New Beginning #2: Younger Next Year?

Here’s what I’ve been reading lately: Younger Next Year for Women, by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge.

And boy do I ever highly recommend it! It’s mainly geared toward people 50 and above, but I wish someone had told me this stuff in my 30s, so don’t let the hype that names the target audience fool you. (There's also a version for men.)

So what’s the deal? Can you really be younger next year? As one reviewer says, “Well, maybe.” But the “maybe” isn’t based on sketchy science, less-than-reliable studies, or even unclear advice; the “maybe” is based on the reader’s willingness to follow the authors' very clear and well-supported advice, which is based on new and exciting discoveries in the science of aging bodies.

The advice? 7 basic and fairly straightforward rules, beginning with exercise (6 days a week for the rest of your life) and ending with finding something to be committed to and excited about (for the rest of your life), with some talk about "not eating crap" and a few other recommendations in between. Simple to understand, but not so simple to do, maybe most especially that thing about working out 6 days a week, every week, until they carry you out. That’s a tough pill to swallow for many of us, but the authors make a clear and convincing case that it can be a magic pill, a pill that can promote wellness and firmness into our 80s and beyond, and help most of us replace what might have been a frail and desperate old age with a vigorous, joyful “next third” of our lives.

And what a great job they do of making that case, not only in the sense of presenting a clear and persuasive argument, but also in presenting it in a witty, entertaining, but also very direct style. The authors are one doctor and one of his patients, and they alternate chapters, in sort of a team-teaching style, where Harry, the doc, gives you the science, and Chris, the regular guy, talks about how the science plays out in your life, and has in his. Interestingly enough, while Harry is the scientist, he has a pleasant, almost gentle bedside—or, in this case, bookside—manner, and Chris is the one who’s inclined to be a little severe, though in an encouraging, coach-like way. So while Chris admits he wanted Rule #1 to be something like “Exercise 7 days a week,” he tells us that Harry persuaded him to let us off with 6 days a week. On the other hand, Chris scolds us severely when we ask, as he imagines us doing, “How about 5 days, or even one day? Isn’t that better than nothing?” No! Chris insists (you can almost see him stamping his foot), it’s NOT better than nothing. But then he patiently explains his point, and leads us carefully through the reasons why one day, or even three, four, or five days, are not better than nothing. (In a former life, Chris was an attorney, and you can hear the litigator’s flawless logic and attention to detailed argument in the way he builds his case for exercise. It’s really quite wonderful!)

But Chris is no monster (OK, run the tape of old lawyer jokes in your head and get it out of your system). Chris is the coach, browbeating when he has to, variously demanding compliance or cajoling when it makes sense, telling a joke now and then, and through it all, leading you along the path to success. He has lots of little tips and tricks to offer about all the rules. And he’s a bit of wit at it, too. I’ve read lots of books on the subject of getting in shape, and none of them has made me smile, even chuckle, as this one does. As I was finishing the last chapter or so, I found that I was unhappy that it was all about to end, the way you’re sorry that you’ve reached the end of a good novel or a wonderful movie. Fortunately, the authors have developed a very supportive website where you can ask questions, join a forum, get in on a chat now and then, and get more detailed advice about exercise and nutrition: Younger Next Year

To learn more, you’ll have to read the book. You owe it yourself to read Younger Next Year or Younger Next Year for Women. But don’t delay—the clock is ticking.