Customer Reviews

Staying Strong: A Senior's Guide to a More Active and Independent Life

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I'm in my early fifties, and I must say, the reality of being fit is not as easy as it once was. It will be again. All I have to learn is that I have to start out small, think tall, and gradually reach over the wall. This book shows you how to do that. Seniors lose their ability to get about, and that starts a long list of mobility related problems.
What used to be strength training for me, was curling 120 pounds. I will start agaain, with 5. Once my tendons, muscles, etc, grow accustomed to the movement, I will add 5 more, and so on.
If you have an aging parent, getting out of a chair gradually becomes an effort. So you start there. Help them to get out of the chair ten times in a row. Then walk them around the house for 12 or 15 minutes, on your arm if need be. Then let them rest. Two days later, do it again. Then gradually increase it. This book shows you how.
I spoke with a woman who had multiple Masters Degrees, and she donated her time at a local Senior center. She remarked that an 88 year old woman came into the center, unable to walk. They started to exercise her. Now she dances the Polka.
Seniors lose it, because they don't use it. Going from the couch to the kitchen, to the bathroom, is not sufficient exercise to build strength, stamina, and cardiovascular benefits.
Some seniors are active. Even they can benefit from this book. No matter what level they acheive, the same rules apply.
What is important is not to rush a program. That leads to overuse, and acute injuries. Inch by inch, anything is a cinch.
With an increase in exercise, comes an increase in appetite, which leads to an increase in the volume of essential nutrients. Success begets success.
See how the elder Okinawans do it, in the book "The Okinawan Program" Many are active tending gardens, and bicycling even after the age of 100. Dispel the myths.
Read "Staying Strong a Seniors Guide to a more Active and Independent Life" and visit your parents, or stay with them more. The will to live, and the will to thrive, comes from the inside, and the outside. Sometimes our ends are thrust on us, and sometimes it comes from simply running out of hope and energy.
Exercise is the single most beneficial health aid we have, and this book, will get you back on track.
I hope this review helps many to take the step. Beginning is half done.

This book is a great exercise book for seniors, or anyone wishing to improve their strength. Its focus is on strength training. The exercises are easy to follow and easy to do. The feature I liked most is that there are exercises for different issues such as osteoporosis. It also contains exercises for people confined to a wheelchair or to do while sitting at work. It even has a section for people who are bedfast. One drawback is that some of the exercises require the use of exercise bands.

The book provides good information and ideas on being or staying physically fit as you get older. The information was helpful and the programs for fitness seem appropriate for seniors. I think this is a good buy.

Staying Strong: A Senior's Guide To A More Active And Independent Life is an outstanding, "user friendly" compendium of simple, at-home exercises that will help to build muscle strength, increase bone density, improve balance, and more. Designed specifically for seniors seeking to remain active and independent, the proffered programs include general strength training, prevention of osteoporosis, exercising with osteoporosis, balance and strength training, strength training for golfers, as well as exercising while in a swimming pool, sitting on a chair, or lying in bed. Staying Strong is enthusiastically recommended for personal, professional, community library, senior citizen center, and assisted living center health and fitness reference collections.