Our book, The Active Life, is about functional aging. In case you were wondering what that means, here is a brief synopsis:
Functional Aging is the concept of improving one’s ability to perform, a/k/a function, properly at any given task despite advancing years. While chronological aging tells us how many years we have been alive, how we functionally age determines the quality of our movement and the degree to which we perform activities of daily living, participate in recreational activities, and stay as active as we want. It also can significantly impact us mentally, emotionally, and socially. This optimal way of living can be seen in highly functioning octogenarians who can operate better than others who are only in their 60s or 70s.
As Functional Aging Specialists, we can help improve your functional ability by including “functional training” in your program. The benefits of this type of training are:
Improve your doability: You will be able to do more things and do them better!
Feel better: This improvement in function accompanies a reduction in the discomfort and pain often associated with many physical activities.
Power the mind: Exercise and a healthy diet are two major factors essential to having a healthy brain, building muscle, and gaining strength.
Reduced risk of injury by focusing on training movements rather than individual muscles.
Better balance and stability will decrease the risk of falling and a greater ability to tackle activities that require good balance.
Exercise is a powerful stimulus that can keep you fit, healthy, strong, independent, vibrant, engaged, and functional well into your later years.
Marty and Kim Musikant
