People young and old assume that retirement is a time of inactivity, less social involvement, and inevitable physical decline. But healthy aging is a choice that anyone can make at any time of life by making beneficial lifestyle changes.

In Living Long and Loving It: Achieving a Healthy and Active Lifestyle (Prometheus Books, $18.95, paperback) Irvin M. Korr, Ph.D. and Rene J. McGovern, Ph.D. explain how anyone can apply scientifically based osteopathic principles to improve quality of life and promote successful aging.

This inspiring guide to achieving a healthy lifestyle at any time of life, stresses that the human body incorporates its own healing and defensive systems, as well as a health maintenance system. Together they form an indwelling healthcare system that is the ultimate source of health and for which each individual must take primary responsibility. By learning to develop healthy habits, we take care of the "physician within" to ensure that our inner physician can then take care of us.

The book emphasizes the importance of regular exercise and the beneficial effects that freedom of motion and physical activity bring, not only on our musculoskeletal system but also for our various internal organs, as well as our state of mind.

Available at local booksellers or online at amazon.com and prometheusbooks.com.

Claire Yezbak Fadden is the Associate Editor of LifeAfter50.com.