Strong at any age: Readers 65 and up share their favorite fitness routines

As L.A.’s demographics change,keeping up with exercise becomes more important for our population. In recent months, we’ve been looking at the fitness routines of a number of older Angelenos, which span from slow strength training to pole dancing.

Our readers are staying fit in unique ways too. The Times asked people ages 65 and up to share details about the unique ways they’re staying active. From scaling rock faces and carving down snowy slopes to hoisting weights and shimmying in dance studios, here are some of of their responses.

Bill Smailes enjoys walking.

(Bill Smailes)

“My father had arthritis and I didn’t want that to happen to me [so] I played football, baseball and basketball in school and while working in the corporate world took advantage of the gym to deal with job stress. [But] I don’t consider myself a ‘jock.’

I really like to outdoor power walk because I get fresh air, listen to my favorite music to set the pace and get a chance to clear my head in these crazy times. Too many runners I know have knee or hip problems. I have never seen an article about the dangers of walking, so it works for me.”

—Bill Smailes, 78, of Thousand Oaks, power walks five days a week with weights

“I was on the swim team and wrestled in high school but was never a jock. I used to ride a bicycle fairly long distances, ran around a high school track at night many years ago and played some tennis. Plantar fasciitis and Morton’s neuroma/fibroma are afflictions that have come and gone.

My wife and I chose to live in a condominium in part because it has a fitness room that meets our needs. I love my fitness format! My stamina on the treadmill has declined over the years but I push myself to do what I am able to do. I like to show off at a party by doing 30 push-ups when the occasion arises. I think it’s important to combine strenuous aerobic exercise with weight training to maintain my weight, strength, balance, blood pressure, cholesterol and mood. I’m a physician and I want to live well forever (or to 120) even though I realize that this may not be possible.”

—Gerald Perman, 78, Beverly Hills, runs for two hours per week on the treadmill in addition to free weight exercises

Frances Sandberg is an artistic swimmer.

(Frances Sandberg)

“I started synchronized swimming at 60. I was on a team for a few years and [now we] just get together and practice at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. I love dancing and the water. I have taken lots of different types of dance classes and have danced on and off all my life but I have feet issues, so I have to be careful. I tried a little bit of aerial [dance], but have a torn rotator cuff at the moment so have had to back down activity. I have always been very physically active and am drawn to moving to music as well as [through] challenges.”

—Frances Sandberg, 73, Silver Lake, artistic swims twice a week in addition to a weekly jazz class

Terrance Wimmer swimming at the UCSB RecCen Pool.

(Terrance Wimmer)

“I’ve never been a jock but I’ve always been active. I jogged for years until my knees started going bad. Then I did some pretty serious weight training during my 40s and 50s. Swimming takes gravity out of the equation.

I worked at UC Santa Barbara for many years and had access to their recreation center and sports facilities. I’d participate in classes and work out on my lunch breaks. Even though I am retired, I’m still a member. I [like to swim because] I get strength training, stretching, flexibility and cardio all in one. Plus it can very much become a breathing meditation when you get into the zone.”

—Terrance Wimmer, 74, Santa Barbara, swims for three to four hours a week

“I have been a lap swimmer for 30 years. It is very hard but exhilarating. The water feels like silk and is hypnotic, visually.”

—Martha Webster, 72, Redondo Beach, lap swims for 40 minutes, five days a week

“I was a mid-distance runner for almost 40 years. I swam as a kid and was a junior lifeguard in my teens, but didn’t swim seriously until my late 50s. I started swimming by myself 15 years ago but over the years, especially during the pandemic, I made friends with pool swimmers who converted to ocean swimming. When I am swimming, I often feel at peace. There are times that it’s difficult just to get in (especially when it’s cold), but I do it anyway and always feel like I really accomplished something positive for myself that day.”

—Cynthia Lerner, 70, Los Angeles, swims in open water three to five days a week

Mark Olson at the gym.

