Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When I became a physical therapist 7 years ago I quickly noticed something surprising - there becomes a huge gap in physical abilities in patients over the age of ~55. I would have some patients who were 55-65+ and running 5Ks and half marathons. Then I'd have another patient who was 56 being wheeled into the clinic in a wheelchair by a child who could barely stand, would easily get out of breath, and couldn't take care of themselves. The difference? Neither person usually had any serious medical condition, though both patients tended to have most of the same diagnoses of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, chronic pain, etc. But what stuck out to me was the attitude and perspective. The patient wanting to run that next week had the attitude of "Yeah, it hurts a little but that's just how it is" whereas the patient in the wheelchair tended (not always!) to be more like, "It hurts when I move so I just sit here and watch TV". I fully believe that by our 50s-60s we become the sum of the millions of tiny, seemingly small, and insignificant decisions that we've made over the course of our life. Do you exercise or watch TV? Watch what you eat or survive on fast food? I like Dr. Su's (not Seuss!) book because he presents the research along with the plan. It sounds crazy to so many patients when I tell them that they should be exercising *even if it hurts*. The challenge for PTs and patients alike is finding exercises that are appropriate at different levels of ability. I think this book has a great, realistic plan. If you follow it, start with Level I or II and then progress as able. If you are in excellent shape and find that it becomes too easy I recommend adding 1-2 full-body exercises like squats or step-ups with weight on your back to add to the routines. On the other hand, if chronic pain, arthritis, and other conditions have stopped you from exercising in the past, I implore you - do something! It's hard, I know. But answer this question - would you rather fall asleep at night being sore thinking of all you accomplished OR fall asleep at night thinking about how bad things are and how everything hurts no matter what? No matter our age or anything, we all need to be able to move. The saddest situations that I've come across in my practice have been when a relatively young person (in their 50s) sat down in a chair and was too weak to stand back up. Both times could have been prevented. That's much too young to be like that. Never let that happen to you! Exercise for as long as possible and you'll learn to love the endorphins - they're legal! ;) Good luck!