Courtesy of David Scott
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David Scott, a grandfather of four and former aerospace worker from New Hampshire. It has been edited for length and clarity.
If I had a motto about exercise, it would be "Keep it up."
They are words to live by. At 95, I keep myself moving as much as I can. Health and fitness have always been my passion, and my attitude will never change.
I'm 5ft 10in tall and have stayed pretty much the same weight of 150 pounds since adolescence.
I believe it's because I've maintained activity throughout the decades. When I was younger, I enjoyed football, but mostly wrestling.
It's an intelligent sport. To win on points — as opposed to pinning — you have to be able to demonstrate more endurance than your opponent. You must learn how to use your balance so that he moves his and your weight when he moves. And that saves your energy.
I wasn't the strongest, but I think my speed and balance made the difference. At one point, I became the New England champion in the welterweight category. My other big interests were downhill skiing in Colorado and Italy and climbing peaks like Mount Kenya.
The commitment it required stood me in good stead for the future. I didn't get out of the habit of exercising. Although I've slowed down over recent years, I ran nearly every morning and did 75 push-ups and 50 sit-ups daily long past middle age.
Around a decade ago, I joined Planet Fitness, my local gym. I go for around 45 minutes four times a week, more or less every other day. I walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes before using the weight-training equipment for half an hour.
They have a wonderful series of resistance machines for your arms, legs, and abdomen. I'll use around 10 machines to maintain muscle and do between 10 and 20 repetitions on each. My favorite is the arm press, where I raise the bar over my head.
I'm the oldest person in the gym, but I enjoy the company of younger people who encourage and inspire me.
Courtesy of David Scott
Getting enough sleep is another important factor as you age. If I don't get at least eight hours every night, I don't feel so good and it makes me lazy.
I go to bed around 8 p.m. and get up at 5 a.m. Old habits die hard. As a boy, I ran a newspaper route, pushing my bike through 3 feet of snow to get to people's houses.
As for diet, my wife Lydia, 83, is an excellent cook. We eat Mediterranean style using lots of olive oil. A typical meal will be a dish such as chicken or fish — with the occasional serving of lean beef — served with vegetables and pasta or risotto. Dessert is simple fruit.
We were fortunate to find a house with a lot of land. So I planted an orchard, and Lydia planted a vegetable garden. We grow more than half the food we eat. It's fresh, all-natural and very tasty.
The crop includes salad, zucchini, green beans, cherries, raspberries, and red currants. We pick them ourselves, which brings joy and a sense of accomplishment.
I used to appreciate fine Italian wines but stopped drinking about 10 years ago. I thought that maybe alcohol at an advanced age is not very good.
But I live life to the full and intend on doing so for many more years.
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