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Last weekend I did my first triathlon in about two years, and one of the participants was 89-year old John Taylor.  Yes, you read that right….he is 89 years old and out there competing!  I came up upon John during the bike ride as I passed him while he was going up a steep hill.  OK yes, my first competitive thought was “how did he beat me in the swim?” … and then I learned that he was part of a team and he was doing the 18-mile bike.  I said words of encouragement as I went by him and was thinking how inspiring it was that he was out there.  I have seen him in races before and was happy to see him still out there racing.

During the awards ceremony (in which I placed third in my age group), they let John make a speech. He said how fulfilling it was for him to be able to race and he was doing this as a race with his two grandchildren.  He said that exercising was keeping him mentally and physically younger than people his own age, and he is certainly right. How many 89-year olds do you know who can bike 18 miles?

I think of the “tale of two grandparents” that I tell people during my wellness workshop.  My son has only two grandparents – my mother and my husband’s father.  One is 82 and runs or swims daily and is not on any medication, which is how he has lived his whole life.  The other is 81, has a hard time walking and is on many medications.  Yes that is my mom and unfortunately, she is just not as healthy as she could be.  Something tells me that a lifetime of exercise and no medications has kept my father-in-law in much better health than my mom, who is taking a bunch of drugs because she believes that is what is going to make her healthy.  Exercise has never been a part of her life and her body is paying for it now.

One of my long-term goals is to be able to do a triathlon in every decade of my life. I want to run at least one road race every year.  Most years I race at least 5-10 times (though I only did one last year), either a triathlon or running race and love just feeling fit and being in shape.  I KNOW that it will help me years down the road.

So where do you want to be when you are in your 80’s?  In a wheel chair, a hospital, a walker, running on the beach, playing tennis, swimming?  Do you want to be physically active?  If so, you must start now if you haven’t already.  Build a habit of exercise into your life on a daily basis.  Don’t rely on drugs to make you healthy, they only cover up symptoms and do not correct the problem.  That doesn’t work. True health comes from within and is your own responsibility.  No one but yourself is responsible for your health. If you want to be healthy the rest of your life, include regular exercise, weekly chiropractic adjustments, ideal nutrition every day and plenty of sleep into your life.  Be proactive and start now. Think of the inspirational John Taylor and what can do at age 89.  Very cool.

For those of you who slouch....If you can possibly stop slouching, you may be able to shred some of those unwanted pounds.  Experts have found that if you stand up straight when you walk, you'll burn more calories, flatten your belly and look thinner. 

You can teach yourself to do this naturally with one simple trick: Before going out for a fitness walk, place a belt around the thinnest part of your waist (not through any belt loops). Make it snug, but not too tight. As you move, pull your abs up and your shoulders back so that the belt begins to feel almost loose. Wear the belt every time you go walking and in about three weeks (the time it generally takes for something to become a habit) you'll automatically start tightening your abs. Soon you'll find yourself walking taller and looking leaner throughout your entire day.

This month marks the four-year anniversary of my bike collision with a motorcycle, my three broken bones, and my body covered with road rash. For those of you who weren't around then, I missed almost five months of practice as I recovered from that fateful day. I'm happy to say that I am alive to talk about it and recovered without too many problems (though my wrist will never be 100% again).

Though I was with friends that day, they were ahead of me and never knew the accident happened.  The ambulance driver was able to get my contact information because of my Road ID -- an ID badge that I had wrapped around my ankle. It contained my name, address, blood type, and emergency contact information in case of an accident. You wear those things "just in case" and well, that "just in case" was necessary. While I was conscious, it was easier for the paramedic to just get my information from that ID.

While I've always worn those ID's, I now have several that I can wear -- as they are applied to my running shoes or around my ankle (or your wrist if you prefer). Because of that accident, the company put my testimonial on their website http://www.roadid.com/ (page 8 of the testimonials if you are looking).  I think it is such a great product and isn't only for athletes.  What about little children, or any children for that matter?  As a parent, why not buy one and put it on your children's shoe in case something ever happens to them?  Yes it is a scary thought to even think about that, but for a small amount of money you can have comfort in knowing that you or someone you care about, has identification on them.

It's a smart investment.