Their daily iron: Seniors pumping up at area gyms

Wednesday, March 21, 2001 | 8:58 a.m.

Seven years ago doctors told Margine Mintz she would be confined to a wheelchair within five years. Today the 72-year-old native of Georgia pumps iron and boasts of having kicked a 56-year smoking habit.

At age 53 Jack Marks had a heart attack and a triple-bypass surgery. Now the 70-year-old retired New York cabdriver spends two hours a day in the gym sculpting his body.

Lee Johnson, 56, works out at the gym to help fight diabetes, and to lower his blood pressure and his cholesterol level. His neighbor, Eileen Gorzalski, 65, also is into weight training, hoping to combat scoliosis and stave off the onset of osteoporosis.

"It doesnt matter how old you are," Las Vegas personal trainer Rick Nelson said."Anybody can work out. Its never too late to start.

"I love working with older people. They are a good example to the younger people I train. I would love to see more older people in here. They are the prime example I use to motivate the others."

Nelson, 33, who is a private contractor, trains members of Golds Gym on South Eastern Avenue. He may be one of the most active trainers in the nation, working with 30 to 40 clients a day, teaching them a brief but intense system that is effective for bodybuilders, 90-pound weaklings and everyone in between, he says.

Nelson has designed individualized programs for more than 20,000 people, most of them younger adults. But a growing percentage are retired people who have time on their hands and a motivation to live longer, healthier lives free of the aches, pains and health problems that can plague those moving into the sunset of their lives.

Sean Paxton, 33, vice president of operations for the five Golds Gym locations in Southern Nevada, credits those born shortly after World War II with the recent surge in interest in being fit.

"Whats happening is, the baby boomers are starting to get older. Theyre not at the senior-citizen age yet, but theyre approaching it," Paxton said from Gold's Gym on East Flamingo Road. "The baby boomers started the fitness trend in the first place years ago and they're just carrying it over. It's an anti-aging thing."

Paxton said two years ago the profile of Gold's customers was in the 18 to 34 age range. "Now it's 25 to 45, and it all has to do with baby boomers."

He noted that the medical community is more aware of the benefits of strength training for older people.

"A 96-year-old woman comes in here regularly to train," he said. "She walks from her house. There are so many people in their 80s who come in here, it's phenomenal."

Paxton said a lot of the older people who work out at Gold's live in retirement centers where gyms are available, but they don't care for the atmosphere in those facilities.

"Some refuse to train in those gyms, where they are surrounded by people who have a lot of aches and pains," Paxton said. "I had one person tell me he had to get out of there for his peace of mind. After coming here his mentality changed. He feels healthier. He is motivated by being around the younger people."

And, he said, young people may be motivated by older people.

"Older people are more disciplined, more likely to stay to a schedule," Paxton said. "Typically, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are our busiest days. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, younger people are partying -- but Monday morning, they're right back in the gym.

"With the older population, they're there three days a week, no matter what. They're more responsible."

Fountain of Youth

Victor Dawahare, 66, is a retired insurance executive who moved to Las Vegas from New York nearly three years ago. He says he is faithful about going to the gym five days a week, for about 90 minutes each visit.

"I've been at it for two years," Dawahare said. "It takes self-discipline, but I feel better. I have firmer muscles and my blood pressure is down.

"My doctor encouraged me to start an exercise program. Now I'm trying to get my wife to do it."

He said one of his main motivations is his grandchildren.

"I want to see them grow up," said Dawahare, who didn't have time to exercise before he retired because he was too busy working and raising a family.

Meanwhile Mintz' motivation to begin exercising came almost two years ago.

"The doctors retired me because I had extremely high blood pressure and because of the arthritis in my back and legs," she said.

Today, she said, her blood pressure is normal, and she's a long way from needing a wheelchair. She is most proud of having quit smoking two years ago.

"I feel wonderful," she said, crediting exercising with helping her to keep from returning to the habit.

Mintz goes to the gym three days a week to attend the hourlong SilverSneaker class. As a rule, she spends an hour working out on weights and cardiovascular machines before going to the light-weight workout session with other senior citizens.

