Dynamic Aging: Simple Exercises for Whole-Body Mobility

by Katy Bowman

As seen on the Today Show, Dynamic Aging isn’t that same old “senior fitness,” “senior stretching,” “senior strength” book you’ve seen again and again.

This book is about using simple exercises to feel better and get back to living vitally no matter your age."Don't blame your age if you're feeling creaky. It could just be the way you're using (or not using) your body." ―Washington Post on Dynamic Aging as a “Book for the Ages”

Movement is a powerful tool and changing how you move can change how you feel, no matter your age.

Dynamic Aging is an exercise guide geared to an over 50 audience that

30+ illustrated exercisesmoves for pain-free feet and strong hipsmoves for better balance and getting over the fear of fallinghow to improve sitting, standing, and walking posturego from stiff shoulders to arms that can reach, carry, and lifthow to stay fit to drivetips for moving more in daily life!Alongside Bowman's exercise and alignment instructions are stories and advice of four women over seventy-five who began this program over a decade ago. Along the way they found recommended surgeries unnecessary, regained strength and mobility, and ended up moving more than they did when they were 10 years younger.

From hiking in the mountains to climbing ladders and walking on cobblestones with ease, each of these women embodies the book's No matter where you're starting, if you change how you move, you can change how you feel.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Bodies, Self Help, Reference, Education

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2017

About the author

Bestselling author, speaker, and a leader of the Movement movement, biomechanist Katy Bowman, M.S. is changing the way we move and think about our need for movement. Her ten books, including the groundbreaking Move Your DNA, have been translated into more than 16 languages worldwide.
Bowman is the creator and host of the "Move Your DNA" podcast, teaches movement globally, and speaks about sedentarism and movement ecology to academic and scientific audiences such as the Ancestral Health Summit and the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Her work has been featured in such diverse media as the Today Show, CBC Radio One, the Seattle Times, NPR, the Joe Rogan Experience, and Good Housekeeping.
One of Maria Shriver’s “Architects of Change” and an America Walks “Woman of the Walking Movement,” Bowman consults on educational and living space design to encourage movement-rich habitats. She has worked with companies like Patagonia, Nike, and Google as well as a wide range of non-profits and other communities to create greater access to her “move more, move more body parts, move more for what you need” message.
Her movement education company, Nutritious Movement, is based in Washington State, where she lives with her family.

Reviews

[Rosemary Atwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m on a Katy Bowman discovery read to see how her methods complement or differ from those of my favourite health educators, Kelly and Juliet Starrett.

While this is no ‘Built to Move,’ the principles are the same, but scaled down to suit individuals who are substantially less mobile. There are some excellent exercises and advice which can easily be incorporated into everyday life and the book’s format is geared towards those who like their reading matter on the large-print scale.

Recommended for all ages and stages of the longevity journey.

[moonglow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book talks to "goldeners," the lovely term used to replace "senior citizens," but it can be of benefit to all ages. I'm 38 years old, and this book gave me a glimpse into my possible future as a wise and dynamic elder: one who not only stores a wealth of stories and experience, but who also hikes, climbs trees, and otherwise moves independently and confidently. The book makes a great case for why we should move more and move in a variety of ways, gives guidance on how to do so, and provides a wonderful collection of exercises to strengthen the body for the daily movements that one needs in order to live a dynamic life. I also appreciate the discussion of the right shoes to wear to keep the body correctly aligned and strong.

My favorite part of the book is the personal stories of four women, now in their late 70s and 80s, who are genuine models of dynamic aging. They talk about the physical problems that they had and how they were able to overcome them by following the guidance offered in this book. They describe the wonderful ways they are able to move, including climbing trees! Did you ever think you could see a woman in her 80s hanging from a tree? These women's stories are truly inspiring.

I have started teaching my 73-year-old mother these exercises, and she feels like just a few days of practicing them have made a big difference. I can see that. She is steadier on her feet and building stamina. Katy shows us that getting older does not have to mean turning into a decrepit prune. It is our culture of being sedentary and putting our bodies into a variety of casts that weakens us, and so frail aging has become the norm. Even if you, like my mom, have lost some physical abilities, it is never too late to start adding movement into your life, and I highly recommend this book as a guide for doing so.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this is apparently the record for the Kindle edition, but the cover matches the paperback edition, which is what I read. So, oops.

If you read a lot of Katy Bowman books you won't find much new here. Other than the exercises for driving a car, I had read this all before.

