Tim Collins/Contributor

Every morning, a group of determined seniors make their way to the Westhills YMCA where they row, cycle, run, lift, crunch and break a sweat.

They do it with smiles on their faces while exchanging greetings with friends and offering words of encouragement to one another. ThereB次元官网网址檚 very little complaining, although every so often someone might finish an exercise with a muttered exclamation of, B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 getting too old for this.B次元官网网址�

The griping is short-lived, however, and the truth is that none of them really believe that to be true.

B次元官网网址淪omeone told me once that the gym is the fountain of youth,B次元官网网址� said YMCA member David Curtis. B次元官网网址淎fter coming here for two-and-a-half years, I truly believe that to be the case.B次元官网网址�

Curtis, who is 73 years of age, described how he first decided to come to the gym when he found that he was unable to lift his luggage into the overhead racks when travelling.

B次元官网网址淢y daughter talked me into coming here and when I started, IB次元官网网址檇 go on that lateral pull-down machine and could only do it with no weight at all attached. Now I lift about 70 pounds, and I feel better than I have in years.B次元官网网址�

Then thereB次元官网网址檚 Bruce Cowick. HeB次元官网网址檚 also 73 and, in days past, he played for the Philadelphia Flyers. He was on the team when they won the Stanley Cup in 1974.

B次元官网网址淚 come to the gym five times a week and I know that, for all of us older people here, if we didnB次元官网网址檛 do this stuff our legs, our bones and our muscles would stop working the way they should. WeB次元官网网址檇 all be all stiffened up,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nyway, the social aspect of coming here is great too.B次元官网网址�

Sandra Thomas acknowledged that her routine at the gym has changed her life. We caught up with her as she was finishing about a B次元官网网址済azillionB次元官网网址� leg lifts on the abdominal machine.

B次元官网网址淎fter two years of coming here, I know my body is shaped differently. I feel stronger, both physically and mentally and, if I miss a day, I really miss it,B次元官网网址� said the 77-year-old. B次元官网网址淎nd yes, IB次元官网网址檝e made some great friends.B次元官网网址�

We found one of ThomasB次元官网网址� friends, Racheal Bromwich (73), on the rowing machine where she was pulling away with an intensity not seen since the days of Viking Longships.

B次元官网网址淔or me, this is everything. ItB次元官网网址檚 a large part of my life and my health and it just keeps me going. I love it,B次元官网网址� said Bromwich. B次元官网网址淚 have a lot of energy and feel great both mentally and physically. This is how I keep it.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 a sentiment shared by Richard Falle (74), who worked at a couple of gyms years ago and now makes his way to the B次元官网网址淵B次元官网网址� at least five days a week. B次元官网网址淚f I skip a day or two, I feel a big difference. You just have to keep it up.B次元官网网址�

But itB次元官网网址檚 not all that simple.

The secret to finding the fountain of youth through exercise begins with dispensing with excuses.

The most common of those excuses is the lack of time.

B次元官网网址淵ou can always find a reason not to make the time for exercise,B次元官网网址� said Falle. B次元官网网址淵ou just have to make it a part of your life. A habit.B次元官网网址�

And habits, it seems, can be created, but it takes some perseverance. A study at University College London has determined that it takes 66 days for a habit to be ingrained into our psyche.

Bryan Johnston another of the regular seniors at the gym, confirmed that his routine is based on habit.

B次元官网网址淚t makes a big difference in your state of mind once you get in the habit. Missing a day is really hard. You just donB次元官网网址檛 feel right,B次元官网网址� said Johnston, who is 67.

Of course, time isnB次元官网网址檛 the only rationalization for a sedentary lifestyle. There are hundreds of other excuses, but most of them can be distilled down to a lack of energy or a lack of motivation.

Thomas acknowledged that getting started isnB次元官网网址檛 easy.

B次元官网网址淎ll I can say is that you have to push past the excuses and do it. It makes a huge difference in your life and, believe it or not, you get to the point where you really love it and how it makes you feel.B次元官网网址�

The seniors at the Westhills YMCA are a testament to the fact that itB次元官网网址檚 never too late to reinvent yourself.

And remember, in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, B次元官网网址淵ou can have results or excuses, but not both.B次元官网网址�

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