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bruce19 12-16-11 07:11 AM

Younger Next Year
 
I discovered this book a couple years ago and have been impressed with it. Just wondering if anyone here has read it. To me the most important concept is that we don't have to age the way we do...that we age prematurely because of the way we live our lives. It echos several other books I've read over the years some of which have been philosophic in nature rather than "health books."

NOS88 12-16-11 07:34 AM

Yes, I've read it. I thought the seven principles offered by Crowley and Lodge were valuable. I didn't hold as favorable a view about a few other bothersome things. I could find no support for their repeated claim that 70% of premature aging and deaths could be prevented by following the principles. Not sure where they got that number. I was also a bit disappointed that the role of genetics did not get as much attention as it might have. Perhaps the biggest misleading thing is that even if one follows the seven principles faithfully, one might not make it past any number of diseases that have little to do with fitness/exercise. This particular attitude frustrates me a bit. Not long ago the wife of a very good friend died of lung cancer. She was not a smoker, ate well, and exercised regularly, was deeply involved in her community and had a very strong group of close friends with which she had weekly contact. As she approached the end of her life she felt guilty that she must have done something wrong and not taken care of herself. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I know this is a real bias on my part, but I think the real value of the 7 principles is how they benefits your quality of life today.... the only day you've been given. So, as I said, I thought the 7 principles are worth consideration if they are put in the proper context.

bruce19 12-16-11 08:08 AM

NOS88, you might find value in this: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...ail&FORM=VIRE6

I would agree that genetics is a rough outline of who you are and what you can do. It sort of sets some limits and "guidelines" if you will. Not everyone is going to be Greg LeMond for example. I just take it from the point of starting where you are with what you've got.

donheff 12-16-11 08:31 AM

I liked Younger Next Year. It convinced me to crank up my exercise regimen dramatically. I like the idea of living well until I am old and then falling off a cliff. But I was later even more impressed with Body by Science, which counsels once a week high intensity training. Following it's dictates I have switched from three weight sessions a week to one brief, high intensity weight session and am getting far better results. I have ignored BBS's assertion that the one session is all the exercise you need. I continue with aerobics in the form of cycling (and spinning in the cold months). I would continue the cycling for fun whether I need the exercise or not but I also continue to think daily aerobics must have independent value.

JamieElenbaas 12-17-11 08:42 AM

I read the book a couple of years ago and it left a deep and lasting impression. I had been moving in the direction that the authors advocate in most areas of my life anyway, but they convinced me to further improve my diet and to exercise EVERY day.

Mark Stone 12-17-11 09:00 AM

I actually am getting younger each year. When I turned 50 I decided to start counting backwards - 8 years later I am now 42. I believe I will settle in on 29 as a permanent age. My wife tells me that I am about 8, but that's a different story.

Connell 12-17-11 09:38 AM


Originally Posted by NOS88 (Post 13608065)
Perhaps the biggest misleading thing is that even if one follows the seven principles faithfully, one might not make it past any number of diseases that have little to do with fitness/exercise.

My wife and I were having a conversation about this just last night. There does seem to be a certain attitude in our society that feels the need to blame people who contract illnesses. If you get cancer it was because you smoked. Liver disease? Well, you drank etc. There doesn't seem to be any room in the minds of some folk that occasionally, people just get sick. Hence your friend's belief that she must have done something to deserve her illness. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. "It won't happen to me, because I look after myself. It happened to them because they did not." It's very sad.


Originally Posted by tractorlegs (Post 13611652)
I actually am getting younger each year. When I turned 50 I decided to start counting backwards - 8 years later I am now 42. I believe I will settle in on 29 as a permanent age. My wife tells me that I am about 8, but that's a different story.

That's a good approach. I've started giving my age in Celsius recently. I think it's more accurate.

donheff 12-17-11 10:13 AM


Originally Posted by NOS88 (Post 13608065)
Perhaps the biggest misleading thing is that even if one follows the seven principles faithfully, one might not make it past any number of diseases that have little to do with fitness/exercise.


Originally Posted by Connell (Post 13611726)
My wife and I were having a conversation about this just last night. There does seem to be a certain attitude in our society that feels the need to blame people who contract illnesses... It's very sad.

+1. My take away from YNY was that regular exercise could increase your odds of aging well. But, if you get Alzheimers, a deadly cancer, or any number of debilitating illnesses you are SOL on an uneventful end.

Phil85207 12-17-11 03:28 PM

I have to agree that Getting Younger works as I know I got younger from the age of 55 or so right up to about 70. From there I have to say I am not so sure. I haven't done a century ride since last April and it was the toughest I had done in a long time. Oh well, I guess a person can't be young for ever. It was sure worth it to feel better at 68 than I did at 54.

veloronfla 12-17-11 04:57 PM

" I decided to start counting backwards". yeah, me too. Next year I'll be minus 2.

Barrettscv 12-17-11 06:41 PM


Originally Posted by Phil85207 (Post 13612510)
I have to agree that Getting Younger works as I know I got younger from the age of 55 or so right up to about 70. From there I have to say I am not so sure. I haven't done a century ride since last April and it was the toughest I had done in a long time. Oh well, I guess a person can't be young for ever. It was sure worth it to feel better at 68 than I did at 54.

Nice!