What I did find new was the presentation -- material was packaged in a way to appeal to those who are older. Big print! Lots of white space on every page! Personal stories by other old people! Pictures of old, somewhat out-of-shape people doing the exercises!

If you've tried to hook your relatives and friends on Katy Bowman by recommending Move Your DNA and had them complain how overwhelming it all is, well, here is the answer -- give them this book. It's easy to read, easy to follow. No excuses anymore!

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katy Bowman came highly recommended to me by two women that I respect. I enjoy reading about movement and aging. This book highlights 30 moves to improve balance and movement. I was disappointed in the book.
This is a larger than mass market sized book at 7.5 x 9.5 inches. It is purposely repetitive, circling back to core principles as the book progresses. It also is written in a huge font, so that there isn’t aren’t 262 pages of “normal” reading. With approximately 160 words in a page, if the book were in standard 12 point font, the book would be short-form non fiction tallying 170 pages.
The book is also geared toward women, although some of the photos of exercises depict men. It is co- authored by Bowman and four other women in their mid-to late 70’s.
I’m close to that age, but am presently trying to incorporate my movement training through functional fitness routines involving yard work, wheel barrow activity and mountain biking and thought there would be more translation of these movements toward sport and fitness routines.
I’m not giving up on Katy Bowman yet. I plan to check out Move Your DNA.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for everyone over 50 who wants to keep moving.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, sensible and easy to follow exercises to keep us flexible and well-balanced as we age. No argument with the content. I have 2 criticisms though: the book should be bound with rings so it will lay open, and it could have been shorter if the print was just a bit smaller. I ordered the kindle edition because I knew the hardcover would not stay open by itself. But then, in the class I took about the book, my page numbers were way off those of the rest of the class which was using the print book.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the End, It's Just Exercise.

While I appreciate the message Katy is putting across, I found it all quite dull. In a recent podcast interview, she does admit to just laying info out without much sugar-coating. The book does just that, but that also makes it a quick read. Points are reinforced throughout the book through repetition, which is actually helpful. I'm ready to gift this book someone else; it's not a keeper.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Targeted primarily towards women, and targeted more toward the non-athletic reader, but still contains plenty of useful insights and meta-insights for anyone wanting to maintain or improve their mobility and physical robustness at any age.

Chief among these insights is the book's fundamental philosophy of man... [see the rest on my book review site.]

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure which I liked better this or Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement. This one seems to have more alignment tests and slightly different exercises.

I wish both books had more exercises and had were better depicted. That being said I will probably buy one of the two books as the author has a great deal of insight

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Katy Bowman's overall message, but the contents of this book can be boiled down to a short pamphlet, maybe 10 pages. The book has a lot of testimonials from people that Katy has taught, which read as very self promotional, and was just not too helpful to me.

[Barbara Lifland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this as an easy to follow guide to improving mobility and balance. Good for a beginner but as someone who has exercised regularly for many decades, I still found some new methods and excellent reminders.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really feeling like I need to buy this book for my Grandma and parents!

[Kaz. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is aimed at someone older than my 51 years.

[Ellen Rennels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a whole bunch of self-help health and exercise books in addition to doing a whole lot of online research, but this book totally surprised me. It is not really a book of exercises, rather I'd characterize it as a book with movement suggestions interspersed with philosophy. She is so contrary to many in the fitness industry with her idea that a lot of smaller targeted movements lead to the kind of mobility and strength that average people need as they get older. There is a lot of talk regarding challenging oneself rather than conceding defeat and arranging your life so that you accommodate weaknesses. I especially like her premise that we tend to prioritize ease and convenience when we find it getting difficult to reach things. The predominant logic is to rearrange surrounding so make things easier to reach. She says that just leads down the path of continued decline and instead advocates for making things just barely out of reach so that you have to reach a bit, while still staying safe, to very gradually improve your range of motion. This is really a fascinating book and I highly recommend it to anyone over 60 and/or anyone struggling with basic mobility.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been blowing through Katy Bowman’s books since I discovered her book “Grow Wild” in a cidery gift shop of all places.

This book doesn’t write about kids as in Grow Wild, but older people who she calls “goldeners.” Four goldeners have their presence in the book to show how movement and the advice and exercises Katy gives have changed their habits and their lives.

It’s a very easy and practical guide.

Katy writes “We’re mostly under-moved, and not at all too old.”

