For Ann Lighty, Exercising and Socializing are the Same

Workout partners, Ann Lighty, right, and Shonda Wingate, take on the elliptical machines at the Hartsville YMCA.


A little free weight training is part of Ann's regular workout session.





Treadmill and television -- often part of Ann Lighty's YMCA workout.



Ann Lighty warming up just prior to the YMCA Monday evening spin class.


Ann Lighty is one the Spin bike about 15 minutes prior to the music coming over the speakers. She is pedaling fast and this is just warm ups. As the class begins, and the music begins to pound she pedals faster and before long she is among the fastest spinners in the class -- and she maintains that pace through the hour-long class -- nearly every Monday and Wednesday evening. Spin is the work in her four-night-a-week exercise schedule. And, she has been finding Spin Class fun for about the past two years, since joining the YMCA just before she retired in August 2010.

Ann just barely made the criteria for this series about people working out past the age of 60. She hit that milestone on November 14, 2011. And, she is happy with her new age, smiling as she reflects on hitting 60 and noting that she believes she is getting older and getting better. "I'm proud I'm 60. Growing older and getting better...I am loving life." That may not have been so true a little more than three years ago. It was then that her husband succumbed to cancer and she was without her partner of 38 years. His death sent her into a depression that she fought and exercise became one of the weapons in her fight.

It was about two years ago that she decided she needed to do more than go to work and she joined the Y. At nearly that same time she talked a work colleague, Shonda Wingate, into joining her in the exercise. They have been workout partners for the past two years and it doesn't take long to notice they enjoy their time at the Y. "I'm not going to lie," says Shonda, "it might be as much for the socializing as it is for the physical but we enjoy it." Ann does say that having a workout partner is one of the motivations she sometimes needs to get up and get out to the gym. "I don't really like working out but I just work out," she says. "If I did not have someone to work out with, I might not come at all." They motivate each other and talk about how most days they can't wait to find out what the other has been up to.

"After my husband died, I lost some weight and then, I did not want to put it back on so that was my first reason for deciding to work out," says Ann. She knows the workouts give her more energy and she also says that one of the greatest benefits is "peace of mind." "You can come to the gym and just let your mind go," she notes.

Ann seems to be happy with her retirement, which came after about 19 years with the Scott Center, most recently int he Bridging the Gap program. She gets to keep up with things at work as she talks with Shonda. Besides working out, she likes yard work and has a dog that she walks, though it is not always clear if she is walking the dog or he is walking her. She has grown children and also has two grandchildren, students at Florence-Darlington Tech., living with her. She is certain that with her workouts she is in better shape than her teenage grands.

In addition to the Spin class, Ann mixes up her workouts with some light weights for arms and upper body and then work on the treadmill and sometimes the elliptical. She has found that she often enjoys watching the news on the PreCor Treadmill and says that makes the 30 minutes of walking go by pretty quickly.

As the interview was happening, a ten-year-old got on the adjacent treadmill telling us both that he thinks, "you are never too young to train." Ann smiled as she agreed with him and we turned that line around and decided that you are also probably never too old to begin to exercise.

"...always feel better after a workout at the Y."

The rowing machine can test your commitment, especially when those 15 minutes come toward the end of the work out. The rower pushes back and takes some real concentration.


15 minutes on the treadmill provides an energizing walk for Willie Jackson during most of his nightly Y workouts.



Spending about 30 minutes on the stationery bike is the way Willie Jackson opens most of his nightly workouts at the Y.

Willie Jackson spent a little more than 40 years working with Sonoco prior to his retirement from the Spiral Department in 2000. Even today he will comment on how quickly those 40 years seemed to go by, shaking his head that it could have been that long with Sonoco's largest industry. A life-long Sonoco resident, he is also now a dedicated member of the Hartsville Family YMCA. Monday through Friday you can usually find him on the exercise machines -- "this is what I do now," he says.

Though he played football during his high school years at Butler he did not engage in a lot of purposeful exercise during his working years. He began his Sonoco career in the General Services area and that particular job required lots of lifting as a daily part of the job and there is a real good chance there wasn't much energy for weight lifting or aerobics after the Sonoco shift. And, even after his retirement in 2000 he enjoyed some gardening and some work around the house after 40 years on the job he was not ready for a lot more structure.

Then, one day he saw a friend of his, Daniel Mayshack, when they bumped into each other at Wal-Mart. "He was sweating a little and I asked what he had been doing," he remembers. It was then that 'Mayshack' suggested that Willie join him at the Y. It turned out he had some free passes during a membership campaign and Mr. Jackson joined Mr. Mayshack for three days of work outs. That got him hooked and he has been a regular member of the Hartsville Y since 2002. In the beginning they were work-out partners until Mr. Mayshack got sick and later died. For the past five years Willie has been working out on his own and in the late afternoon and early evening. "Mayshack was an early-morning guy and I enjoyed working out with him but I really don't like those early mornings so I come in about now." (time was 4:45 p.m.)

