Customer Rating: 
Summary: No Exercise "Fence Sitting" Allowed
Comment: The difference with this book is that the authors recommend exercise with evangelical fervor AND
give hold-your-hand, even comedic, instructions and wisdom. But their homespun approach does not
hide the fact that they are dead serious.
The book does refer to some studies, but
basically the authors humorously and seriously deal with the physical "decay" of aging. And, yes,
they discuss sex. No research studies are footnoted. I just assume they think the reader would not
be interested; besides, who can tell if the research was correctly done? Nevertheless, why don't
the authors just say, "Science aside, these are our best opinions based on our philosophies and
experiences of life--as it should be"? (Or something similar.)
You can't tell from the
book's title that the latter chapters deal with the emotional-social side of aging, which they
straight-forwardly face. To me this is the best section of the book.
Even though one
author is a doctor he makes dietary recommendations that not all health advocates would agree
with--even the respected contrarian (to some) viewpoints of, let's say, The Weston A. Price
Foundation. (Check it out; it's a dot org.)
The authors don't seem to realize that
some older (50-plus) persons can do few of the exercises they push. Some of their recommended
exercises can be more easily followed if, for example, their readers get biannual knee injections of
synovial fluid (paid for by Medicare for those 65-plus) or take a glucosamine-chondroitin combo
tablet to lessen the pain of arthritis. (The latter supplement can take up to six months to be
effective or not at all, and often gives a constant upset stomach/gas and too-frequent soft
stools--did me, so I quit it, but some friends swear by it.) Exercise, alone, does not always
lessen the pain from this condition. Nevertheless, "...this book has one core message--either you
grow [in strength, i.e., exercise] or you decay" (p. 216). And I can add (p. 112): "We are not
tired at the end of the day because we get too much exercise. We are tired because we do not get
enough." We may also be tired from not getting enough quality sleep, which they don't
address--check out a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine; the new ones are super quiet.
To some extent, I do not appreciate the rah!-rah! approach of the authors. Maybe that
style, in part, is to compensate for the fact that they lauded the book as being based on solid
scientific research, but present no data.
According to the authors, exercising together
can also strengthen the tie that binds you to your partner, will turn your relationship around, and
rah!-rah! on they go. To use an altered hackneyed phrase: "Those who exercise together, stay
together." But keeping in good physical shape doesn't depend on a marriage or some other tie,
whether it binds or not. Relationships that no longer work (even after counseling) are detrimental
to either partners' overall health. No science from me here, either; just common sense--sort of
like parts of their book.
To sum the book up too simply:
1. To keep,
regain or get good health, you should exercise (fast walk, for example) for 45-minutes six times a
week for the rest of your life.
2. To be happy you should be socially-emotionally
connected; preferably intimately.
That does sound a little too humdrum. The book is
more interesting and certainly worth a read.
A FINAL NOTE: I HOPE YOUR BOOK HOLDS
TOGETHER BETTER THAN MINE. EVEN WITH GENTLE HANDLING THE PAGES STARTED FALLING OUT--APPARENTLY A
GLUE-SPINE PROBLEM.
