Table Of ContentMore Praise for Fitness After 40:
How to Stay Strong at Any Age
“Dr. Wright not only has a high IQ but also a high EQ, or emotional quotient.
She understands people. Using her expertise as an orthopaedic surgeon, re-
searcher, and masters athlete, she guides and encourages readers to live their best
lives now. Fitness After 40 is a must-read for everyone wanting to take control
of their bodies through fitness.”
—Freddie H. Fu, M.D.,
President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine;
and Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh
“Read this book! Vonda Wright’s passion for life and boundless energy pour out
of the pages of Fitness After 40 as she teaches how to own your future through
fitness. Join her patients and program participants as they learn her well-rounded
approach that focuses on flexibility, aerobic exercise, carrying a load (resistance
training), and equilibrium/balance training. As a Certified Athletic trainer, I have
rehabilitated athletes and put them back in the game for more than 35 years. I
would recommend Fitness After 40for all people with the desire to get back into
the game, and the practitioners who care for them.”
—Marje Albohm, M.S., ATC,
President of the National Athletic Trainers Association
“As a busy executive and avid ultra-marathoner, injury was the last thing I
wanted to slow me down. Like many masters athletes, however, I found myself
looking injury in the eye. When I first met Dr. Wright, I learned that she does not
believe arriving at an arbitrary age requires us to simply accept injury or slow
down. Her ‘can do’ approach inspired me to continue being competitive and the
best I can be. In Fitness After 40,she gives great incentive and practice methods
for setting and achieving fitness goals while minimizing injury . . . whether, for the
first time in years, you are just stepping onto the trail or maximizing your com-
petitive edge.”
—Roger Oxendale, CEO,
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC; and Ultramarathoner
“Fitness After 40 by Dr. Vonda Wright and Ruth Winter is a book of utmost im-
portance as more and more of the population pass that age mark. In fact, a num-
ber of ski facilities no longer give a reduced rate to senior skiers because there are
so many of them. One major problem I see in my clinics in Colorado is that often
mature athletes may sit around all spring and summer, and then take to the ski
slopes in winter. Because they have not remained active and are out of condition,
they are very vulnerable to injury. Fitness After 40has excellent information about
conditioning. Mature people not only benefit their mind and body by keeping in
shape, they have fun and tend to keep their sense of humor. As 101-year-old Ben
Levinson observed when he competed at the 1998 Nike World Masters Games in
Portland, Oregon: ‘At my age, just being anywhere is great!’ Incidentally, I am
now over 40, and mountain-bike ride, ski, horseback ride, and play hockey.”
—Gloria Beim, M.D., Physician for the U.S. Track Cycling Team;
and Physician for the U.S. Team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens,
and practices orthopaedics at Alpine Orthopaedics Sports Medicine
and Hand Center in Crested Butte, Gunnison, and Telluride, Colorado
“In their new book, Fitness After 40, Vonda Wright, M.D., an orthopaedist at the
University of Pittsburgh, and science writer Ruth Winter, M.S., team up to offer a
motivational and informative book that should get over-40 readers off their
couches and exercising with a smile. I especially like Dr. Wright’s acronym F.A.C.E.,
which stands for F (flexibility), A (aerobics), C (carrying a load/resistance training),
and E (equilibrium/balance). This book should help encourage readers to make the
most of their 40+ years by encouraging a more active lifestyle appropriate to each
reader’s physical state. It’s great that Fitness After 40 shows readers how it’s pos-
sible to put in place a safe, individual, and customized exercise program that doesn’t
have to take up a lot of time.”
—Jan Yager, Ph.D., sociologist; and author of
Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover
“InFitness After 40, Vonda Wright successfully shows readers how to take charge
of their bodies in a healthy and sensible way. As we age and approach mid-life, it’s
far too easy to slow down, make fitness and healthful eating less of a priority, and
let nature take its course (and lead us to lose muscle mass and add some extra fat
layers to our bodies). Vonda shows us we can fight fate by incorporating more
regular, sustainable exercise and physical activity into our lives. She also explains
how to eat in a way that provides us with key nutrients and adequate amounts of
energy (calories) to not only support our workouts and help strengthen our bod-
ies, but keep our minds working optimally. Vonda’s book helps readers not only
look better on the outside, but feel better on the inside.”
—Elisa Zied, M.S., R.D., CDN, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American
Dietetic Association; and American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer
“In one’s pursuit of wellness and health . . . fitness is always the foundation. Ex-
ercise is medicine. Dr. Wright delivers this concept in an exceptionally clear, fun,
and realistic way. Fitness After 40 is recommended to all my patients of all levels
because it’s simply NEVER too late to start and get healthy!”
Marty Jaramillo, PT, “Physical Therapist and Trainer to the Stars”;
Founder & CEO, I.C.E. Sports Physical Therapy; and
co-author of Men’s Health Best Sports Injuries Handbook
“As I approached age 50, I was overweight, had high blood pressure, and had not
exercised in years. I decided it was time to invest in myself, and I worked hard fol-
lowing Dr. Wright’s program for beginner exercisers. In the last six months, I have
lost 40 pounds, I am more energetic and fit than I have ever been, and, best of all
I am off high blood pressure medications for the first time in 10 years. Dr. Wright
has a passion for getting us fit, and 50 is going to be a great year!”
—Linda, Pittsburgh, two-time participant in Dr. Wright’s fitness programs
“Dr. Wright’s twice weekly program for beginning exercisers has changed my life!
After 12 weeks, I love to exercise and I believe I am physically capable of so much
more than ever before. Last week I finished my first 5K race and I felt great. I am
so excited to have Fitness After 40 in my hands because it is like talking to Dr.
Wright one-on-one. She takes care of my arthritic knees and encouraged me to
take the next step and regain the strength and stamina I had let slip away over
the years. I’m an athlete again.”
—Mary Anne, Pittsburgh, Dr. Wright’s patient and
first-time participant in Dr. Wright’s programs for STARTers
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F I T N E S S A F T E R 40
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40
F I T N E S S A F T E R
HOW TO STAY STRONG AT ANY AGE
Vonda Wright, M.D., M.S.
Director of PRIMA™
(Performance and Research Initiative for Master Athletes),
UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Ruth Winter, M.S.
WITH
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PRIMA is a trademark of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wright, Vonda.
Fitness after 40 : how to stay strong at any age / Vonda Wright with
Ruth Winter.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978–0-8144–0994–7
ISBN-10: 0–8144–0994–6
1. Exercise for middle-aged persons. 2. Physical fitness for middle-aged
persons. 3. Middle-aged persons—Health and hygiene. I. Winter, Ruth
II. Title.
GV482.6.W75 2009
613.7’0446—dc22
2008024322
© 2009 Vonda Wright and Ruth Winter.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The contents of Fitness After 40, such as text, graphics, im-
ages, information obtained from Fitness After 40’s licensors,
and other material contained in the book (“Content”) are for
informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be
a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or
treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have re-
garding a medical condition. Never disregard professional
medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you
have read in Fitness After 40.
Description:" It’s one of the undeniable facts of life. After we reach a certain age, our bodies change. No matter how fit we may have been at 20, we’re very different people after 40. But growing older doesn’t have to diminish our fitness level. The good news is that not only can we retain the vigor of o
