An exercise-free lifestyle is an option, but an unwise one, particularly for Baby Boomers who are facing general health-related issues associated with aging, a new book from Fitness Information Technology at West Virginia University’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences says.

Boomercise: Exercising as You Age, by Dr. David Pargman, sport and exercise psychologist and professor emeritus at Florida State University, provides guidelines for establishing safe and sensible wellness programs for Boomers.

The book is designed to help boomers achieve and maintain a better quality of life as they age. Some of the topics Pargman addresses are: achieving a positive body image, improving nutrition, avoiding injury, and setting realistic exercise goals. He also offers tips for the prevention and alleviation of age-related medical conditions that can lead to costly health care expenses.

“Exercise is a requirement, an essential part of your life. Its absence from your everyday ‘to do’ lists ultimately deprives you of an optimally healthy existence,” said Pargman. “You can live without it, but life is infinitely improved with it. The situation is as straightforward and simple as that. And that’s precisely what this book is all about.”

Through practical examples and simplified scientific explanations, readers will understand the difference between health and wellness and gain insight about the role of exercise in achieving a higher degree of wellness. By striking a balance between the social, mental, physical, and spiritual components in life, Pargman suggests that individuals may be better able to cope if confronted with illness and respond to the challenges of some of life’s daily tasks for boomers.

The foreword for the book is written by Kim Lyons, a nationally recognized fitness expert and former trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Lyons said many of the concepts she utilizes when working with her older clients are conveyed in this book.

“Boomercise can help you … to gain more energy, improve your health, and develop strength to do some of the ‘simple things’ in life that can be so rewarding,” Lyons said.

Boomercise: Exercising as You Age is published by Fitness Information Technology (FiT) and distributed to the trade by National Book Network. For more information, visit www.fitinfotech.com/boomercise.html or contact Sheila Saab, FiT marketing coordinator, at 304-293-0879.
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About FiT: Fitness Information Technology (FiT), the publishing division of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences of West Virginia University, publishes academic and trade books, journals, and electronic products in sport and exercise psychology, physical education, coaching education, sport management, and sport and cultural studies. FiT maintains a list of international experts in these disciplines. To arrange an interview with the author of this or other books, contact FiT’s marketing department at 304-293-0879 or fitmarketing@mail.wvu.edu.

About the author: Dr. David Pargman is an internationally known speaker in performance enhancement, sport and exercise psychology, and wellness. He has given workshops, lectures, and seminars in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Thailand, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Israel, Egypt, Canada, and numerous locations in the United States. He has been quoted as an expert in countless newspaper articles and magazines including in Time and Fitness. For nine years he served as a weekly commentator on health and sport on WSFU, Florida, a National Public Radio affiliate. He has also been interviewed as an expert on numerous television and radio shows.

His scholarly work has been published widely in some of the leading journals in sport medicine and exercise science including Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Medicine and Science in Sport, Sport and Exercise Psychology, Journal of Sport Behavior, International Journal of Sport Psychology, and American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. He has assisted performers of all kinds and ages including musicians, collegiate athletes, and public speakers, counseling them on performance enhancement and anxiety and stress management.

Dr. Pargman is author, coauthor, or editor of six books: Physical Fitness: A Wellness Approach (Prentice-Hall, 1989); Stress and Motor Performance: Understanding and Coping (Mouvement Publication, 1986); Understanding Sport Behavior (Pearson, 1997); Foundations of Exercise Psychology (Fitness Information Technology, 2006); The Psychological Bases of Sport Injuries (Fitness Information Technology, 2007); and Managing Performance Stress: Models and Methods (Taylor and Francis-Routledge, 2006).

About National Book Network: National Book Network, a part of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, is a global leader in the sales, marketing and distribution of content, dedicated to providing the best services for publishers, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. It is home to some of the most well-known publishing and distribution companies in the world.

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CONTACT: Sheila Saab, marketing coordinator – FiT
304-293-0879; fitmarketing@mail.wvu.edu