Golfer Gary Player is 83 years old as of last November. He is one of the best golfers of all time, winning 9 major tournaments and, along with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, one of the top three golfers of his time.
When he was 80, Gary Player was asked what he considered to be the best thing about turning 80? He answered: “The best thing about turning eighty years old is that I’ve got the next twenty years to look forward to.”
Gary Player still exercises vigorously at age 83. He says he can do 1000 sit ups and crunches for his stomach muscles per day.
These are his Top Ten Rules for Senior Athletes. While we are not all golfers, these rules make good sense for any Senior.
1. MAKE FITNESS PART OF YOU
When he was 9 years old, Player’s older brother, who was off to fight in World War 2, made him promise that he would always exercise and keep fit. He kept that promise, and continues to exercise and stay fit today at age 83. Player says: “The secret is commitment. It cannot be a fad. Even if your exercise program is small, you must make it a part of your life.”
2. WALK AT A GOOD CLIP
We should all walk. It should part of any exercise program for Seniors. Watch old videos of Player on the golf course and you can see he walks fast. Of course he was significantly shorter than the others so maybe he had to walk fast to keep up. He says: “Once walking speed starts to decline, health problems usually follow.”
3. DEVELOP BOTH SIDES OF YOUR BODY
Player says to exercise evenly. He is a golfer and swings from one side only. But he emphasizes the importance of making sure both sides of the body are exercised equally. He says it prevents injury. Good advice whether you play golf or not.
4. FOCUS ON YOUR HANDS AND WRISTS
I see more and more emphasis on exercises for the hands and wrists for Seniors. It helps prevent or offset the ravages of arthritis and other repetitive injuries. It helps when you open jars, too.
5. WORK ON YOUR CORE
Strengthening your core muscles is important at any age. As an 83 year old, Player says: “I’ve always felt that my core essentially holds my body together and prevents back injuries. I still do sit-ups. I can do hundreds in a day as long as I break them up into two or three sessions.”
6. FIGHT BECOMING OVERWEIGHT.
Player believes your lifetime will be shorter if you’re overweight. He has also been a long term advocate against childhood obesity. He believes obesity is a crime against nature.
7. EAT ‘SUPER FOODS’
Gary Player says he is 85% vegetarian. He avoids starches, sugar and most of the commercial foods available today, which he says are loaded with all kinds of steroids, pesticides, sewage and industrial wastes. He calls Almond Milk a “superfood” because it’s loaded with protein and lots of other nutrients. Most grocery stores carry Coconut or Almond milk. Get the unsweetened kind.
Other examples of super foods are raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole-grain breads, avocado and yogurt. That all sounds good to me.
8. TRY TO GET WINDED, 10 MINUTES A DAY
Whether it’s climbing stairs in your house, riding an exercise bike or jumping rope, her believes a key to health, fitness and longevity is to get “at least slightly out of breath for 10 minutes.” It’s practically impossible to be badly out of shape if you do this each and every day. “Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I make a game of seeing how long I can go without using an elevator. And I always trot, not trudge, up the stairs.”
9. BE SMART ABOUT LIFTING WEIGHTS
“When other players first saw my weight-training program back in the 1950s, they thought I was crazy. In fact, lifting weights has made me a better golfer.”
In an article in Sports Illustrated a few years ago, he said: “It improves performance for middle-aged and older people.” He added: “FRAILTY IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY AS YOU AGE.”
10. GET ENERGY FROM YOUNGER PEOPLE
“I think you tend to take on the characteristics of the individuals you spend the most time with. Doing activities with young, healthy people has had a way of making me rise to their level. The best traits of young people–their optimism, curiosity, alertness and energy–are contagious and will definitely make you feel younger.”
But who wants to give up their older friends? Maybe if you convince them to exercise and eat right, they can act young, too.
Thank you for reading.
*Sources include Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, YouTube and other online and offline references.