Karen Adams, 63, is an art teacher who works hard to stay in good shape. How and why does she do it? Q: What’s unusual but helpful about your workouts? A: “I have predictable inconsistencies in my workout schedule. For 4 or 5 weeks, I will work out with my trainer twice weekly, do the
They say age ain’t nothing but a number. OK, fine. But which number? When someone asks, “How old are you?” do they mean your chronological age – which is how many years you’ve been on the earth? Do they mean your biological age, which is how old you are in terms of your physical health,
What type of grandparent do you want to be? The strong and healthy kind that plays with the grandkids, even learning new sports later in life? Or the frail, retreating kind that sits and watches, instead? Well, we all know which we would rather be: strong and healthy, right? Strength makes all the difference as
Back in graduate school more than 30 years ago, Rami Odeh worked on an early study to learn if people over 80 could see any benefits from weight training. Back then, conventional wisdom said it was hopeless. But the study found the opposite. “We had 90-year-olds doubling their strength,” Rami, now 60 and a fitness
“Stand up straight!” “Stop slouching!” We all used to hear that as children, right? It’s even more important now, later in life. Parents might tell their kids to correct their posture more to instill pride and project confidence. But good posture is about a lot more at this stage of life. As we age, our
A massive study made headlines by concluding that not exercising is worse for your health than smoking and diabetes. But many readers over 50 will be glad to know that the study also has a huge age-related finding: The spectacular benefits of exercise have no age limit. “Whether you’re in your 40s or your 80s,
Howard Snooks had it all. At 66, he was retired from a career as a social worker, married and healthy. Then in 2015, Howard’s wife of 34 years left him. Several family members died. And he had a hip replacement after a fall. “Kablooey,” he says. After that rough year, Howard came upon a newspaper
India Bridgette is a professor in the course titled “What’s Possible?” The 61-year-old champion sprinter and former Marine knows it takes discipline to answer that question and to excel at anything. She recently added strength training to that answer, too – for everyone, no matter what age, lifestyle, or fitness goals. Working out with weights
A motto can be effective for anyone trying to get in shape. Angela Staab uses one you’ve heard before or seen on T-shirts. But she also has come up with her own bit of advice and encouragement: “You can’t be a slug.” Now almost 80, she has used it to motivate her through life as
Ever heard someone say something like this? “Oh, he’s a very handsome man for his age.” What about: “I don’t like waiting on old people because they’re so tight with their money.” These are all part of the persistent myths attached to people over 50. But like many myths, they’re wrong when it comes to