Strength Training Over Fifty

Book excerpt: Strength Training Over Fifty focuses on the health needs of more senior men and women. Men and women lose as much as 20-40% of their muscle mass, beginning in their 30's. This muscle loss, often thought of as an irreversible part of aging, is really the result of disuse. Strength-building enables you to regain this lost muscle. It is the key to feeling and looking great after 50. With over 80 explicitly described exercises and 350 color photographs, this user-friendly book will teach you what you need to know to get started, get strong, and stay motivated. Get started with reassuring advice if you are just returning to training. Stand straighter (and have a trim waist) by strengthening your core. Improve functional strength, making all the actions of daily life easier. Learn which muscles can be strengthened to alleviate specific problems such as back pain or achy knees. Improve your balance. Exercise safely, even with arthritis, osteoporosis, or if you are over 65 years old. Learn about nutrition, motivation, and how to design your own work-out. Follow extended exercise programs, including sessions for exercise on the road, a 15-minute work-out, and one to protect and strengthen your lower back. From the foreword by Michael George, fitness expert and trainer to Richard Dreyfus, Meg Ryan, Julianne Moore, and James Spader: "This fun and challenging book will help the older trainer rediscover" his or her body, beginning with the basics: posture, breathing, and motivation...Start training with this book and you'll never look back-I promise you." About The Author: D. Cristine Caivano (MA Columbia University) is an exercise/movement therapist in private practice in NYC. A former dancer and teacher, her work now focuses exclusively on the needs of the over-50-year old exerciser.