(Mark Olsen)

“Throughout my life I’ve been a skier, weightlifter, hiker and runner, including many local 10K races. Following open-heart aortic valve replacement surgery in late 2023, I embarked upon a cardio rehabilitation program introduced by the cardio center: I do a mix of of high-intensity resistance training, free weight exercises, machine resistance training, cardio on the treadmill or stationary bike, lap swimming and yoga. I do all of this at my local 24 Hour Fitness, where 20 years ago I was able to snag the greatest deal of my life — a lifetime membership for $5 per month.”

—Mark Olsen, 57, Redondo Beach, circuit trains for 30 to 60 minutes daily

“I love the fact that I am able to maintain my routine over the past few years. I feel much stronger and more agile. No matter how tired I am, when I start strength training, I feel very energetic afterwards with a positive attitude towards things.

I work out with a trainer two times a week, so I have to show up no matter what. My third session is a group class and after a few sessions, I began to feel a part of the group. The leader of the group class is like a camp counselor urging us to go farther and work harder. And with fun music I would probably never listen to [on my own], I really enjoy each class.”

—Susan Freedman, 65, Westchester, weight lifts for 45 minutes three times a week plus 30 minutes on a stationary bike, five days a week

“I race walked in college and continued to do that sporadically. Other than that, I never weight lifted before. I love the toned look of muscles and I like feeling strong and not having to ask for help moving or lifting things. It gives me a feeling of independence.”

—Edith Hicks, 66, Chatsworth, weight lifts twice a week

“I have tried to stay active my whole life, everything from boxing and martial arts when I was young to road and mountain biking, rock climbing and skiing. I started [circuit training] at 17 and have been doing it for 52 years. I warm up with dumbbells, walk, do a set of push-ups, run and do another set of push-ups. And keep repeating.

I turn 70 this year and I’m ‘celebrating’ by doing 700 push-ups on my birthday and 70,000 push-ups for the year. My goal is to add 1,000 push-ups a year for as long as I can.”

—Paul Clark, 69, Virginia, circuit trains for two hours a day, five days a week

“I have always kept in pretty good shape and played different sports over the years. [Three years ago,] chronic pain was starting to slow me down. I came across Essentrics on YouTube during the pandemic. There are lots of different workouts offered at different levels of intensity and no weights. It’s a full body workout that goes by fast.

I do it every day because it allows me to do the other things I love, including keeping up with an active grandson. I always feel better after: My posture is great, it keeps my energy up and has positive effects on my golf game and walking. I used to have chronic shoulder pain. No more.”

—Maureen Discipulo, 71, Redondo Beach, does Essentrics workouts for 30 minutes daily

“My genetics aren’t fabulous so my need to move is baked in to offset arthritis, obesity and thyroid issues. Tennis is mental and physical. Aikido is mental, physical and spiritual. Walking is meditative. Pure barre is really challenging and specific.”

—Rae Dawn Chong, 63, Mid City, does weekly Aikido, barre or tennis and walks daily

Debra Hotaling rock climbs.

(Debra Hotaling)

“I started six years ago without a background in athleticism. To climb, I do yoga, weight lifting, pilates and kickboxing. It requires mental strength because when you’re on the wall, it’s all you can think about so it becomes a meditation. It also gets you reacquainted with fear. You have to deal with it.”

—Debra Hotaling, 66, Redondo Beach, climbs two to three times a week

Mark Foote stays active by dancing.

(Mark Foote)

“I freestyle dance to rock ‘n’ roll once a week, maybe for 10 songs. I dance when the music moves my feet. And there’s no place like the USA for rock ‘n’ roll that can move the feet, even if the bands are sometimes British!

I was active in judo in high school and college so I also sit cross-legged on the floor when I get up and before I go to bed for at least 25 minutes in a sloppy half-lotus. That practice allows me to [automate my breathing] and tap into my consciousness. That’s also how I dance.”

—Mark Foote, 74, Lucerne, dances for 40 minutes, once a week

“I played on adult softball leagues and played racquetball for many years. However, you don’t need to have an athletic background to learn pickleball: like any new skill, the more you do it, the better you get.

