How this 97-year-old broke records without training

In May 2022, Regeanne Fairhead was 95 years old., she completed the 95-99 five-kilometre Ottawa race in 58 minutes and 52 seconds, which was a Canadian record. It was never her goal to take part in this challenge, much less break her record. She didn’t do any training beforehand. She just came there to accompany her friend.

But at the end of the day, the 5K was a walk in the park for Fairhead, and she treated it like a walk around the neighborhood, stopping occasionally to chat with friends. The next year, she thought, “Oh, I can break that record,” she says. And with a little determination, she shaved more than seven minutes off her time, finishing in 51 minutes and 9 seconds. – Break world records.

Fairhead attributes her health to a series of small habits, not to any particular exercise or diet. She walks around her neighborhood, stretches, and keeps her mind sharp with puzzles and reading.

Learn more about how he maintains his health at the age of 97.

Let’s take a step

Even before she turned her attention to the Ottawa race, Fairhead went for walks almost every day. She is an active volunteer in the community, frequently traveling to Parley Health, a long-term care facility in her neighborhood, to play cards and bingo with residents who are decades her junior. are doing. When the weather is nice, she walks several laps around the building.

Ms. Fairhead also counts steps by helping the employees at the house with simple tasks. For example, during bingo, she moves back and forth between players and callers to collect cards from players. “It’s going up and down, going back and forth. It’s really hard to walk,” she says.

Don’t underestimate the power of just walking: 2022 study reveals JAMA Internal Medicine Researchers found that every 2,000 steps you take reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death by 10%, peaking at 10,000 steps per day.

Small functional exercises go a long way

Fairhead didn’t meet a trainer or go to the gym in preparation for last May’s record-breaking walk, but she worked with physiotherapist Richelle Weeks to develop a few easy exercises. I was told. “It wasn’t that difficult,” Fairhead said. “It’s just simple daily exercises that you can do anytime.” She didn’t spend a lot of time on this routine, just five minutes every other day.

The movements were functional and focused on keeping Fairhead’s joints flexible and maintaining strength. Some people simply sat down in a chair and stood up again and again. Basically, yes, But research shows For older adults, repeated sitting and standing exercises can be an effective way to improve muscle strength.This is also a great method improve mobility and balancehelps reduce the risk of falls.

stay busy

More than any other factor, Fairhead attributes her health to being constantly on the go. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth McMahon, said the 97-year-old says yes to almost everything. “Recently, there was an event with her family at the pool hall, and she was there on her cue and having fun.”

Fairhead also has an active social life. She spends a lot of time chatting on the phone with everyone from her great-nieces and her nephews to the adult children of her old friends. She often plays cards with a group of nearby women or visits them for dinner.

Research shows that being social and staying busy is essential for maintaining good health as older adults. In addition to maintaining your fitness level, activity may be improved Cognitive function in the elderly. A Penn State study found that social interactions have an immediate impact on cognitive performance during the day and days later. This is important to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

At the end of the day, Fairhead doesn’t think what she’s doing is anything special. She lives an active lifestyle that allows her to stay healthy with little effort. “People stop me and say I inspired them to go out and do something, no matter their age. I’m very proud of that,” she says. “Age is just a number.”