Reebok's advertising campaign tells us "Life is short. Play hard." But how hard is too hard? And why should we assume life is going to be short?

In Eric Plasker’s latest book, “The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout” (GPP Life, 16.95), the Marietta-based author, lecturer and chiropractor answers those questions and offers fitness tips to increase longevity.

A follow-up to his 2007 book “100 Year Lifestyle,” his new book revolves around the principle of what he calls ESS, which stands for endurance, strength and structure.

Q: Why did you write "The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout"?

A: The fitness plan of "The 100 Year Lifestyle" became the most talked about element of my first book, and people wanted to know more about how they could stay fit and healthy over the course of their lifetime. They got tired of the weight gain-weight loss roller coaster. "The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout" defines a balanced fitness program to get people in the best shape of their life and stay that way for a lifetime.

Q: What are the key points of the book?

A: The focus is to get your ESS in shape -- endurance, strength and structure -- because all three are important to good health, fitness and quality of life as you age. Many fitness plans just focus on one or two of these three elements. An example would be a runner with weak muscles [strength] and a deteriorated spine [structure] because he’s running himself into the ground or a bodybuilder who just focuses on building muscles but has no endurance and horrible, bent-over posture. This fitness plan teaches people how to create the balance necessary to being able to work out and stay fit for a lifetime.

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