ModeratedUser150120149 12-17-11 07:41 PM

THE fundamental factor we have to realize and that isn't commonly put in such books is that we know very little about our bodies and the long term effects of various environmental factors. We can theorize and we can do experiments but in the end we don't KNOW.

Add to that the variety of hazards we encounter each and every day. For example: We drive our motor vehicles at speed on two lane highways against opposing traffic with absolutely nothing to prevent the oncoming vehicles from hitting us head on. In fact just a week or so ago we had just that happen not far from my house. The law abiding, buckled in driver of one vehicle even though the seat belts and airbags worked was killed by an oncoming vehicle that swerved into the wrong lane.

So, what to do? Forget the fancy self-help books. In the end they don't know anything more than we do; if we pay attention.

Since, as far as I know, death is inevitable the goal then is not maximum longevity but maximum quality to what life we have. To get there there is but one rule: Take responsibility for your own life. Don't look for some magic formula. There isn't any. Recognize that no one else is as interested in your health as you are. If you are not interested then no one else is either.

That means each person does their own best to do what is in their own best interests. That also means being educated enough to realize that probably 90% of what is in the supermarket or on the bookstore shelves is not good for the human body and is designed primarily to reduce the weight of your pocketbook. That also means that each person, if they care for as good a life as possible, has to spend time and effort to live life, not observe it.

Another way: Being fit doesn't come from anything but a personal life style and doesn't make a person immune from disease or accident. What it does is make a person more likely to enjoy whatever life they have while saving a lot of money on "self-help" books and being a lot more active with their fellow humans and the world around them.

ciocc_cat 12-17-11 08:10 PM

Haven't read it, but I'm not really into that genre when it comes to reading material.

I'll turn 57 on December 26. Funny, but I sure don't feel any different from when I turned 40. I've got more gray hair (but luckily not less hair), but I sure don't feel like a "senior citizen".

I used to worry about getting older, but now I don't. I'm in much better shape now than I was when I returned to cycling in 2009 after a 17-year hiatus. I'm actually healthier now than when I was younger - I'm almost never ill and I'm the one who dodges the cold/flu/virus when my younger co-workers succumb.

I don't focus on my chronological age anymore - its just a number. I focus on climbing the "next mountain" and it seems to keep me young. Maybe the real fountain of youth is simply just not allowing yourself to "grow old".

Or maybe its because I identify with Peter Pan.

B. Carfree 12-17-11 10:03 PM


Originally Posted by tractorlegs (Post 13611652)
I actually am getting younger each year. When I turned 50 I decided to start counting backwards - 8 years later I am now 42. I believe I will settle in on 29 as a permanent age. My wife tells me that I am about 8, but that's a different story.

A friend of mine stopped at 29 on the way up. He always gives his age as, "Twenty-nine, plus experience."

NoRacer 12-22-11 10:29 PM

PBS Broadcast Available here:

http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index...Next+Year&sr=1

lhbernhardt 12-23-11 12:35 PM

I made an infernal pact with the bike gods years ago. In return for eternal youth, I am forced to ride this contraption every day for at least an hour, sometimes longer. So far the gods are holding up their end of the deal!

But woe betide me if I ever renege!

L.

GeraldChan 12-23-11 01:20 PM

I was given this book recently by a friend. Am enjoying the info and writing style. At 54, and as someone who has ridden since 1972, I thought I was in reasonably good shape. Unlike a lot of cyclist I have done whole body conditioning for most of my adult life. Since reading the book I have been doing the 6-7 days/wk workouts now for about 3 wks and feel much better and stronger than when I was doing 2-3 days/wk. I have gone back to doing core muscle exercises every day and now feel much more capable than when I was in my 40's.
The benefits of cross training and daily exercise were my favorite take away messages. Just my $0.02 worth.

camelopardalis 12-23-11 09:58 PM

Dr. Lodge spoke on Public TV on this subject about two years ago. I just checked our local TV listings and they are replaying it here in Southern California at 1:00AM tonight. If you're in So. Cal., I recommend strongly that you set your DVR to record the program. I watched it before and it was superb and informative. If you're not in SoCal, look for it in your local listings

camelopardalis 12-23-11 10:00 PM

I forgot to mention that it is listed in that same title, "Younger next year-the new science of aging".

AzTallRider 12-24-11 05:12 PM


Originally Posted by ciocc_cat (Post 13613201)
I'll turn 57 on December 26. Funny, but I sure don't feel any different from when I turned 40. I've got more gray hair (but luckily not less hair), but I sure don't feel like a "senior citizen".

I used to worry about getting older, but now I don't. I'm in much better shape now than I was when I returned to cycling in 2009 after a 17-year hiatus. I'm actually healthier now than when I was younger - I'm almost never ill and I'm the one who dodges the cold/flu/virus when my younger co-workers succumb.

I don't focus on my chronological age anymore - its just a number. I focus on climbing the "next mountain" and it seems to keep me young. Maybe the real fountain of youth is simply just not allowing yourself to "grow old".

Or maybe its because I identify with Peter Pan.

Wow. Change December 26 to December 11, and I could have written this post. The not getting sick was, for me, an unexpected benefit of really cranking up the training, and eating to fuel the training. Can't come up with an aspect of "quality of life" that has not improved.


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