Grow Your Fitness Confidence with an Inspiration that Challenges the Aging Paradigm
When my husband and I moved our family into our home a few years ago, someone told us we shouldn’t have chosen a two-story house because eventually we wouldn’t be able to climb the stairs. “Thanks, but I’m not ready to dig my grave quite yet….” I answered. Our culture has a paradigm wherein aging comes with fragility. On the contrary, a recent real-life example of the power of physical activity to preserve fitness has lit a fire of inspiration that’s contagious…
At 79 years old, Jim Ites lifts weights and sprints down a track. What does the life of the average 79 year old look like? Nearly the opposite, since most 79 year olds are dead. In fact, life expectancy in the United States is 78 years old. So, if you are 79, living independently, and getting your own groceries, you are a spry exception.
So, how do Jim and the other Senior Olympians maintain their fitness for eight decades? They didn’t have magic beans. They exercised. Jim would tell you specifically, that he “trains.” What he explains is that he’s found activities that he loves and he genuinely enjoys doing every week.
There is no one right way to exercise. There is something for everyone– walking, swimming, dancing, skiiing… What activities can you enthusiastically pursue? What makes you feel alive?
3,485 Comments
Leave your reply.