Like a lot of people who work out regularly, Willie Jackson admits that it is not always easy to get motivated. "I often don't feel like coming but once I get myself out of the house and into the car and in the door, I ALWAYS feel better after the workout."

As the photos show, his workout is generally in the movement area as he spends time on two types of stationery bikes, the treadmill and the rowing machine. It seems that he may do that hour or 90 minutes so that he can reward himself with what he really enjoys at the Y -- the sauna and the steam room. They come after the workout. "These 76-year-old bones really enjoy the warmth of the heat, the steam and the hot shower," he says, smiling as he thinks about only being 30 minutes from the steam room. "I love it," he says!

The workouts are something that he finds important to his quality of life. He knows a little about when things are out of whack. Several years ago he had a knee replacement and few years ago he was hit with a tumor in the head, 'about the size of a golf ball,' that was affecting his eyesight. He beat them both and now he keeps the body working because, "I just feel better, absolutely, no doubt about it." Mr. Jackson says he doesn't go around trying to get others to believe in the power of exercise but he does think that people in their 60s, 70s, 80s and more should get away from the remote and start some real moving. "I know what it is doing for me. When I leave after a workout I feel like a different person."

(The blogger would like to thank Willie Jackson for taking some time to talk about working out after 60 (in this case after 76). This is the third in an occasional series on people who are making a difference in their lives through exercise. So far, a common theme is the versatility of the YMCA in Hartsville and the variety of opportunities it offers for a fulfilling exercise program. Willie Jackson says he believes firmly in his Y membership investment.)

Den's Lifestyle has just about always included regular physical exercise

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.

Spin in the morning

The morning is usually rolling out of bed and into a four mile walk. The walk is usually accompanied by earphones playing a good book; THINKING FAST AND SLOW is the current offering.

Kim, who is the Monday night Spin instructor, is celebrating her birthday today. she also is the YMCA Wednesday morning SPIN leader. So, decided to celebrate her birthday with a morning Spin class. Have been thinking I should shock the workout system a little and Spin usually does it and this morning adventure is not an exception.

Spin in the morning was a system shocker and it may be one of those routine changes that can help move me from the plateau. It will be interesting to feel what the rest of the day and week hold after this morning's Spin. A big question will be if I will be able to do this afternoon's spin class. Jury still deliberating.

Robbie McLendon proves age is only a number in your head

He’s one of the fastest old geezers you are ever going to know

For the past 2,570+ days Robbie McLendon has been pounding the pavement for at least three miles and in the past three days he has logged 47 miles, including a marathon distance of 26.2 miles. For those who are not much into math, or even basic arithmetic, that is seven years without missing a day as of August 29, 2011. The 56-year-old self-proclaimed “old Geezer” is on a streak of every day running that puts him in some rare company. Robbie is not only consistent, he is fast. He is fast not just for a 56-year-old, he is fast. This past March, at the 2011 Myrtle Beach Marathon he finished in 3:11:4, placing 65th among more than 3000 runners.

Running and running and running
So, what is it that will make someone keep running and running and running. “Welllllll,” said Robbie who was trying to come up with a reason, “If I do it every day, I don’t have to worry about starting back.” In our current era when obesity is a major health concern in the American population and chronic illness like diabetes sidelines hosts of people from active living, Robbie knows he does not want to there…again.

A life style you can live with
In this age when we have a culture fighting against obesity, chronic illness and disease and a sedentary, sit-in-front-of-the-screen lifestyle, Robbie McLendon shows there are other ways to live.

Streak Begins
The running streak began August 29, 2004 about three days after he got out of the hospital with a high blood sugar count that almost put him in a coma. He has always been active and at another time in his life, in his 30s, he was a runner. Back in 1986 he ran a 2:40:05 marathon and finished the famous Charleston “Bridge Run” in 34:45 for the 10-K (6.2 mile) event. He knew what it was like to be in shape. He knew what it was like to be super healthy but then things like work began to take the toll on working out. He was employed with Wellman Industries outside of Darlington. “It was a good job, paid well and was challenging. But, it was not unusual to work 12 and 13 hour days and not get home until midnight or after.” The running and exercising became something he used to do, not something he did.

Hospital stay was all the convincing he needed
That day in August 2004 it caught up to him. At the time he was hospitalized, Robbie says he was about 240 pounds and he was carrying most of it in stomach. “I have a small frame, so that was a lot of weight in the middle,” he said. He decided a change was needed and went out for a run and that first run went three miles. He did not record the time but he remembers it being 10 or 11 minutes a mile. He jotted the time and the distance down in a journal and that journal is still where he keeps the daily running record.
The August 29 run led to the August 30 run to the August 31 run and before he knew it, Robbie had a year of running without missing a day. “I started back running to lose the weight, to get back being healthy and it worked,” reflected Robbie as he thought back to that first year. “Then it became a competition and I did not want to stop.”

