Jack LaLanne has done his last push-up. 96 years young, his unbridled enthusiasm and relentless energy are forever captured in the archives of grainy black and white television history. His message was a simple one, the results indisputable. Work out more, eat better, live with more vitality.
You’ve heard the stories that helped secure his legacy. He once ripped off a thousand push-ups in 23 minutes to promote his new fitness television show. He added a thousand pull-ups the following year in a little less than 90 minutes. At 60 years old, he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, towing a 1,000-pound boat, and might as well be shackled to make it a challenge. How many of us can do 95 consecutive fingertip push-ups? How many of us will do that for our 95th birthday?
His legacy is all around us. I glanced around the gym and thought I’d find an example or two of those who embody these fitness heroics, and was pleasantly surprised to find not just a couple of people who fit the bill, but dozens — people in their 60s, 70s and 80s who have embraced the use-it-or-lose-it principle of longevity. Walking, running, yoga, spinning, aerobics, cross-training, strength training, triathlon training, swimming, tennis, golf and hiking were all mentioned as activities … and that was just from the 70-plus group.
Representing the 60-plus crowd, I grabbed Bill Curry to ask what his exercise parameters were. A former reporter for the Washington Post and now a first class photographer, he is quiet, charming and pursues all things with his unflappable determination and customary excellence. He is battling stage 4 prostate cancer, and never have I heard him speak with anything other than optimism regarding his treatment or outcome. Bill hits the weights several times a week, busts out over 100 push-ups every day, and spends 45 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical or recumbent bike four days per week. Throw in a yoga class or two, and the belief that “there really is no other option, so you may as well make it a get to, not a have to,” and you have a guy who understands what it’s like to play hard when the stakes are high.
A long-term study on prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer in men in this country, recently published by the Harvard School of Public Health targeted a group of 2,700 participants diagnosed with the disease after 1990. Dividing them into sedentary, non-vigorous and vigorous exercise groups, the men exercising showed a dramatically improved chance of survival. Significant numbers include a 35 percent increase in the survival rate for the non-vigorous group and a whopping 61 percent for the vigorous exercisers. Bill Curry is definitely playing for the right team.
Zita Manik is as fiery as a sunrise in Hawaii, and her boundless energy takes her on walks with her dog for four to five miles each day during her free time. She’s lean, with sculpted arms and legs, and those elastic muscles still allow her to do the splits with seeming ease. She gives everything she has in a spin class, pushes herself through step aerobics and Muscle Club classes, maximizes that flexibility in yoga classes, and adds personal training to top off the tank. Skiing, hiking and kayaking are other outdoor pursuits. “Exercise really is an anti-depressant, and it makes me feel happy. I wish all seniors got it instead of relying on medications.” A better, more physical representative for the 70-plus age group would be hard to find.
Do you think it’s just your body that functions better with exercise? The New York Times recently highlighted a study showing that brain health is affected by strength training. We’ve known for a long time that there are neurological improvements in brain function after sustained cardiovascular training, but only recently have researchers begun to add resistance components to this testing. The results indicate that an increase in muscle mass corresponds with an increase in the formation of new cells in both the memory and thinking portions of the brain in lab rats, and will now act as a precursor to human trials. “What are you waiting for?” Jack LaLanne would implore.
Eloise Kent is often shocked by the behavior of “old people.” Boasting a brilliant sense of humor and a spring in her step, her physical acumen is outshined only by her mental prowess. Quick with a greeting or an amusing anecdote, she is the poster girl for young forever. “I don’t necessarily like doing this stuff, but I see what happens to old people if they don’t do it and I’m determined to not let that be me someday … hey, by the way, doesn’t the oldest person in the gym get some sort of discount or something?”
“I’d have to see your ID to verify that you are even a senior citizen,” I tell her. At 86 years young, she’s a fixture on the treadmill and works her way through a balanced upper and lower body strength training routine three times a week. A few free weights, some isolation machines and a little core work ought to do it.
“Did you know I took your mother to lunch Friday?” she asks. “The men were lined up around the block by the time we finished,” she adds with a smile.
