Living

The age old question

A well-rounded fitness routine will yield health benefits at any life stage

Published

14 years ago

July 12, 2012

Kevin M. Norris

An exercise program can be started at any age and will invariably bring positive health results if done correctly.

Samuel Jennings came to me three months ago at age 68 and already in very good shape. He wanted to perpetuate his longevity and had some additional goals.

Among them, Sam wants to age gracefully and maintain a decent quality of life and he knows that in order to do this exercise must be part of the prescription. Sam is one of the several older adults whom I work with and he is very much a part of a growing population that needs and deserves attention.

I just came to the realization the other day that in less than three years, I will be turning 50, getting my AARP card and becoming part of the majority exercise population. The 50-plus population is becoming the fastest growing fitness and exercise population. And while just missing the Baby Boomer status myself by a year, which technically and arguably ended in 1964, I am confident I will be entering some of the best years of my life as long as I stay fit and exercise regularly, eat well, get regular doctor’s check-ups, etc. You can too and at any age.

“For about 15 years, the Baby Boom fitness market has been slowly growing,” says Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging. “But, in the last several years it has really exploded and it’s exploded in many segments including health club memberships.” According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, older adults are hitting gyms and health clubs at a record rate and from 1987-2003, the number of health club members aged 55 and older grew by 343 percent. These figures will only continue to grow more and more.

The American College of Sports Medicine predicts that by 2030 the number of individuals 65 years and older will reach 70 million in the United States. Those 85 and older will then be the fastest-growing segment of our population.

I have been very fortunate in my personal training career to have embraced this population many years ago when I was at Sports Club/LA and we were beginning to experience the shift in the personal training industry with more and more senior adults hiring personal trainers to maintain their quality of life and longevity. While I have no idea how old the oldest living gym goer is or has been, I had the absolute joy of working with Ms. Agnes Jackson, who was 105 when she began exercising in a group class at the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home in Friendship Heights. Prior to Ms. Jackson there was “Granny” Evelyn Wimmer (whom I wrote about last year) who came to me at 92 and worked with me three times a week until she died at 98. I am confident that I will be working with more and more older adults.

Currently, I have clients well into their 60s and 70s and I marvel at the increase in the average lifespan and how seriously this population, often dismissed, take exercise. Loss of independence is of particular concern and enough to scare anyone. No one wants to live in any sort of diminished capacity and being proactive so that does not happen is key. This applies to everyone.

But, just what do we do with seniors and what exercises can be done? First don’t call them old and second don’t discount them or their ability. Seniors can engage in just about any form of exercise as those younger, but with additional caveats, such as a full health screening, full physical assessment of strengths and weaknesses and potential need for medical clearance.

We also need to dispel and educate those who are timid to exercise because of the many myths associated with exercise for older adults. Many are resistant to beginning an exercise program because they are fearful that they will injure themselves. But its crucial to your health to work through your fears and establish a routine exercise program. We are discovering that aging itself is not the problem. Here Milner points out that, “a lot of problems we used to think of as being related to aging we now know aren’t related to aging at all. They are related to disuse of the body.” And just about every area of health can be maintained or increased with physical activity. Diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure and more are no longer the impediments to exercise they were once thought to be.

Be sure to follow all the standard guidelines if you are new to a fitness regimen, but also remember to always listen to your body. No one knows it better than you, not even your personal trainer.

Real Estate

Introducing Next-Generation Assisted Living & Memory Support.

Now Available in Tysons: Kokua at The Mather

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

Autos

A magical Mercedes

S-Class continues to define what luxury really means

Published

6 days ago

May 23, 2026

Joe Phillips

Mercedes S-Class

At my stage of life — “somewhere between 40 and death,” as the iconic line goes in the musical “Mame” — I want some pampering. A lot of pampering.

Luckily, for anyone who constantly craves a soothing spa, steam room or sauna, there’s the completely updated Mercedes S-Class. This flagship sedan is now so full of glitz, glamour, and gee-whiz gadgetry, it gives new meaning to the term “auto erotica.”

Does this make the S-Class a “gay” ride? For me, any vehicle that pushes my buttons like this one is a Kinsey 6.

MERCEDES S-CLASS

$122,000 (est.)

MPG: 21 city/31 highway

0 to 60 mph: 4.3 seconds

Trunk space: 19 cu. ft.

PROS: Exceptional comfort. Ultra-quiet cabin. Cutting-edge safety.

CONS: Price climbs fast. Tech learning curve. Sportier competitors.

The S-Class continues to define what luxury really means, with a bolder silhouette, larger grille, and striking, next-gen LED headlights. There’s also an optional illuminated Mercedes star on the hood. Overall, nearly 2,700 parts are new or improved, so more than 50 percent of this vehicle has been updated. An extreme makeover, to be sure.

At the same time, this latest S-Class leans harder into intelligence and electrification than ever before. Under the hood, a range of turbocharged inline-six and V8 engines — paired with mild-hybrid systems — deliver power in a way that seems almost edited for smoothness. Braking is solid and strong, too, but never abrupt. All the engineering is fine-tuned and intentional.

Yes, the top-of-the line S580 version is more expensive, almost $140,000. But it’s also blisteringly fast, zipping from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. That’s as lickety-split swift as a Lamborghini Revuelto supercar, which has a starting MSRP of $610,000 and can easily exceed — yowza! — $800,000.

Colors? There are 150 to choose from for the exterior and 400 for the interior. You can even customize the illuminated door sills, interior stitching and wheel accents.

And the ride quality? Sublime. Adaptive air suspension reads the road constantly, leveling out imperfections before they even register. Rear-axle steering enhances maneuverability, making this full-sized sedan feel surprisingly nimble in tight spaces. On the highway, the S-Class simply glides like a private yacht on the calmest of seas — extremely quiet, composed and completely unbothered.

