How I Stay Fit at 66

I am a firm believer that if you want to have a great quality of life well into old age you have to work at it. I have always been active and one of my goals is to remain medication free. At 66, I am still maintaining that goal. There are a few things I do that I know are helping me stay healthy. I hope they will help you too.

Be consistent in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I do strength training three times a week, and I do cardio 5–6 times a week. I avoid sugar as much as possible, I make sure I am eating a plant-based diet with plenty of protein, and I stay hydrated. This doesn’t mean that I don’t eat dessert sometimes. I have coffee every morning and I love tea later in the day.

Adjust your training to what your body needs.

I don’t do the intense training that I used to do. I usually run, but if my knees are sore I will walk some. When I was younger I would keep pushing through even when something hurt, but now I’m more concerned about being able to run another day.

Mix things up.

Don’t get stuck in a rut and find yourself doing the same thing every day. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. A few years ago, I started doing loop ultras which are races where you run as many miles as you can in a given time. The races are usually in beautiful parks and the…