Senior Fitness: The Diet and Exercise Program for Maximum Health and Longevity

In my senior years I am just not ready for a RADICAL lifestyle change. I wanted to know what a 70 year old guy who has back compression fractures, bad knees and hips and osteoporosis could to stay fit. What his book is about just not that. It is about a person who is a total vegan, runs hours a week, and tells me I can get off all those awful meds if I really want to. The author seems to have no physical ailments except for having breast cancer twenty years ago. Too much too late... What about the other 90% of seniors?? I will continue to look for that book for the rest of us...

I read about Ruth Heidrich years ago in a wonderful book by John Robbins called Healthy at 100. At age 47 she was diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to her bones and her left lung. So what did she do? She trained for the Ironman in Hawaii, and she went on a vegan diet. And........... Checkups showed the regression of the cancer. At age 63 she was named one of the Ten Fittest Women in America. And her bone density increased during her 50s and 60s. Now, at 81, she is cancer free and going strong. This book is her story and her recommendations for a long, strong, vibrant and healthy life. A good and inspiring read.

I was searching for a book for a friend and ran across other books on running for seniors. Those reviews weren't very good, then I remembered this book that I read a couple of years ago. I realized that it was still timely, informative and the best info I've read on how to run safely until you're 100. I've followed the information in this book and it has allowed me to resume my running passion, place in races for my age group and just be content with finishing.For those who say it may be a little difficult to follow the eating suggestions, it is much more difficult to watch friends and family succumb to the diseases of affluence...routinely having their chest cracked open for heart disease, going blind from diabetes, and enduring chemo. Ruth's program really works, you feel so much better, and interestingly, is similar to how the Olympic Kenyans eat. Well-researched, she quotes the works of Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Neal Barnard. Their work and books ought to be worthy of Nobel Prizes, for all the hundreds of thousands of people those doctors have helped over the years!  Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without DrugsTurn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Taking Charge of the Genes That Control Your WeightA Physician's Slimming Guide: For Permanent Weight ControlBreaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings---And 7 Steps to End Them NaturallyDr. McDougall's Digestive Tune-UpMcDougall Made EasyThe Mcdougall Quick and Easy Cookbook: Over 300 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes or LessThe Mcdougall Program for Maximum Weight LossThe McDougall Program for Women : What Every Woman Needs to Know to Be Healthy for LifeThe McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart: A Life-Saving Approach to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease The New McDougall Cookbook: 300 Delicious Ultra-Low-Fat Recipes

I am 52 and thought it odd to read a book about senior fitness. I figured the fitness part would be more about cautiously moving your body but no. This woman is amazing. Her story inspirational and is encouraging to work out vigorously. This book is great for all ages. For the younger reader, it emphasizes why we should be active both in our youth and in our advanced age. I can’t say enough good things about this book

I really liked this book. She is amazing and she inspires me! Since reading her book my husband and I have cut processed foods (we already ate mostly plant based, whole foods) from our diet and try to eat more raw. What a difference it has made for us! We have more energy and recover from workouts with heavier weights. Anytime my husband eats red meat his knees and hands hurt him for about 3 days. We feel and look better eating a plant based diet.

Yes she is extreme with diet and exercise, but so is the person extreme who gets stomach stapled and blows up again and looks at a set of porch stairs as a challenge. High and low bars are set and while i have no desire to reach either this book is certainly inspiring to push harder !

This is a book that should be read by everyone. The word Senior should not have been used in the title because it might keep younger people from reading it and benefitting from its message. The sooner one starts on a fitness program the better it is for them. She ran 67 marathons in 67 years and won 6 Ironman Triathalons and has over 900 trophies. She applies principles advocated by Pritikin, Ornish, Esselstyn, McDougall, Cooper and others. She should be the poster person for anyone advocating better nutrition. Her bone density increased as she grew older. She is one of about 75 "Star McDougallers" who have improved their health. What an inspiring story. Buy two copies--one for yourself and one for your library so people can see what can be done to change the nutrition of this nation and learn about creating health rather than treating disease. Maybe if our young citizens were aware of these principles we wouldn't see high school and college athletes dying.America is 1st in degenerative disease and 26th in longevity. It's about time we improved our health and reduced the pain and cost of treating disease by preventing or delaying its onset. This book shows what individuals can do to improve their health.

This is an incredible book. I purchased it in June of 2006 and as of July 2006 I have already lost weight without any pain and frustration. It is easy to follow the advice and the facts are backed up by the research that was done. I am happy to say I have lost almost 12 lbs and the pounds are continuing to come off.This is an easy read book and it is working for me. I have even given my 20+ year old son a copy. You are never to young to start taking care of you body.

Great book recommended gor all who wish to live a long healthy life

If you have kept fit most of your life this is a good book otherwise?

Brillant. The authors enthusiasm and positive attitude comes through every page. If you need motivation, pick this up.

Easy to read, inspirational book.

As someone who has been researching both conventional and alternative therapies for cancer and cardiovascular problems for the past few months, I think that Ruth Heidrich's "Senior Fitness" is a condensed, well-researched and supported road-map. Despite the picture on the cover (Ruth jogging along a trail at Machu Picchu), this book is NOT primarily about running races. The author is a cancer-survivor as well as being a winning triathlon and Ironman competitor. She offers a bright, personal, interesting strategy for taking charge of your own recovery (if necessary) and maintaining your health and quality of life. Most likely right up until it's finally "time to leave" for other reasons. Heidrich gets right to the points that she wants to make, with no wasted words. There's a bottom-line summary for each chapter dealing with cancer, heart and other western-diet "diseases of affluence". Each chapter has lots of recent citations to support what she has to say. She cites works by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health , John McDougall, M.D. , Caldwell B Esselstyn Jr., M.D.  Prevent And Reverse Heart Disease  and results of many studies and research papers. The bibliography alone may be worth the price of admission. It would be nice if the book had an index but the present edition is very worthwhile. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term HealthPrevent And Reverse Heart Disease