I got great ankle and calf stretches to improve mobility and posture. Katy’s number one exercise for older people is walking. But she prefers you walk it in nature with hills, rocks and obstacles to keep you sharp and mobile. She sees this as superior to paved roads or treadmill walking. She calls this “vitamin texture” by walking in rocky paths, sandy shores or hilly areas.

This book also has practical exercises for improving strength, mobility and posture that I have bookmarked to include when I can through the day.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this super accessible introduction to mobility, Katy Bowman is joined by four "goldeners" who supplement the text with their personal success stories of ditching chronic disorders and living energetic and movement-rich lives into their seventies and eighties.

The basic message is that our culture has bought into a myth that the typical decline we see in older population is all related to age. A better explanation of lost strength and mobility is our sedentary habits, and older people have simply been engaging in these bad habits for longer. The good news is that these habits can be changed, to the tune of dramatic results, even relatively late in life, as evidenced by the testimonials in this book. It is this message that makes this not just another book of senior-friendly exercises, but a book with a paradigm-shifting message, for those willing to hear it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like a helpful book of simple exercises. The explanations and photographs are fairly straightforward and appear easy to follow. There is a good deal of overlap between this book and her book, “Diastasis Recti”, but this book keeps in mind its intended audience and has a larger font and is double spaced. :D Personally, I love her down-to-earth writing style, humility, and her focus on intentionality of movement in daily life. It makes a lot of sense that it isn’t merely the intense workout routines that we do that make up a fraction of our day that make us truly healthy but the mundane day-to-day moments when we are properly aligned and incorporating diverse movement that affect our overall health, strength, etc.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realize that I'm not the target group for this book but I still found it interesting. I live with three seniors (my parents and elderly aunt) and watch them deal with a variety of health problems. The author points out the reason that seniors, which she calls "goldeners", are immobile is not because of age but rather our culture pushes a sedentary lifestyle. She suggests simple, daily exercises to keep the joints and muscles working. Many of the exercises can be done sitting or lying down to increase range of motion. This is book is useful for people of all ages, but especially for those who are sedentary most of the time.

[Kari Mulderink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not quite a "goldener, which is the target age of this book, there are many practical ideas and strengthening exercises to prevent some of the common movement limitations that are commonly experienced when aging. After reading Katy's book, my eyes have been opened to the roll of a sedentary lifestyle in the average American's aging experience. That is something I CAN change. The book leaves you with this hopeful message- no matter how old you are there are simple things you can do to stay agile and moving even as you age, so that you can really live all the days of your life!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Katy Bowman's book Move Your DNA and liked this one more. It may be because I'm in the targeted "goldener" age range. However, I think it was because the movements and exercises were more practical, often things that I can incorporate into daily movements. The visual and verbal descriptions of movements and exercises were very clear. There was also no talk of sleeping on the floor or without a pillow, as in Move Your DNA, which is not going to happen in my life. I was less interested in the sidebars from 4 older women who have taken Bowman's training and incorporated it into their lives.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get the impression that this book works well for many-- possibly even most people-- but I injured myself with the foot flexibility exercises and took weeks to recover. I have hypermobile joints, and this book is decidedly not a good match for people like me who can accidentally and repeatedly dislocate small joints without realizing.

I will note that my doctor didn't expect the problem, but then she also has little experience with joint hypermobility. If you think you have hypermobile joints, talk to someone who understands how exercise interacts with that issue before you try even a book that's intended to be simple/gentle because it may not be so in the ways that you need.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended by Tammy (yoga instructor). The book is very comprehensive, but fortunately I don't suffer from the mobility issues that are addressed. The format was a little annoying, with the author's writing often interrupted by "sidebars" which meant turning back pages in order to read the sidebar, or pausing in the middle of the article, read the sidebar on the page, then resume the article. There were some helpful suggestions for balance and flexibility, but most of the exercises are covered in the classes I take.

[Sugarpuss O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I am not yet a 'Goldener,' I would like to age as well as these women have, and the only way to do that is to build a body that will carry you into those Golden Years. This book shows you how. Unlike other movement books, this book teaches you how to make the changes necessary for a functional future. You don't need to be in your 70s to benefit. Everyone can reap the rewards from this book, regardless of age or current fitness level. This is a book that meets you where you are, so what do you have to lose?

