GUIDE TO HEALTHY AGING AFTER 50

A recreation and wellness professional details his advice for seniors who wish to preserve their health in this debut guide.

Bitle explains that early on, people develop habits that they can get away with as young people but which will bear heavier consequences if maintained in later years. He homes in on diet and exercise in particular. The book stresses the importance of not overexerting oneself when starting an exercise routine and provides information about what amount of activity people might be able to handle based on how many complicating health issues they have. The sections on exercise are the most useful and comprehensive, as this is clearly the author’s area of expertise. Bitle next takes readers to task over bad habits like smoking and drinking. The author also touches on pain medication in this section and warns against using it, suggesting readers instead explore alternative medicines and chiropractic methods, unfortunately crossing into controversial territory here. This section, like many others in the book, lacks citations. There is much to be said about the use of pain medications by seniors, but the author is not a doctor and fails to present scientific research to back up his claims. There is a brief section on financial planning, which is an intriguing addition to a health book, although the advice is very general. The nutritional information will sound familiar to many readers, but here again are some claims that lack citations. The same goes for the portion on mental health. This part, with tips on keeping the mind sharp, could have been more substantial given that this is a common concern for seniors. The concluding section includes a great self-massage activity and helpfully recaps the main points of the book. The writing throughout is straightforward and lucid.

An easy and motivating read for health-conscious seniors that lacks the science to support some of its recommendations.