He plays ping pong. He plays tennis. He goes horseback riding.He’s my grandpa, and he’s 81 years old.
When I was little, my grandpa would take me to the farm where he kept his horse, and I would watch him ride.
Back then, I never gave much thought to what it means for him to be able to do that at his age.
As I am now older, it dawned on me that my grandpa is older, too. And yet, he acts like he hasn’t aged at all. He exercises every single day.
Occasionally, he will play tennis with some of his friends. When the weather isn’t suitable, his friends will come over to his house and play ping pong with him in his basement.
Don’t let his age fool you. He may act the role of someone who will be easy to beat at any game, but he and I will play ping pong when I visit, and, trust me, he does not take it easy on me.
When he’s not horseback riding, playing tennis, or beating me at ping pong, he will use the exercise equipment in his basement (weights, treadmill).
Oh, one thing I forgot to mention about my grandpa… he has Parkinson’s disease (PD).
This disease causes him to have a tremor in his hand, imbalance, and it’s sometimes difficult for him to speak (slow speech, quiet).
He does not let Parkinson’s, which affects an estimated one million people in the United States according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, control his life.
It is well known that exercise provides a wide range of benefits for our health, including weight control, increase of energy, stress management, and more.
Exercise, such as walking, can also improve balance, which, as mentioned, is one of the symptoms from which my grandpa suffers because of PD.
PD affects the brain, causing neurons to become damaged or lost. And it turns out that exercise may help with this, as well.
The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) believes, “intensive exercise can alter the way the brain works and promote recovery” of Parkinson’s disease.
I think my grandpa can be considered proof of this. Granted, he still has signs of the disease, but it by no means has gotten worse.
As stated by the PDF, it is not conclusive that exercise can benefit an individual with Parkinson’s disease in the long-run, but I am a firm believer that it has helped my grandpa tremendously.
Regardless of his age, ignoring any and all disabilities, he still finds a way to exercise because it not only helps him, but he enjoys it. After all, it’s not how old you are that’s important—it’s how old you feel. And I’d say my grandpa is feeling pretty good.
He is an inspiration.
No more excuses. It’s time to hit the gym.
This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She enjoys swimming and eating trail mix.
*Note: We are not doctors. Some of the information found for this post was retrieved from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. For more information, contact your physician.
