Bonnie Prudden's After fifty fitness guide

Bonnie Prudden calls people over 50 "the last fit Americans." By this she means that older people built their bodies to be strong and functional, by playing outdoors as children, walking to school, etc. Even if their fitness has declined, it can be regained. Ms. Prudden debunks myths about older people ("you can't teach an old dog new tricks," "all old people end up in nursing homes," etc.) and presents a clear, simple fitness test to use in taking stock of one's life and current fitness level. She presents her time-tested exercise program, relating exercises to specific problems such as "gardener's back," "stairs - going up and coming down," etc. Along with the exercises, Ms. Prudden discusses Myotherapy, the pain relief method she developed, and gives corrective exercises for many pain problems (migraine, sciatica, whiplash, etc.)as well as "immediate mobilization" techniques to use after an acute injury. Interspersed with more exercises are descriptions of pain problems related to various occupations and sports. For those who are chair-bound or unsteady on their feet, exercises that can be done in a chair are presented.