In Building Your Lasting Fitness, Lisa Teresi Harris has written the book Baby Boomers and everyone from midlife to centenarians has been waiting. We all know that exercise and nutrition are important, but all the health and fitness books and exercise programs seem to be geared towards the 18-40 year old age group. We all want to feel good long after that, but we can forget how important exercise and nutrition are as we age, not to look good on the beach like the younger generation wants, but to compensate for loss of muscle mass, bone brittle, disease, and the belly fat that threatens to make us old before our time.
Harris has been a registered dietitian since 1978. As the owner of Enwhile Fitness 4U, she provides exercise classes for seniors and in-home fitness and nutrition training. As a result, she has the knowledge, skills, and positive mindset to help anyone improve their health, activity level, and overall life satisfaction. She has helped hundreds of people and now shares the knowledge of a lifetime with her readers in this new book.
However, getting fit and healthy is easier said than done. Some people might even think that it is impossible to slow down the aging process. Many people believe that they are destined to be fat because their parents were fat, or to be diabetic, have heart disease, etc. However, research shows that genetics does not always have the last word. For example, Harris cites a source stating that “only about 10% of cases [with Alzheimer’s] they carry the defective genes for the disease, and only half of those who carry the genes ever develop it. Most cases of Alzheimer’s are caused by cumulative brain damage that occurs throughout life.” In other words, disability and illness are not inevitable, despite your genes.
For me, the most important message of this book is the need for us to get up and move. Harris asks us if we are sabotaging our health by the number of hours we spend sitting each day. It’s true that we move less with Roombas and addictions to smartphones and things being delivered to our doors, so it encourages us to find ways we can move more, like walking while talking on the phone.
And Harris’ results are staggering. She helps people who are prediabetic change their diets. She helps people with walkers regain mobility. She helps seniors strengthen their muscles and improve their balance so they can get up if they fall, and even better, avoid falling altogether. She also encourages people to find activities that they enjoy. If you don’t like an activity, you won’t do it, so she shows us how to find our “exercise ecstasy.”
While exercise is important, so is nutrition. Harris provides guidelines on how to include the right amount of fruits and vegetables in his diet. She offers advice on when to eat protein, how much to eat, and how to use it to get the most benefit. Of course, she is a big advocate for clean water.
Many people will find the series of chapters entitled “Building Your Defenses Against Chronic Disease” invaluable. Here he talks about heart disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia, arthritis, and osteoporosis, and how to improve your chances of not being diagnosed with any of them. It also explores how to live better if you already have them so they don’t keep you from enjoying life.
One of the biggest challenges for most people is overeating. Harris realizes that we are all human and that we are not going to eat vegetables all the time without indulging in a treat from time to time. I love his advice on what to do when you go out so you don’t overeat or when you’re on one of those cruises where you feel like you’re being held hostage by a breakfast buffet. Even as restaurant portion sizes have grown, Harris provides solid advice on how to enjoy eating out without wasting time. At the same time, she believes in mindful eating, allowing yourself to enjoy food from time to time. For example, she tells us, “Pick up that delicious ice cream cone when you feel the urge; savor each bite and then move on.” (This is an example of mindful eating: paying close attention to the moment and accepting your feelings, not trying to change them.)”
I’m only forty-six years old, but I loved Building Your Lasting Fitness because it made me realize that I can take action now so that my old age gives me the high quality of life that I desire. I used to exercise regularly, but fell into a depression after my stationary bike broke down a few months ago. Harris encouraged me to go back to doing push-ups, lifting weights and walking more, and even make some changes to the way I eat. In just a few weeks since I started, I am already seeing results.
So grab a copy of How to Build Your Lasting Fitness, and then get up and get moving. The more you move, the longer, healthier and happier your life will be.