Newcomers to exercise, both Johnson and Gorzalski began their fitness programs last week. Their personal trainer at the Gold's Gym on South Eastern Avenue is Liz O'Sullivan, who works with them two days a week. On the third day the two neophytes practice what they have learned in the two earlier workouts.

"The do full-body routines and then 30 to 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercises," O'Sullivan said. "They work out a maximum of 60 to 70 minutes."

The routines and how much time is spent on them depends on the individual's goal.

"If they just want to walk down the street without falling over, they do a basic (weight-training) routine and a lot of cardios," O'Sullivan said.

Many who start out with a basic three-day, full-body routine begin increasing it as they find their strength and vitality increasing, she noted. "Then we split the upper and lower body, do each on a separate day."

The training starts off slow.

"Obviously, they can't take much weight training initially," O'Sullivan said. "And it is done in combination with a lot of stretching. At first the weight training is quite basic. Then we do a lot of different routines so the muscles are constantly being shocked and strength is improved.

"In three to six months, they are pumping iron," she said.

O'Sullivan, who also goes to homes for private instructions, said she likes to work with older people.

"They realize they are mortal and they're going to do anything you tell them, unlike the younger people who tend to backslide," she said.

Likewise, Nelson said that during the first few training sessions with his older clients, special precautions are taken. But within two weeks they usually are strong enough to be treated like everyone else.

"Some will have speical problems, but we work around the problems," he said.

Nelson recalls a 66-year-old attorney who came to him four years ago and wanted to get into shape. "He had about 10 children and he said, 'I want to have another kid.' "

When the attorney started working out, he had the body of a man in his 70s.

"When I finished with him, the (physiological) test showed he had the physiological age of a 47-year-old man. He popped out a kid right after that," Nelson said.

SilverSneakers

Helping to fan the flames of interest in senior fitness in Las Vegas is HealthCare Dimensions.

The Tempe, Ariz., company has outlets in 10 states. It developed the SilverSneakers program, which takes advantage of federal money allocated by the government to various health plans to be used in programs designed to keep people healthy, rather than waiting to treat them after they get sick.

This year the company entered into an agreement with Sierra Health Services Inc., which began offering SilverSneaker program memberships at six local gyms on March 1, including four of the five area Gold's Gyms, the Sporting House Athletic Club on Industrial Road and the Chuck Minker Sports Complex on North Mojave Road.

People who receive Medicare may become members of SilverSneakers, which entitles them to a basic membership at participating gyms at no cost. Also, those enrolled in SilverSneakers are entitled to a minimum of two low-impact exercise classes each week.

SilverSneaker was first offered in Nevada in October 1999, through a contract between HealthCare Dimensions and PacifiCare, a managed health care company.

Corey Jenkins, president of the Sporting House, said the gym has offered SilverSneakers memberships for more than 18 months. About 120 people are in the program. "The older people not only have stayed with it, but they actually use the club more than regular members. They are very consistent," Jenkins said.

Feeling good

Mary Swanson, who founded HealthCare Dimensions in 1992 and started SilverSneakers, is not surprised by the consistency of its participants.

She said senior citizens recognize the many benefits they receive from being physically fit -- not only in terms of health, but also finances. Being healthier, they may not spend as much on prescriptions, doctors and other health-related costs.

"There are a lot of other positive developments," Swanson said. "The members have lower depression scores and the program fosters socialization. There is an improvement in the general health status, the quality of life, activities of daily living.

"They function better as they move through the day. Their joints are less stiff. Their balance and mobility are increased. They have more energy and vitality."

Debra Stefan oversees the SilverSneakers program for Gold's. Also a personal trainer, she said senior citizens are the fastest-growing segment of those who train.

"They are realizing that to assert their independence they need to maintain the ability to carry out their life skills," she said.

"The definition of being fit is having enough strength and stamina to do your daily living with reserve left over at the end of the day. The better shape you are in, the higher the lifestyle standards."

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