[Soňa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Co když vaše bolesti nejsou zpusobeny věkem, ale špatnými návyky? Co když vás více pohybu dokáže dostat do lepší duševní pohody, bez ohledu na to, kolik vám je let?
Cvičení jsou zaměřena na aktivity každodenního života, udržení kondice, zdravé nohy a lepší rovnováhu. Učitelka biomechaniky a pohybu Katy Bowman nabízí cviky pro různé úrovně pohyblivosti. Cvičení, k nimž nejsou zapotřebí žádne speciální pomucky ani vybavení, jsou vhodné pro lidi nad 50 let.
Kniha obsahuje i příběhy, zkušenosti a rady čtyř žen nad sedmdesát pět let, které tyto principy a cviky používaly po celá léta. Díky nim se vyhnuly operacím, které jim doporučovali lékaři. Jejich těla se dokonce stala pružnější než tao deset let mladších přátel. A co víc, stále provozují pěší turistiku na horách!

Od Katy som kedysi načala Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement a áno, skončila som niekde v polovici... Prečo? Tá kniha boli skondenzované všetky znalosti o BF (barefoot) svete a nedalo sa to prečítať. Aj napriek tomu, som si knihu/éčko nechala, dokonca som občas objavila iné knihy a pridala si ich, že šak "jedného dňa..."
A tak keď som nahodou zočila túto knihu na polici v knižnici neodolala som :) Aj napriek faktu a odporúčaniu, že je pre ľudí nad 50plus.
Čo povedať, ku knihe samotnej, oproti tej prvej, je to kniha, ktorá sa dá čítať. Je to reálne kniha, ktorú človek otvorí a vie si odniesť hneď niečo do reálneho života. Doplnená je časťami od 4 dám "v zlatom veku" ( teda niekde medzi 75-85 rokmi), ktoré opisujú svoje skúsenosti a zážitky.
A hodnotenie? No uvedomenie, že keďže už niekoľko rokov veselo "pobehujem" BF, že táto kniha už nie je pre mňa :D lebo kopec vecí, ktoré tu dámy rozoberajú proste nacvičujem, precvičujem a hlavne hýbem. Čo je podstatné ale povedať, že iní by z nej mohli benefitovať a rovno by ju mali dávať pri odchode do penzie ako darček... nie hodiny či iné hovadinky, ako sa zvykne...
Cvičenia sú dobre zobrazené aj vysvetlené, už len začať sa hýbať. Lebo telo máme len jedno a ak chceme aby fungovalo treba sa oň starať, ideálne už teraz... a ak by sa zabudlo, tak od tej 50-tky :)

Prvá veta: Když jsem byla malá, matka o mně říkavala, že "se musím vždy sama spálit, abych sa ponaučila."
Posledná veta: Všechny uvedené publikace lze zakoupit na internetu.
Goodreads Challenge 2024: 69. kniha

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book for the senior reader. It's written and illustrated so anyone can follow this simple but essential guide. Using everyday items in your home you can exercise your ankles, knees, back etc. The author and 3 "test" users all weigh in on the benefits of each chapter. It's likely the user will be 50+ and reap the benefits of improved posture and relaxed joints. It is useful for all who want to keep their balance and walking skills as they grow older. A must read for the older reader who wants to stay fit and active.

[Anne Libera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me as a good resource for simple exercises to support balance and everyday strength (mostly interested for my daughter who has been hospitalized for an extended period of time).- I'm not quite the demographic but there's a lot of good simple information here that is easily practiced and I found has made a difference. I've had some foot issues in the past few years and the foot stretches, in particular, were of interest and use to me.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is geared toward older people who have lost the ability to move like they did when they were younger. But I felt like I still gained a lot of good information to prevent old age paralysis from setting in. I learned how to stand and walk correctly to place my body's weight appropriately on my feet. This has enabled me to really see a lot of progress on the reversal of my bunions and straightening put my big toes.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dynamic Aging is a great reference book to encourage movement and stretching every day, to not feel old and immobile. Very simple, clear exercises and stretches. And they make a difference in how I feel and move. Very encouraging and doable! Thanks to Heidi for finding it and encouraging me. I am making changes in my flexibility and strength every day. Simple to understand and complete.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just discovered Katy Bowman and I love everything she does. This book inspires me to work with my parents who are 89 and 88 and get them to move a little more. I am paying so much more attention to how my body moves throughout the day and taking daily walks. Thank you for the movement movement, I am here to spread the word.

[Lynne Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the basics are hard to follow in words alone

I can see where attending a movement class would help you find which things you were doing wrong. Many of the exercises are ones we commonly do in my yoga class and are excellent for keeping your body and spine flexible.