Anatomy of Exercise for Longevity: A Trainer's Guide to a Long and Healthy Life - Softcover

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Hollis Lance Liebman has been a fitness magazine editor and national bodybuilding champion and is currently a fitness trainer for some of Hollywood's elite. Previous books include Anatomy of Exercise for 50+: A Trainer's Guide to Staying Fit Over Fifty. His web site is www.holliswashere.com.

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excerpt from INTRODUCTION: IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL

Longevity, defined as "a long duration of individual life," is something we all strive for--and we want not just a long life, but also a healthy one.

We want to be in it for the long haul.

Today we are seeing people living longer and, quite simply, living better.

Advances in medicine have certainly improved our chances of making it the century mark, but so too have advances in fitness and how we think about aging. No longer content to sit out our "declining" years, seniors are now jumping into the action. Now, more than ever before, parents and grandparents fill gyms and fitness centers, working out alongside their kids and grandkids. No longer does the sight of over-50s bench-lifting weights or bending into a complex yoga pose produce double-takes. Instead younger gym-goers are asking their elders how they too can look and feel as good.

Fit older folks have learned that there comes a day when aesthetics (how the body looks), takes a back seat to functionality (how the body performs). When the question "How much can I bench?" is completely unimportant and replaced with "How do I feel?" As surely as we are seeing well-being and performance decline less--and sometimes even improve with a proper health and fitness regimen--living for the long-haul with a high quality of life is rapidly becoming the norm.

Be it an injury, a stern warning from the doctor, a true glimpse into the mirror or any other such reason, there eventually does, however, come a point at which we simply can no longer do what we once did. We all eventually face the aging process. But what can keep this imminent process exciting rather than upsetting is the new goals that we can forge, along with a new way to achieve them. No longer have we accepted that aging equals permanent limitations or decline. What we have accepted is that working out, in addition to eating healthy, is truly the fountain of youth and will most certainly put the brakes on the aging process.

No matter what your age, it's never too late--nor too early--to begin longevity training. Anatomy of Exercise for Longevity isn't about honing a finely tuned athlete for a single event or peak performance--it's about improving your long-term well-being, whether you are 20 or 80. Longevity training can best be defined as the means of working toward an improved or maintained quality of physical life through a well-balanced program of fitness and nutrition. Longevity training will go beyond traditional weight training and include an equal measure of other longevity-boosting modalities, including strength training, postural/core exercises, mobility exercises, yoga exercises, cardio exercises, balance exercises, and flexibility stretches. In other words, we are striving less towards forging big arms and more towards maintaining healthy hearts, good posture, and flowing movement. The absolute takeaway is balance. The goal is to create a well-rounded individual who is not limited to merely being able to perform in the gym, but who also feels energetic and able-bodied out and about in daily life.

Imagine experiencing very little slowing down. Imagine living in less pain. And yes, imagine looking terrific at any age in your tank top, swimsuit, and even in just your birthday suit. Imagine no longer, for this book is your key to becoming that person.