Active Living Program News
Newly Released Fitness After 50 Helps Older Adults Address Challenges to Being Active
Much attention has been focused recently on the skyrocketing obesity rates in the U.S. general population, with particular attention to childhood obesity and lack of fitness. Meanwhile, those who may be facing the most danger are an often-overlooked segment of the population.
"People over age 50 probably have the most to gain from getting fit, and those as old as 100 years of age can still increase their strength and aerobic fitness," advises Walter Ettinger, MD, the lead author of Fitness After 50 (Human Kinetics, April 2006). This new work—a collaboration among a renowned fitness researcher, a gerontology expert, and a health promotion specialist—is a guide to help America's seniors and seniors-to-be get and stay fit through physical activity.
“Middle-aged or older adults often have to deal with conditions that are common after age 50,” Ettinger adds. He cites arthritis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and heart disease among the common concerns this group faces. “As people look to start or change their physical activities, they may have questions: Is it safe for me to increase my activity? What type of activity is best? How do I know if I’m doing too much or not enough?”
Fitness After 50 includes more than 80 checklists and reproducible forms so that readers can create a plan suited to their specific situations and needs. Topics include the following:
- Benefits and risks of physical activity for people over 50, 70, and even 90
- How much physical activity is enough or too much
- Deciding whether to do activity at home or at a fitness center
- Model programs for walking, water activities, stationary cycling, stretching, and strength building
- Adapting physical activity programs for arthritis, osteoporosis, and other special conditions
- Activities to improve balance and prevent falls
For more information on Fitness After 50, please call 800-747-4457 ext 2319, send an e-mail to DavidE@hkusa.com, or visit www.HumanKinetics.com.
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