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When Harry King, 81, was grappling with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis several decades ago, his doctor at the time told him to stop walking and taking the stairs. That doctor advised him to only swim or exercise in the water to reduce his swelling and soothe achy joints. But this limited exercise routine didn’t boost his overall health and wellbeing.
“I listened for a couple of years and started gaining weight and not improving in my physical fitness,” the personal trainer at Planet Fitness from Greenville, South Carolina, tells TODAY.com. “I quit listening to her and started walking.” Walking turned into hiking in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains and he realized that he could hike for longer distances and attempt more difficult treks if he built muscle strength. He had switched to seeing a different rheumatologist at this point and he asked his new doctor if he could start attending the gym. She enthusiastically encouraged him.
“(She said) the best thing I could do is work out in the gym; use weight training,” King says.
He started attending a local Planet Fitness and began working with the personal trainers available to the members. He enjoyed weight-lifting so much that it inspired him to become a certified personal trainer so that he could help others. For the past year and a half, he has worked as a trainer, helping clients from age 24 to 76 use strength training to bolster their health.
“That fitness journey is so important more so now than ever, especially with the aging population,” he says.
The number one tip he has for elderly people who want to add…
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