A Case for Exercise: An Interview with my Zaida

I decided for today’s post to share with you an interview I did with my Zaida (Grandfather). He is quite a guy. He’s turning 86 this year and still works! Not only that, but he exercises at the gym AND teaches an aerobics class, EVERY SINGLE DAY! He is definitely my healthy living inspiration.

Here, he makes a case for why exercise and healthy living is so important, even in your 80’s.

Me: How old are you?
Zaida: I am 85 years old. I will be 86 on April 7th.
Me: Have you always been interested in fitness?
Zaida: No. But as a youth I participated in a number of physical activities such as baseball, soccer, hockey, basketball, football.  But I never took it up seriously. Then I got married, and raised a family and opened my own business, which occupied my major time. And as the years passed (Baba interrupts: What’s he telling you?? Double check with me!) I became fat and lazy (Baba: Okay Ben, Give her a decent story!) and decided it was time I did something about my girth. So I joined the YMHA, I was probably in my middle 40’s, and the major reason I joined was because I was always tired, irritated and fatigued. And I found that exercising diligently on a regular bases released a lot of my tension and fatigue. And the feeling was marvelous. I also realized that it’s a continuous thing, it’s only good for 24 hours.
Me: You have to keep doing it.
Zaida: Right
Me: Did you ever incorporate nutrition or healthy eating into your lifestyle change?
Zaida: Nope
Baba Interrupts: Ben you changed your food considerably!
Zaida: Not intentionally. Well, I reduced my intake.
Baba: Smaller portions!
Me: What kinds of things did you used to like eating?
Zaida: Lots of meat! Always potatoes. Soups.
Me; What is your day job?
Zaida: I’m a Pharmacist
Me: And how long have you been working as a Pharmacist?
Zaida: Since 1948, so that’s 62 years.
Me: What do you do in your spare time?
Zaida: I usually exercise early in the morning. I teach aerobic classes, one every day.
My uncle interrupts: He teaches more than aerobics! He teaches strength and flexibility and balance!
Zaida: I get them to do steps too.
Uncle: Ask him what he does when someone’s not feeling well!
Baba: Oh yeah! He’s a masseuse!
Uncle: He treats people, usually at least a couple times a week!
Me: What are you favorite foods?
Zaida: Me preference is for meat plates… which I never get! Usually I get fish, salad or pasta
(note; My Baba keeps him healthy )
Me: If you could give people your age tips for staying healthy what would they be?
Zaida: My advice to people my age is to try if possible to live on their own, be responsible, not to retire but cut down on your working hours, read, exercise, socialize and keep active.
Me: Do you think that its important for all people your age to exercise?
Zaida: No I don’t think it’s important, I think it’s essential.
Zaida: Your body is made up of muscle tissue, all muscle tissue is made up of striations, like muscle fibers, and those muscle fibers are elasticized and unless they are being used or facilitated they atrophy. So when people become sedentary and sit around become couch potatoes, that’s what happens. Muscles in your head atrophy, muscles in your body atrophy. That’s why you get all these terrible curves and arthritic formations in an old person’s body, because they don’t exercise to keep the proper elasticity. If you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it!
Me: What do you think of your job, in relation to health and nutrition?
Zaida: I just answer the doctors’ call. But I have total knowledge of what’s wrong. Knowing what the condition is of the patient, then you can guide them…. But the way medicine is going now though, is preventative medicine.

He is truly an amazing person and he sets a wonderful example for our family. We should all strive to be more like him. Imagine, teaching aerobics every day, at 85 years old and still working! If that’s not a case for the importance of fitness and healthy living, I don’t know what is!

Who is your healthy living inspiration?

Speaking of fitness, you can check out my workout today on my fitness page.

Healthy Living Challenge of the Week:

I’ve decided every Monday to post one healthy living challenge you can undertake for yourself every week. Sometimes there are so many things you want to incorporate into your life that you don’t know where to start. Trying to add in everything at once can be confusing and difficult. But one healthy challenge every week, you can definitely do! And who knows, you may just decide to continue on this challenge into the following weeks!

This week I challenge you to: Incorporate veggies into TWO MEALS every day. (And that doesn’t include veggies smothered in unhealthy sauces or butter and dressing…no cheating!) It’s not that hard! Throw some spinach in your morning smoothie, make a vegetable soup, have a salad or throw some veggies into your pasta dish!