I love to play pickleball [so much] I plan my other hobbies around it. I learned at a free clinic and ‘graduated’ to playing people of all levels ages 12 and up. It is a great aerobic exercise and easier than tennis. It is free at public parks and you can paddle up and rotate into a game with very friendly players. The bonus of socializing and new friendships is vital for seniors and their mental health.

—Toni Mazaros, 65, Sierra Madre, plays pickleball for two hours, three days a week

Ann Dalkey heads to the grocery store on a bike.

(Ann Dalkey)

“My father did not allow me to join what sports were available back then. At age 5, I pestered a neighbor kid to [teach me to] to ride a bicycle, in particular, his bike. Once competent in riding and after constant pestering, he told me to ask Santa Claus to bring me a bike (he did).

I rode to work more times than I drove, which gave me a host of stories along the way. I regularly jogged at lunch with colleagues in addition to the bicycling, which enabled me to go on backpacking trips (a passion) and day hikes without additional training. I also liked the ability to eat more! Of course, the condition of age has slowed me down somewhat, but the riding continues through today.

My husband and I began dancing regularly in 2007 and haven’t stopped yet. Plus the backyard is always beckoning me, along with November to April native habitat restoration work.”

—Ann Dalkey, 73, Redondo Beach, cycles for three hours, three days a week; ballroom dances or Argentine tangos for two to four hours, two to four times a week and gardens for two to six hours a week

John Rice cycles about 100 miles weekly.

(John Rice)

“I have pretty much been an athlete all my life in one form or another. I started running [outdoors] when I was 16. In high school, I was a football player and wrestler. In my 30s, I started running in road races and competed at distances from 5K to half marathon and marathon. I ran regularly until a few years after my hip was replaced.

[Now] I cycle about 100 miles weekly. I began cycling in order to do triathlons and have continued competing in endurance cycling events since then. I have been working out with a trainer and pretty much the same group of people for over 12 years. Ages range from 50s to 80. We have hiked up mountains and down canyons together, done Spartan races and triathlons. There is a really special social aspect to it that has kept us together. People come and go, but mostly when they join up with us, they stay around for years.”

—John Rice, 77, Phoenix, Ariz., cycles for one or two hours, five days a week

“I played sports in high school and did some recreational running in my 20s, 30s and 40s. My wife and I do occasional hikes and we do some workouts at the gym but cycling is still my primary means of exercise.

The feeling of being 12 years old, the camaraderie of riding with like-minded friends, the experience of riding local mountain roads that’s different from seeing it from a car and the occasional guilty pleasure of riding past another cyclist half my age are why I do it. Another huge factor is that I can get cardiovascular training for hours at a time without wear and tear on my knees, feet and hips. Cycling is a superb form of exercise for seniors.”

—Kent Gordon, 72, Fullerton, cycles for two to three hours, five days per week

A photograph of Martin Hardlund Skiing.

(Martin Hardlund)

“My father had diabetes and I did not want to get that disease. When I was young, he’d tease me and say, ‘Oh, you’ll be fat like me one day’ and I determinedly said, ‘No I won’t.’

I ski when I can. I have been a controller for eight years, but need to take a break due to deteriorating vision and upcoming cataract surgery. I have been a member of a gym but find it harder to pack and get there. It is easier to just put on running gear and go for a run. I make sure to do something that is cardio every day. And I do a weights-and-floor workout about five times a week.”

—Martin Hardlund, 66, Huntington Beach, runs, walks, hikes and/or skiis daily

A photograph of Jeff Patterson skiing.

(Jeff Patterson)

“I rotate between cycling, skiing (both Alpine and Nordic), lap swimming and upper body weight machines. I have ADHD so exercise helps me deal with that without drugs. Nonimpact exercise is best for someone with lots of arthritis from playing sports through age 50.”

—Jeff Patterson, 76, Avon, Colo., cycles, skiis or swims for an hour daily