followed by interviews with athletes McGrath has found who have not only past records of achievement in fitness but are also in constant competition with themselves or members of their workout or running groups - informative and entertaining and inspiring tributes to messages McGrath shares throughout this book.
One of the reasons this motivational physical fitness manual is so successful is McGrath's level of enthusiasm: he makes the concept of getting into shape and staying in shape an exciting dream fulfillment instead of the 'oh, but that is not for me' attitude that most books of this nature induce. He is obviously having fun, as are the athletes and ordinary people who follow this regimen, and that makes all the difference. Grady Harp, May 11
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