- A woman who started running half marathons in her 70s said the exercise improved her heart health.
- She walks eight miles every day, taking photos along the way to share with her family.
- Science suggests that her habits, such as weightlifting and mobility exercises, are perfect for longevity.
Getting older doesn't necessarily mean slowing down. Just ask Wilma King, who started running half marathons in her 70s.
King first completed the race in 2014 with his daughter Andrea, sister, brother-in-law and their daughters. All had run this event before.
“They looked like so much fun that I wanted to be a part of it,” she told Business Insider.
King, now 82, said she walks eight miles every morning to keep her heart healthy and her mind sharp.
Walking, along with other habits like keeping in touch with family and exercising to keep her joints healthy, helps her stay energized and alert, but what else? She can't imagine doing that.
“I have no secrets,” she said. “This seems normal and natural to me, but I just don't think about it.”
Experts and research suggest that you can improve your health by following her lead, even if you don't put in that many miles.
Morning walks are part of her daily routine
Ms. King said she has always lived a fairly active lifestyle and started biking with her family as soon as her daughter was old enough to be placed in a carrier seat.
But in 2014, King was diagnosed with pericarditis (chest pain and inflammation of the tissue around the heart), pleurisy, and valve problems. Determined to do everything she could to maintain her health, she started small and established a regular walking schedule.
“It was basically an effort to get out of the house and go to the corner,” she said. “These illnesses have done a lot for me, so I wanted to get back to how I was before.”
King started by walking around the block and back, but gradually progressed further and further as her stamina increased.
“I don't know why I started running 8 miles, but it's my daily routine,” she said. “And I went from walking to running more.”
Currently, her main form of exercise is daily long walks, totaling 200 miles a month (though experts say most people, especially at first, can benefit from just adding 500 to 1000 steps a day). ).
“It's good for me in terms of keeping me alert, my heart function has certainly improved, and it's good for my mental health,” she said.
For her first half marathon, she used a running plan (I can't remember which one) for longer distances.
Since then, she has completed the annual Rock 'n' Roll Washington DC Half Marathon and has no plans to stop anytime soon.
“It's later than it was at one point, but I'm 82 years old, so what can I say?” King said. “I'll do what I can.”
King said she suspects this family tradition is also a sneaky way for her daughter to check on her health long-term.
“I think for her it's almost like a cognitive test: 'I want to see how mom moves. I want to see if she's paying attention and stuff like that.' It's a great one-on-one, but , I think she's looking at me to understand exactly what I'm doing and how I'm doing it,” she said.
And if completing 12 miles wasn't enough of a sign that she's aging gracefully, her daughter is “too polite to tell me,” King said with a laugh.
I stay social by sharing photos of my walks with friends and family.
King said her morning routine also includes connecting with loved ones as part of her daily walk. She is taking photos of her along the route with her cell phone to pass as her little check-in.
“I walk for my heart health, but on top of that I also entertain myself. I keep in touch every day, so I'll send a message like, 'Hello, how are you?' along with a photo.” I’m sending things,” she said.
There's good science to suggest that Dr. King was right, as being social can increase both your longevity and your motivation to continue exercising.
People in the Blue Zones, areas of the world with a high concentration of people who live to be 100 years old, are known for having strong habits of forging social connections that are beneficial to both mental and physical health.
Weightlifting and mobility exercises to prevent injury
In addition to walking to stay active, King also does stretching and mobility exercises, such as deep knee bends, to protect her joints. The personal trainer previously told BI that preventing injuries by staying mobile is the key to longevity.
King also takes advantage of one of the best anti-aging exercises we know, just by training at home.
“I don't really talk much. I just have some 6-pound weights and lift them up and down and side to side and swing them back and forth. Nothing special,” she said. .
Even without fancy weightlifting techniques, strength training can consistently lead to a longer, healthier life.
In King's case, a combination of a vibrant social life, long walks, and other workouts paid off, as she noticed that her peers who didn't have similar habits suffered worse health outcomes. There is.
“I consider myself one of the lucky ones. So far things are going well,” she said.
