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Physical Dimensions of Aging

1996; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 28; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1249/00005768-199603000-00018

1530-0315

Ann M. Swank,

Physical Dimensions of Aging Waneen W. Spirduso In the preface to this text, the author states that one of the certainties of life is that every day everyone grows older. A time comes in each of our lives when this fact becomes personally relevant. Of all human dimensions, the physical dimension is often the first to convince us that no one is an exception to the rule, we are all aging. Physical aging affects us cognitively, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. This book discusses physical aging and how this affects other dimensions of our life. This text is designed for anyone over the age of 40, the undergraduate or graduate student who will be working with the aging population, such as physical therapists, exercise physiologists, and health educators among others. This text is also designed to serve as a resource manual for researchers in the areas of biomechanics, exercise physiology and psychology. All of the above populations would benefit from having this book on the shelf. The text is divided into five sections: an introduction to aging; energy, work, and efficiency; motor control, coordination and skill; physical-psychosocial relationships; and physical performance and achievement. Within each of the above sections are several chapters addressing the particular area. In each chapter the author presents current research in the particular area and the prevailing theories to explain the observations. The strength of the text is the authors ability to integrate the research into a coherent story of how physical changes in our body affect all processes of our lives. The reference list at the end of each chapter is up to date and in depth, a helpful list to the researcher in this area. The most enjoyable chapter I found was that addressing the accomplishments of elite masters athletes. The author stated a need for a change in our attitude in interacting with the older client and perhaps in analyzing ourselves. We need to spend more time and effort emphasizing what we can do as opposed to dwelling on what we cannot do. In conclusion, this is an effective textbook for all of the above populations cited. Furthermore, the text is a valuable resource text for researchers in gerontology.