Reviews for Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well

Vicki Gold, drawing upon her decades of experience as a physical therapist, has authored a comprehensive guide, Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well: A Movement and Mindset Guide for Older Adults. This book provides a blueprint for aging adults, across all levels of age and ability, to optimize function, mobility, and overall well-being. Vicki’s core philosophy is built upon two interconnected ABC frameworks designed to facilitate both physical and mental transformations by leveraging the body’s intrinsic capacity for adaptation.

The ABC Mind-Body System for Physical Vitality – this system focuses on core physical elements:
• Alignment: Establishing and maintaining optimal postural alignment to minimize joint stress, maximize movement efficiency, and prevent injury.
• Breathing: Utilizing conscious, mindful breathing techniques to reduce stress, facilitate core stability, and enhance energy levels.
• Centering: Engaging the core to establish a stable foundation for all daily activities.

The ABC Framework for Mindset and Personal Growth – this framework addresses psychological drivers for healthy aging:
• Attitudes: Adopting a proactive and positive perspective toward aging, which challenges the notion of inevitable decline.
• Beliefs: Challenging and reframing self-limiting beliefs and fears (such as the common fear of falling) through structured self-talk and visualization.
• Commitment: Maintaining consistent dedication to personalized, functional movement and lifestyle habits that support long-term health.
Vicki emphasizes the mastery of basic functional movements and safe body mechanics to enhance the performance of daily activities while reducing the risk of injury. She advocates for the practice of slow, deliberate movement to maintain, improve, or restore critical health parameters. Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well serves as an actionable guide, empowering aging adults to take charge of their physical and mental health to achieve greater independence and a higher quality of life.

Marilyn Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, DSc (hon), FAPTA
Geriatric Clinical Specialist
Certified Strength Conditioning Specialist
Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults
Bone Fit Professional
Certified Rock Steady Clinician
Past-President, World Confederation for Physical Therapy
Past-President, American Physical Therapy Association
Professor Physical Therapy
New York University

I read the book for a second time and got out a lot more insight and information. Vicki and collaborators continue to do a wonderful effort to bring this knowledge to the reader.
I highly recommend this book.

This book is right on target to give the reader wonderful information about “the rest of your life”, no matter what your age!!!
Vicki did a marvelous job on the organization and format of each chapter and the book as a whole.
It is a must read for anyone who strives to improve their physical and mental health. The links to various websites and videos are very informative and certainly add to the topics.
So go for it and pay attention !!

Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well is one of those books you want to have on your coffee table. The book has a wealth of information about how to care for your body to keep it moving well. You’ll learn about so many topics that are important to maintain good movement from breathing, to how to take care of your feet, to nutrition, to mindfulness. And there are many practical ‘Try This!’ ideas on how to care for your movement system that are simple to follow. When you read this book, you’ll see how you can do something every day to keep your body moving well as it ages. Vicki provides many resources to further your knowledge (or you can use the keywords she provides to look up more information on the internet). There is also a glossary which defines some of the health and exercise words that are used in the book.
Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well is a culmination of decades of Vicki’s experiences teaching and caring for the moving body. I highly recommend getting the book. You may not read it all at once, but it is a good resource to have if you encounter such issues as fear of falling, weakness, osteoporosis, difficulty with sit to stand transfers, and other balance and movement issues. Thank you, Vicki for taking the time to write a comprehensive book that is easy to read and informative.

Best book written by a Physical Therapist for aging safely wisely and well
This book is an easy read, with clear sections that describe the mind-body connection, written by a Physical Therapist who has practiced the very thing she mentions in the book for the past fifty years. The excercises are simple and could be done in bed, sitting, or standing with support. It is for a wide functional range of people, from those incapable of standing, bedridden, or to prevent loss of balance. As a fellow physical Therapist who has practiced physical therapy for thirty years, I highly recommend this book. It should be in every household for family members of the elderly and the elderly themselves. It gives insight into what can be done to solve the mobility issue. It is highly motivational and every page has positive note to it.

From the very first chapter, Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well strikes a balance between empathy and expertise.
Each section is filled with practical advise on maintaining physical fitness and mental acuity.
The book shines in its meticulous breakdown of everyday challenges and opportunities that come with aging. Whether it’s learning safe exercise routines tailored to different fitness levels or exploring nutritional guidelines that boost energy and prevent chronic illness, every tip feels thoughtful and backed by solid research. The advice feels not only credible, but also deeply encouraging.
In Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well, Vicki Gold helps people to understand that aging is a time and a journey of opportunity rather than decline. This book is a beacon of hope and a blueprint for living life how the title suggests we approach and live our golden years..living life safely, wisely and well.

I’d like to congratulate my colleague and friend, Vicki Gold, PT, MA for seamlessly integrating both theory and practice as well as art and science in her book, Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well. It doesn’t take the reader long before it becomes obvious the extent to which Vicki absolutely lives by the recommendations covered in her book. In fact, my impression is that before she recommends any of the practices and techniques covered in Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well (e.g., ABC Mind-Body System, body mechanics, self-talk, physical fitness, balance, nutrition, etc.) she is 100% convinced of their efficacy through both personal application and therapeutic instruction to her patients.
What an asset Vicki’s book is to my personal library on aging well. Congratulations to the author. Well done!!!

I hate exercising. Almost as much as I hate well-meaning people telling me to exercise. I also hate patronizing writers of so-called “self-help” books telling me how to live. (I think those books mostly “self-help” their authors, with the royalties…) Vicki Gold falls into neither of these categories. Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well is written in a friendly, non-threatening and non-patronizing way. The steps she describes are easy to follow and her advice is completely logical. I have found that beginning with self-awareness of how I perform normal activities (breathing, sitting…) I have been able to follow her advice (not orders) and improve how I actually feel–both physically and mentally. I think that everyone could benefit from this book; not just seniors, but also those who would like to become healthy, happy seniors in the future.

Aging Safely, Wisely, and Well is a great resource for those who don’t know where to begin their wellness journey or for those that haven’t yet stopped to think about the aging process. Appropriate for, and written for all ages (younger to older adults), this clear and concise overview of the aging process puts the reader in the driver’s seat of their own health by providing tangible, yet simple solutions to common issues including falls, aging in place, bone health, and more! The fitness industry can be an incredibly ableist and intimidating place, even for younger generations, with its “all or nothing” red pill approach, but this book provides and introductory lesson into the small and easy changes that can be made to promote healthy aging. It places a positive spin on the aging process. Vicki’s experience as not only a physical therapist, but as an aging adult herself, lends to a great combination of factual evidence as well as lived-experience, which is something missing from much of the advice given related to older adult health. Well done, Vicki, on fully embracing healthy aging on both a professional as well as a personal level.