Whenever you slide inside, the cabin immediately sets the tone. A massive OLED digital display — the same high-def technology used for cinematic viewing and gaming monitors — anchors the dashboard, running the latest MBUX infotainment interface. Highly customizable, this software allows for advanced voice commands that feel natural, not forced. And an augmented-reality navigation system takes your route and overlays it onto live camera feeds. It’s intuitive — mostly, as there is a learning curve for all this cutting-edge gear. Overall, though, such amenities make older setups feel like dial-up internet.

A Burmester surround-sound stereo is available in 3D or 4D, with up to 31 speakers, 1,690 watts and tactile transducers in the seats that vibrate and pulse with the music. Those seats are, of course, extremely comfortable. And the seatbelts? These are now heated.

Let’s not forget the latest cabin air-filtration system, which can remove ultra-fine particles to deliver air quality that rivals medical environments. Clean air, yes, but even this seems like a special treat. It’s like being swaddled in couture, not ready-to-wear.

And lastly, there’s the rear-seat area, which — to be honest — is where the S-Class really shines. Executive packages offer multi-contour reclining seats with rapid heating and ventilating, heated armrests and massage functions. You can opt for a footrest, which ups the glam factor to give you a calf massage. Dual 13.1-inch display screens come with their own remote controls. There’s also a video-conferencing feature, to help transform the rear cabin into a fully connected mobile office. For me, it feels less “back seat” and more “private lounge.”

Even in fiction, high-tech luxury carries weight. Tony Stark helped cement the idea that state-of-the art vehicles can be aspirational, not just practical. The magical S-Class fits right into that narrative — minus the flying suit (for now).

Advice

I’m a 64-year-old single gay man and I hate my life

How can I turn things around before it’s too late?

Published

1 week ago

May 22, 2026

Michael Radkowsky

I’m officially old, maybe even nearing the finish line and I’m getting bitter.

Dear Michael,

I’m a 64-year-old single gay man and I hate my life.

I’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than a few months. I can’t say why. I don’t think I’m defective. I wasn’t unattractive when I was younger (still not bad looking), I think I’m an interesting person to spend time with, but everything always seemed to fizzle out.

Thankfully, I missed AIDS because I came out after people knew what to do. Sometimes I wonder if fear of contracting the virus metastasized into a fear of getting close. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve consciously kept people away. Consciously I have wanted someone to share my life with, very much.

With my 65th birthday and official senior citizen status approaching, I’ve been taking stock of my life and am coming to the hard realization that I’m never going to find that elusive partner.

I don’t go out anymore because people look right through me, except the ones who have a fetish for older guys. No one’s actually interested in me as me, a unique person rather than what they see on the surface.

I’m tired of my coupled friends. They’re always talking about “we.” Yes, I have become resentful that they have what I want and will never get. I know that’s not admirable but it’s how I feel, secretly, and I am sick of feeling like this when I am around them. So why be around them?

And I’m tired of my friends who are focused on sex all the time. It just all feels like a waste of time. I don’t get anything from a hookup anymore, they’ve been feeling increasingly meaningless. I feel like I’m someone’s momentary opportunity to get off, rather than any kind of real connection.

I’m just sick of the whole chase I’ve been doing for the last 40+ years.

I’m realizing that the whole thing has been pointless, a quest for a partner who is never going to materialize and a lot of diversions along the way that have added up to a despairing feeling that I’ve wasted my life trying to get something that will never happen.

Gay life hasn’t been so gay for me. And I’m officially old, maybe even nearing the finish line. Yes, if you haven’t noticed, I’m getting bitter.

What do I do with this dead end?

Michael replies:

How about looking for a different road to go down?

I’m not going to challenge your belief that you aren’t going to find a partner. I think it’s possible that you could, because there are other guys out there, in your age range, who are looking. But you have no guarantee, especially if you have decided to take it off the table.

So what else can you do with your life? How can you make your remaining time on this earth well-lived?

From your letter, it’s clear what you don’t want to do: Look for a boyfriend, hook up, or spend time with your current friends. Surely there must be more possibilities for your life than those options.

So my advice is to figure out some things you care about and start doing them. Travel? Volunteering? Getting a companion animal? Taking classes? Finding a new career? Those are just a few of the ideas I can come up with, but I don’t know you. What ideas can you generate, that you suspect you’d like to pursue?

In other words, start putting one foot in front of the other and go in some new directions that intrigue you enough to explore.

Sitting around feeling miserable does not help you to get anywhere. It keeps you feeling miserable. Sitting around waiting to feel better does not lead you to feel better. What would help you get to a better place would be to start taking action on your own behalf. Always keep in mind that while you are alive, with your faculties intact, you do have the choice to take this step, over and over and over again.

If you give yourself something (or some things) worthwhile to put your focus on, and do your best to shift your focus there whenever you notice that you are lamenting, I’m hopeful you will create a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I’m also hopeful that if you are spending time doing things that you actually enjoy and that enrich your life, you may find more satisfying companionship than you are experiencing with your current friend group. (And yes, this could include a romantic relationship if you decide to be open to this possibility.)

A brief reply in an advice column can point you in the right direction, but it is likely not enough to sustain and motivate you through a major life overhaul.

Therefore, I suggest that you find a therapist to help you figure out how to move forward and what to move toward; and also to grieve, and put to rest as best you can, the loss of the life you hoped you would have.

I know that transcending the loss of a huge lifelong dream may seem impossible. But working toward this, as best you are able, would help you.

Relatedly, one more thing that I hope you can address with a therapist is your bitterness. I do understand why you feel so bitter, and I also think that it is torquing your life in a downhill direction.

Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with couples and individuals in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and New York. He can be found online at michaelradkowsky.com. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to [email protected].