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“The biggest advance in modern medicine is not a new drug. It’s the knowledge that how we manage our lives can help us to live longer and happier,” declares Harry H. Gaines, author of FITNESS BEYOND 50: Turn Back the Clock (Langdon Street Press; $15.95/trade paperback).
Harry H. Gaines: Fitness Beyond 50
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Based on research, interviews, and personal experience, Gaines’ book shows how physical fitness can prolong and enhance life by combating a range of illnesses and health conditions. By including over 125 real-life stories, Gaines motivates readers – both those who are new to exercise and those who want to step up their game – with knowledge and techniques that will enable them to feel better than they ever imagined they could.
Reviewed by multiple doctors, kinesiologists, exercise physiologists, and personal trainers, FITNESS BEYOND 50 lays out the science that shows powerful links between physical fitness and brain health, heart health, balance, and general well-being. “My goal is to get readers to understand what they’re missing by not exercising and eating healthy and what they’ll gain if they do,” says Gaines, who cites recent studies and health professionals throughout the book. Among the topics he addresses are:
Exercise and the Brain – New research in neuroscience has demonstrated that aerobic exercise has a powerfully positive impact on cognitive function. “The care and feeding of your brain can make a difference in the quality of your life,” writes Gaines. In FITNESS BEYOND 50, he explains how aerobic exercise is critical to neurogenesis – the growth of nerve cells in the brain – and therefore has a beneficial impact on memory and information processing. Research also suggests that being in good shape enables people to learn more efficiently. In addition, Gaines points to links between exercise and other issues such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, creativity, and anxiety.
Aerobics: Keys to a Healthy Heart – The importance of exercise for a healthy heart is well known. Gaines draws on the latest scientific studies to describe how to make such exercise most efficient and effective. One major key is intensity. “While walking several times a week at a moderate pace trumps doing nothing, more vigorous activity will make a huge difference in future years,” Gaines writes. He points out that people who walk at least 2.25 miles per hour on a consistent basis have greater longevity than those who walk slower. Gaines also urges the use of a heart monitor and describes the benefits of “interval training” – alternating between sixty to seventy percent and eighty percent or more of your maximum heart rate – for building cardiovascular strength. Not only does this burn more calories, it increases the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles – an outcome that is linked to longer life. Plus you’ll gain more exercise benefits in less time.
Strength Training – Beginning in their thirties or early forties, most people lose a quarter pound of muscle per year, states Gaines. The good news is that muscle mass can be retained and even increased by a consistent strength-training program. Not only does this make us stronger and more toned, it helps with balance and coordination. In FITNESS BEYOND 50, Gaines details why it is critical to work muscles “to fatigue.” This approach leads muscle cells to break down so that they grow back stronger. He also shows how to develop a strength-training program that sticks, including using a trainer and why keeping records is effective.Healthy Eating – “More knowledge about food will enable you to make better choices about what you do and don’t eat,” writes Gaines. He addresses a broad range of nutritional topics, including cholesterol, triglycerides, good and bad fats, fiber, salt, sugar, whole grains, and the debate about processed foods. He urges people to write down what they eat and drink. “The chances are very good that you’ll eat less if you do,” he explains.
FITNESS BEYOND 50 also provides an array of tools to turn commitment into lasting practice. Gaines urges people to find support groups – whether this means others to go biking with or sharing progress with a friend by phone. “You can significantly increase your chances of succeeding at starting – and staying – with an exercise and healthy eating program by finding others to join you,” he writes.
Containing the inspirational stories of dozens of people who have improved their health through a commitment to physical fitness, FITNESS BEYOND 50 provides a wealth of knowledge to help people take charge of their well-being. Gaines writes, “Investing an hour a day in your health can pay huge dividends in the quality of your life and the number of years of quality living.” His new book is a hands-on guide that will enable people to make that investment successfully and reap the many benefits.
