Introduction

Normal human evolution spans a lifetime beginning with infancy passing through middle age and completing the process during old age. This evolution reflects the "biological" rather than the "chronological" age of every individual assuming, of course, that there is no impedance resulting from accidents or disease. The situation currently confronting modern society is the lengthening of the time for this birth-to-death process and its effect on both the individual and society at large. Housing improvements, employment alterations, labor saving devices, and modern medicine are but a few of the factors protecting humanity from those instances which shortened the life span of our predecessors. While many of the difficult, threatening experiences of the past have been eliminated or reduced in severity, our bodies are now confronted with new problems which must be addressed and solved. One of these problems concerns the quality of life as people become older including, for example, maintaining the ability to be self sufficient. Many future solutions will conflict with some of the beliefs generally termed "current wisdom" as they apply to various aspects of modern western civilization in such areas as training, dieting, exercising, aging, and many of the physical movements with which we relate to our environment. In other words, while our society generally becomes older, the challenge for each individual will be to strive to retain the lowest "biological" age while their "chronological" birthdays increase. The long held joke about women and Jack Benny remaining thirty-nine years old rather than advancing to forty may be an appropriate target for everyone. The dilemma concerns the best way to accomplish this task.

In order to address the optimization of human movement and performance, the underlying philosophical premise metaphorically compares life with sport. The goal is that everyone should be a Gold Medalist in his or her own body regardless of age. Most people, however, do not achieve their "Gold Medal" because their goals, potential, and/or timing are uncoordinated or nonexistent. For example, an individual may envision himself or herself as a tennis champion yet lack the requisite physical and physiological traits of the greatest players. Given this situation, can his or her potential be maximized? Achieving one's maximum potential necessitates tools applicable to everyone for improving their performance whether in tennis, fitness, overcoming physical handicaps and/or disease. Useful tools must be based, however, on correct, substantive scientific principles.