Time for some inspiration. Last year there was quite a bit of media coverage about one Richard Morgan, a 93 year old Irish man who is a champion indoor rower. Scientists analyzed Mr. Morgan and found him to have the cardio-respiratory fitness of a man half his age. The reason this is so amazing is that Mr. Morgan didn’t take up any exercise at all until age 73, after he retired from his career as a baker. And while it’s impossible to ever draw broad medical conclusions based on one-single case, his story certainly lends credibility to the idea that it is never too late to start getting into better shape.
It also reinforces an idea that I’ve touted many times: that simple habits, applied consistently, can bring great results. You see, Mr. Morgan doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment or inordinate amounts of time to stick to his training routine, which consists of the following:
He rows for 40 minutes per day. Once or twice a week he does this intensely, but the rest of the time he goes at a moderate pace.
Twice a week he does a few sets of lunges and curls with a pair of dumbbells to keep his strength up
He follows a high protein diet
And that’s it. That’s all it took for this out of shape 73 year old baker to become a 93 year old rowing champion who looks and feels decades younger than his age. You can read more of his story by clicking here.
