Retiring Retirement

Retiring Retirement Fitness knows no age limit

Spending time at the gym is a great way to socialize and stay healthy

Eighty-five would be a grossly understated number for the weights on the gym machines used by Delmar resident Jerome Smith. But it would be right on if you were counting his birthdays.

“Unless I’m sick or have a doctor’s appointment,” Smith said, “I’ll be at Planet Fitness between 8:15 and 9:45 many mornings.”

Smith warms up with four miles on the bike, segues to lower and upper body exercises before finishing up on the treadmill for close to a half hour.

“I see other older people in the gym,” he said. “People come in wheelchairs. Even after an operation, I went to the gym a couple of weeks later. It’s also a social thing. My wife, Lois, and I go together, make friends, chit chat, tell jokes and catch up on how folks are doing. It’s what you make of it. You can go and not talk to anyone. But it’s not the same when you do it at home.

Smith doesn’t limit his exercise routines to the Capital District. Before the pandemic, the snowbird might have biked 40 miles from

Naples to Bonita Springs in Florida. He and Lois have also jumped aboard an Alaskan bike cruise, rode down Hilo in Hawaii, biked five islands in the Caribbean and didn’t miss much as he wheeled through Amsterdam, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, France, Italy and Austria. Of course, he’s pedaled around several American states. by Smith is not just known for longevity in the physical fitness Robert world. He’s logged 55 years with the Elsmere Fire Department, LaCosta where he has served in roles that included lieutenant and captain. “Don’t overdo it with exercise” he advised, “but try it at least a couple of times a week. Personally, I’m not looking to be a bodybuilder, but I want to maintain my health.” At this rate, maybe we’ll check in on him in another 85 years. Robert J. LaCosta’s “Portal to Heaven” is a daily devotional delivered free through email. To subscribe with no catches, request it at norepcom@ gmail.com or visit robertlacosta.com. Delmar resident Jerome Smith, 85, is at the gym most mornings. Sometimes his wife, Lois, joins him.

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