173 of 174 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must reading for the elderly - and for the rest of you too., July 5, 2006
This review is from: Stretching for 50+: A Customized Program for Increasing Flexibility, Avoiding Injury, and Enjoying an Active Lifestyle (Paperback)
This is a wonderful book. As the result of an accident many years ago I was introduced to stretching to limber things up, and for the past fifteen years (I'll be 90 in a few months) I have been diligent in streching five time per week. Have gone to stretch classes, done yoga, read seveal books, have seen tapes etc. etc; and , believe me, his book is far and away the BEST and most COMPLETE work on the subject. No matter your age if you follow these exercises wisely you will avoid the slouch, the stoop and the general structural limitations and weaknesses which come with advancing age. And if you're over 60 and do the exercises regularly you'll have some fall protection (and remember that falls are the common fatal disease of the elderly.) We can't do anything about our genetics but we can use what we're given at birth with wisdom. Great Book!
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49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book, excellent tips, a few missing features, September 6, 2008
This review is from: Stretching for 50+: A Customized Program for Increasing Flexibility, Avoiding Injury, and Enjoying an Active Lifestyle (Paperback)
I'm 55 with severe lower back pains, trying to avoid surgery. I've tried 2 different physical therapists and multiple chiropractors, so I've done a fair amount of stretching before reading this book. However, in the first section of this book (through page 18) there were several tips that are priceless (e.g., the difference between Active and Passive stretching; recommending several stretches for warm-ups and several others for cool-down; an analogy with "taffy" illustrating why warm-ups are important). In addition, for the next several pages there is a list of several issues people have (back-pains, hip problems, knee problems, etc), and which exercises are best for people with these problems.
There are 2 issues I've got with the book, which kept me from giving it a perfect 5. First, there is no clear indication of which stretches are "Active" vs "Passive". Second, this book would be as close to perfection as possible if there were icons indicating which exercises were Active, which were Passive, which were particularly recommended for warm-up or cool-down, and which were specifically useful or contra-indicated for people with the various issues such as back-pain, neck problems, hip problems, knee problems, etc.
Even with these 2 issues, I heartily recommend this book for anyone who needs to who is ANY age who wants to start or continue stretching but has the slightest doubts about how to proceed.
I hope the author fixes these 2 issues and either posts the keys on a website or publishes a new version of the book. I know I'd buy it!
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, June 10, 2007
This review is from: Stretching for 50+: A Customized Program for Increasing Flexibility, Avoiding Injury, and Enjoying an Active Lifestyle (Paperback)
Well written, common sense approach to stretching and avoiding injury due to common misconceptions about technique. Highly recommended!
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