Geriatric Gym

This story was just too cool.

WASHINGTON - Abe Cohen works out every day, and the workouts include at least a couple hundred crunches. Cohen is 92. His wife, Esther, who works out with him, is 86. Her daily ab exercise total is 400.

Mmm, I might hit 100 on a given day...

The Cohens typically are at the gym at 6:15 a.m., just after it opens. He does 30 minutes at a fast walk on the treadmill, works his legs and arms on the machines, and then does his famous crunches.

She also does arm and leg exercises, along with stomach exercises, but no aerobics. The club no longer has the track she used to walk, and the dance exercise classes are too fast-paced, so she lets her housework handle her aerobics. "I keep myself busy going up and down to the basement," she said. "That's enough walking."

The Cohens' workouts get attention from members and employees of the club. "They fuss with us," Abe Cohen said.

So do other seniors. "All the guys say, 'We want to be like you,'" he said. "I give them incentives, they say."

Okay, and now more info. Are you ready? Strength training will build muscle and bone, and muscle cushions bone. Strong bodies are more youthful.

See you in the gym in 50 years.

hln

Posted by hln at October 6, 2003 06:38 PM | Health/Fitness/Nutrition | TrackBack