Dan King, 65, lives by the “use it or lose it” mantra.
“If you’re not pushing yourself physically, you’re signaling your body to decay faster, to degrade faster, and I don’t want that,” Dan says. “I want this chassis to be able to support all things I love to do for as long as I can.”
Dan is one of 4,000 athletes from around the world who competed recently in the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Gainesville, Florida.
The event, held every two years, divides track and field competitors into age categories starting at 35 and going as high as necessary.
Two of the oldest participants include a 104-year-old man from Thailand and a 96-year-old woman from New York. You can see some great photos here at the Gainesville newspaper’s site.
Fitness = Values
Dan, of Boulder, Colorado, counts fitness among one of his personal values, to be treated with the same reverence as honesty, integrity, compassion, and reliability.
“The competitive aspect of running is the icing on the cake of a lifestyle decision,” he explains. “You know, it gives me something to build goals around and to use to create focus and focuses me to be a little bit cleaner with my diet.”
His muscular arms make Dan look like a multi-sport athlete. But the heavy lifting is for lifestyle, not running.
“I do lots of strength training and the reason I do it is not because I think it makes me a better runner,” he says. “The reason I do it is I think it allows me to live a better life as a 65-year-old. It helps me live. It helps me ski and play golf, go on hikes with my wife.”
That is the value of having fitness as part of Dan’s personal culture. It’s why he doesn’t wallow in remorse if he loses a race. Dan is competitive, but he has higher goals.
“I want to age well, and I want to be fit,” Dan said. “I want to be able to do things I love as long as I possibly can.”
National Senior Games Coming Soon
Coming up this summer, more than 11,000 athletes are expected for the National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa.
“Senior Games provide the camaraderie and challenge of competitive sports to older adults, promote health and well-being and inspire participants to keep moving,” event organizers say on their website.
“We believe that it’s never too late to get active,” the group continues. “Many Senior Games athletes try a sport for the first time in their 50s, 60s, 70s or beyond — and it changes their lives forever.”
We couldn’t agree more. It’s never too late to get fit, whether you want to compete in events like this or just enjoy your life more.
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Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.