Dumbell bench press is a regular part of the lifting workout for Den Latham
Den is good at nearly vertical sit ups.
Den engaging in a Yoga stretch at the Hartsville YMCA
Den Latham, who is somewhere around 62 going on 40, has been working out most of his life; a life that included a couple of years as a high-school wrestler. That wrestling background may be all you need to know about Den's unusual personal work ethic. Wrestlers are focused athletes. Reflecting back on his high school years Den declares he was not that good but he clearly remembers his coach working the wrestlers until they became stronger than they had imagined. "After that, I always tried to stay in shape -- mostly running, push ups individual work..."
Yoga starts his day
Today, about five or six days a week (depending on his schedule as the Manger of the Hartsville Center Theater and Building Commission), you can usually find Den in either the weight room at the Hartsville Family YMCA or in a Yoga class at the same facility. And, you probably won't find him while he is at it but he begins just about every morning with a 30 to 45-minute personal Yoga workout at home. Matter-of-factly, he just says it is the way he starts his day. Part of that morning ritual is some orange juice and a cup of green tea. He says he began the heavy emphasis on Yoga about three years ago with Joni Lynn at the YMCA and then with Stephanie Keach at the Asheville Yoga Center. He will sometimes fill in as a Yoga instructor because when Den begins something, he usually follows it through until he becomes a pretty accomplished practitioner. And, you will find a lot of people around who benefit from Den's focus. While he never pushes anyone, he is almost always available for those who would like to learn a little something new.
TAI CHI
Probably the most current example is Den's love of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is ancient form of exercise and Den began his investigation of the art with the late Berry Litsey, who was a Professor of Psychology at Coker College. Den says there is no master level in Tai Chi, that is not that kind of exercise, but there is some intense study and focus that goes into Tai Chi. Shortly after Dr. Litsey's death, Den called the person whose video tapes Dr. Litsey had learned from, and visited Terry Dunn in Santa Monica, California, for even more advanced training. Den has introduced a number of people to the discipline of Tai Chi and he figures about six of those have made it a part of their life style. In fact, he credits Tai Chi and Yoga for helping him stay out of pain from past athletic or accident injuries. And, just a day after he mentioned this while we were talking, THE PEOPLE'S PHARMACY discussed that concept as part of their weekly radio program.
Working out is just something he does
Den enjoys an active lifestyle. Working out regularly and enthusiastically is one of the requirements for his maintaining that lifestyle. "If I have a philosophy," he says, "it's kind of spiritual. I think God and nature have give us these fantastic bodies. You only get one, and you need to take care of it: proper nutrition, rest and exercise. It's disrespectful not to, like throwing away a great gift."
And, Den is not a person who just talks about living a full life. He will get an idea and then will focus on that idea and do all he can to get the most from the experience. For example, sometime after he hit his 50th birthday, he was introduced to the world of kayak surfing. That was in the year 2000. By 2003 he had made the U.S. Kayak Surfing team, an honor he repeated in 2005 and 2007.
Surf Kayaking is tough sport
Surf kayaking is not for the faint of heart or for those with less that professional skill levels. "It is really a dangerous sport," reflects Den as he looks back on those action-filled championships. A point he will make is that he had to be in shape and he had to be strong to both compete at that high level and survive at that extreme sport. "So weight training is just something that I had to do," One observation that he made will probably resonate with some who are actively working out now. "All my life people have been saying, 'You're in shape now but wait till you're 30, or 40, or 50...I was stronger in my 50s than I had ever been." Den does not talk a lot about his adventures but if you get the opportunity, you should ask him about some of his surf kayaking success. For example, when he was 56 he competed in the team trials and made the men's 18 to 40 team.
One reason Den Latham is an early example in this working out after 60 series is that he is one of my role models in the gym. Den gets to the gym. Den does the work, and does it well. Den is accomplished at what he is doing and works every day to get even better. He has an exercise ethic worth emulating. And, his approach is not all that different from lots of others who WORK OUT. "Many times I walk into the Y and think, 'I really don't want to do this." Then he throws that thought out of his mind, picks up some dumb bells and goes to work. "But, 15 or 20 minutes into the workout, I'm pumped. Exercise has to be part of your lifestyle. It is something you, part of your day, like eating or sleeping."
Den is a person of many interests
Den has pretty much replaced his focus on surf kayaking with his continuing love of backpacking and hiking and blackwater kayaking. These are often things he does with his wife Allison and when you hear Den talk about Allison you will see his eyes light. "In 2007, Allison and I spent a week wilderness backpacking we hiked and kayaked in Alaska in eastern Yosemite... Best hike ever!" The two are often in Yoga during the 5:30 p.m. class at the Y.
The hard part of this story is stopping. And as we come to the end I think we will close with a quote Den shared from Henry David Thoreau: "If one advances in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Maybe those words will help all of us keep exercise as as a key component of our lifestyles.
Author's note: Den lives a very balanced life style and packs a lot into his life. For example, he has just received word that he will have his latest book, PAINTING THE LANDSCAPE WITH FIRE published. It is a book about the longleaf pine ecosystem and will be published by USC Press in about year. He has a December 31 deadline for final edits, index, etc.
