Just Move!: A New Approach to Fitness After 50

I really thought this book would give detailed exercise routines for seniors. However, it is more about the 'explaining' rather than the 'doing' of things which I found really disappointing. I get that the author has achieved remarkable results with some never-explained or described exercises routines overseen by a personal trainer living in Austen, Texas, but that is of no earthly help to those of us who bought this book thinking that we might, just conceivably, achieve the same results by applying his magic. It was more a book about the author's achievements (a sort of autobiography) rather than a self-help book. Now, I am looking for a book that DOES explain what exercises seniors need to do with pictures showing them how to do them!

When you’re older, being sedentary comes easy.

For most of us, bits and pieces have worn out making movement more arduous and tiring. Pain is a constant companion for many of us and we don’t want to risk making it worse.

And, after a look in the mirror or a shambling walk to the store, we simply can’t muster the belief that we can become fitter and stronger.

Author James Owen awakened to his body’s disintegration at age 70 and willed himself to become as physically fit as possible.

He quickly learned that traditional approaches to exercise don’t work for older people (a fact I know well from personal experience).

So Owen set about mapping a new road to exercise for the elderly resulting in this book.

The first 156 pages are a thorough course in the how and why of exercise for older people. This exposition is simply invaluable. For example, on pages 84 – 85, Owen provides “ How getting fit is different when you’re older”. For the most part, younger people at gyms and even physical therapists simply don’t understand the psyche of an older person when it comes to physical exercise. We’re not young and we can’t do what young people do. Attempting to do what they do – and failing – is disheartening and ego-crushing.

Owen instead focuses on helping you develop the proper mindset to approach an exercise from a different perspective: you aren’t trying to develop a six-pack or whatever or break Olympic records. You’re going to be exercising to preserve your body, better your chances of maintaining good health, developing more stamina so you can do simple things like walk further with less fatigue. The goals of the older person are different than those of someone younger and Owen explains why.

It isn’t until page 156 that Owen illustrates the “5 basic exercises everyone should do”. Most people will already be familiar with these exercises from their youth. What makes the difference here is that Owen explains how to make these basic exercises more beneficial for the older person and, more importantly, the specifics of why they are important.

He goes on to exploring more aggressive exercises and gives absolutely top-notch advice about fitness centers, personal trainers and more.

I am Owen’s target audience: an old man who engages in moderate regular exercise, but hasn’t pushed himself, mainly for fear of failure or injuring myself.

Owen has provided me with a new perspective and energized me to do more.

For that, I thank him.

I think every older person who wants to slow physical deterioration from lack of exercise should read this book. It’s great.

Jerry

This book is packed with encouraging and inspirational guidance intended to help old people (like me) get started with a fitness program. While the author exhorts everyone to use these simple methods to get in shape ,he really expects people to be in pretty good shape already. The exercises are few ,simple but not particularly easy. This might be great for someone who is simply out of shape , but if you have difficulty standing, walking or balancing or are in considerable pain, the lowest bar here may still be too high. I am trying to see if there are actual practices in the book that I can follow .

Just Move! is aimed at people over 50 who, apparently, have never exercised before in their lives. Almost all of it is inspirational, describing why exercise is good for you. Starting at page 156, instructions are given for "a few basic exercises." Five, to be exact. In the whole book. Um, didn't most of us learn how to do push-ups and squats in our early school years? Maybe we've even done a few since? But maybe over the years some of us have acquired some condition that, for example, makes it painful on the knees to do squats but we still need to strengthen our legs, so we need a substitute exercise? Oops, no help in this book! Unless you need a ton of encouragement and prefer to get it from a book rather than from a friend (or the Internet), I don't advise purchasing this one.

The Wall Street Journal lists "Just Move" as one of The Best Books of 2017 About Healthy Aging. I am a 57 year old woman with an 87 year old mother. It breaks my heart to see my mother slowing down, she has always been so active This book stresses the importance of specific exercises, movements, stretching, balance, and strength training that are so important for all of us as we age. I am giving my mom a copy of this book in hopes that she will be able to increase her strength, balance, & mobility. I love The 5 Basic Exercises Everyone Should Do on page 156. I have been doing these the last few days and I already feel better!!
Thanks James Owen!

I would give this book 6 stars if it were possible. This may actually be life-changing for me if I let it be.
I am 68 years old and had pretty much written off the fact that I would no longer really be able to move around in order to feel better.
This book is inspirational. It tells you what you can safely do (with your doctor's approval of course) and not hurt yourself.
I am inspired. I have shared this with my hubs and he agrees that this book is our answer.
Please consider giving it a try. I promise you there are things in here to help you feel better, let alone live longer.

could easily obtain better information on the internet.... this is a VERY basic book for VERY out of shape seniors who have never done an ounce of exercise in their lives and need to be talked into doing some gentle basic exercise....

I just started reading it so I'm not ready to comment on the subject. The book is large and the print is super tiny. The publishers had plenty of room to make the font larger, hence the book is for 50, 60 & 70 year olds. Had to use the stronger reading glasses just to read the print. I hope the subject inside the book is much better, in which time I will update my review.

This book gets to the heart of staying fit over 50. It really helped me think about my choices and then showed me step by step how to implement them. It's now one of my preferred guides for a healthy lifestyle. The book's design is not only beautiful and elegant, the organization and layout make it easy to use. Great illustrative photos, too - right on point. Thanks for a very timely book!

I have to start out by saying that I absolutely hate exercise. Even so, I know it's good for me, so I've been doing it on and off (mostly on) for over 40 years. I'm in decent shape, and have read a lot of fitness books. Done a lot of different exercises, including weight lifting and various types of machines, as well as running, bicycling, etc. I thought I was pretty well informed. But, as the author of this book points out, when you start aging, things change. And most of the books out there don't address that. This one, however, is all about that! The most useful ideas I got out of the book were thinking about things like balance, and the decline in muscle mass. Natural results of aging, but to some degree, dependent on your exercise program. So ... the author educates you about the process of decline, and mixes in the ways you can act to deal with it. On top of that, the author also realizes the importance of motivation, and gently leads you into a program that will help you, no matter how little you do. Of course, the more you buy into the program, the better off you'll be. But it really doesn't matter where you are, or where you hope to end up - you can pretty much do it with this book. There is a little more emphasis on "trainers" in this book than I like, but if you can afford it, I certainly can't argue against the idea - a professional to stand by your side and motivate you is absolutely a great way to get your exercise. A buddy, partner, or pet is probably next best. You do what you can, and the author is there to help you think about that. I like it!