As you age, you win some, and you lose some. I’d like to share my recent story of both. I am over 84 years old., but until 2020, far from feeble. For years I worked out with weights 2 – 3 sessions of 75 minutes each, moving well over 30 tons during each session. But, due to COVID, a stopped my workouts at the gym, and lost a lot of strength. Then, in October of 2020, I suffered a mini-stroke that badly impaired my sense of balance. That left me prone to falls and often needing to walk with a 4-prlonged cane, even in the house. That made me even weaker.

IN late spring, I entered a program of physical therapy to try to improve the sense of balance. It worked. Often a few sessions, I saw a substantial difference. By the end of the two month program, the balance was significantly improved, but I often needed a regular cane. Then I started doing back to the gym twice a week, working with weights again, working with fewer machine at weight levels only about 30 – 40 percent as heavy as I had previously work out with.

I am now working out with the full array of machines I had previously used, and up about 60 – 76 percent (varies by machine and muscle group) of the weight levels from previous years, and gradually increasing the length of workout sessions and the amount of weight. I no longer need a cane at all, and have not had a fall in over 8 months. I feel back to normal -- and that is a great feeling.