EIGHT MINUTES TO AGELESS

A debut fitness manual offers advice to older readers who want better bodies with minimal exercise.

In her more than 37 years working as a chiropractor, health care advocate, and fitness expert, Pearson has seen older people who could barely stand up. But she has also known a 92-year-old man who could “grab his foot while standing tall and raise it over his head while keeping his knee straight.” The difference, notes the author, is that the human body ages when it loses motion. This practical guide doesn’t promise to erase wrinkles or turn couch potatoes into marathon runners overnight. Instead, the work provides 12 simple stretches—like the inner thigh stretch for flexibility and the calf stretch for improving balance—that will keep the older body active in less than eight minutes a day. Complete with black-and-white images from Getty, the instructions, including for a shoulder stretch that involves reaching for the ceiling, are easy to follow. Making basic anatomy understandable, Pearson clearly explains the importance of the body’s different systems. For example, the dura mater—a membrane that surrounds the brain and upper spinal column—can cause headaches when damaged, but the author details ways to stretch the dura to alleviate pain. Tossing in a few anecdotes about her patients and herself, Pearson employs a gentle voice that is sometimes humorous (as when she admits to lying to her dentist about flossing). This friendly compendium of advice also teaches the fine art of walking correctly—butt muscles need to be strengthened to effectively push the body forward. And there is an abundance of compelling health information many people may not know; for example, bad posture negatively impacts brain function. Basic cardio fitness, like high-intensity interval training, is addressed, and a few supplements, such as fish oil, are recommended.

A valuable, no-more-excuses guide to healthy aging.