Dr. Alvin: Keeping a Youthful Edge

Dr. Alvin is relating back to his 19-year old self and setting goals based on what he remembers he was like then.  "Nothing stopped me," he said.  "I did everything, went everywhere, never minding the weather or other potential obstacles.  If I wanted to see a girl and didn't have a car, I'd walk."  Now at age 56 his fitness training is reviving that "can-do" mind-set. It's clear that being strong and fit creates self-assurance, which reminds me of a similar insight that Jackie Kennedy shared with me when I was training her. As an accomplished equestrian she told me that she'd always been a fearless rider, but with age she was becoming more cautious.  She was 60 years old then and wanted to re-capture the confidence with which she'd always ridden. She knew that strength training is empowering and that it could help her regain her youthful edge.

Being in shape frees us from physical limitations and creates a positive attitude.  We may not be able to re-capture our youthful bodies completely, but we can override the signals of aging by engaging in a consistent, dedicated program of exercise.  We can turn back the clock, in a sense, but just how far can we go?  Dr. Alvin's goal is to weigh what he weighed at age 19.  Right now, he's down 16 pounds and has another 115 to go.  So far he's right on track!