Results are measurable
Today, Robbie weighs in at about 160 pounds. He has been off insulin for years and his blood-sugar chemistry is where both he and his doctors like it to be. Once he beat the illness he found he had developed a new drive. Turns out that Robbie is not only a runner, he is one of the most active physical fitness gurus around. His daily workouts at the Hartsville Family YMCA include heavy weight training, usually 30 to 45-minutes ab work, and even occasional classes in P90-X or some of the other programs that are popular. In 2008 it became a little easier for him to expand his workouts as he lost his job with the closing of Wellman. There were not a lot of other jobs available at the time. He didn’t sit around; he got into even better shape. Several months ago he did land a part-time job at the Hartsville Y as a building manager. That is afternoon and night hours and it doesn’t get in the way of his runs his lifting or one of his new-found enjoyments – Yoga. “I started yoga in P-90 X and it not only helps me stretch better, I find it relaxing.”

Relaxing means a ten miler instead of a twenty-miler
And, relaxing is not an adjective that you often hear associated with the old Geezer, who this past week recorded 77 running miles in the journal as he gets ready for the Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon that will be run in November. And, relaxing is not something you associate with someone whose September 22 Facebook post described a workout day that included three (3) mile repeats, 4-200 meter repeats, 10-100 meter repeats…all with a resistance parachute strapped to his back. He uses that type of resistance and repeat training to build up other muscle groups that he hopes will aid him in his continuing quest to win, not just place, in the race.
The old Geezer competes just about every weekend. If he hears there is a starting line and a finish line he is on his way. “Lately, a 52-year old from Sumter has been beating me and I want to get him. I really do love the competition.” His major goal now is to run the Savannah Marathon in 3:05 or less. “I think I can do it,” he says with jaw-set determination. He will continue his 70+ miles a week training for another couple of weeks before he begins his tapering down process where he will reduce those miles to 50 or 60 as the race gets closer.
On those long runs he does often wonder why he is doing it. He says even today, with all these miles behind and so many yet to go, “It is a love hate type of relationship. I do like the way it makes me feel but it is always hard getting started but then I hate to stop.”


Writer's Note -- I realize Robbie is not 60 but he is one of my role models. He does not run like a 56-year-old and he does not lift like a 56-year-old (Or does he and we all just have to reframe what we think of when we think of age.)

Looking for Research on Working out after 60

So far it has been slow going but I did find a mini gold mine this morning on google at the website be fit over 50. Here are a couple of paragraphs from the blog:

There is a large body of scientific evidence that suggests that we can slow down and even reverse the symptoms of aging. In fact many of us can be in better health in our 70's than we were in our 50's.

Recent studies indicate that between the ages of 30 & 70 many of the symptoms & conditions that were traditionally associated with normal aging are in fact the result of sedentary lifestyles.

As I read deeper, there were several citations and it seems there are researchers out there looking at older people and their exercise habits. I am going to look deeper into this because a quote on that same blog reflects one of my strong beliefs, "You are never too old to benefit from exercise."

Exercise is "most valuable thing you can do for your health after 60"

Have this idea about a book on getting and staying in shape after the age of 60 and am looking around to see what is available on the topic.

In the Hartsville YMCA this afternoon I asked one of our local MDs if he was familiar with research or articles on the subject. As I began to explain what I was thinking about a possible book or series of articles he may have contributed the first paragraph of this book>

"After 60, the most valuable thing you can do for yourself and your health is exercise," he said. Now, if I were beginning the book I might have to go back to him for the exact quote but the the power of his exclamation when thinking about this topic says I am in the exact frame from which he was coming.

Some days I am anxious to open the Y doors and other days it takes power of persuasion to head in that direction but the result is that when I have worked out -- even when the workout is not 'high quality' I know I am better for having expended the energy and expanded lots of capacities inside this body that might not be as young as it used to be.

So, I am going to spend a little time on the research side and I am going to set down a goal of getting a lot of ideas of the hows and what's of exercise after 60 while giving some example of the Why as I get some of those who are 'hard at it' telling a little of their stories.

Robbie is setting a new standard

Robbie McLendon is not yet 60. He is young 56 and seemingly getting younger every day. He has a workout regimen that would make some professionals cringe. Here are his current running statistics:
Robbie Mclendon
"the old geezer has run 18227 miles in a 2474 day running streak averaging 7.36 miles per day. finally sent in my application for entry into the United States Running Streak Association,INC. woooooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo"

I used to believe I was working out hard but Robbie is bringing a whole new set of standards to gym work and running in the Hartsville area. You may know people like him in your area. He doesn't just place in races, he wins them: not just the Master section but often the entire race. Robbie is one of those examples we can all follow - at least a little. He is there day after day after day and if we are going to get what we need from working out -- we need to at least be there just about daily.