I have many motivations for staying in shape. When I was young, I was skinny, and like a lot of skinny teenage boys I wanted to be muscular, so my idol at the time was Arnold Schwarzenegger (Hey, it was the 80’s). As I’ve gotten older and become less focused on size and strength and moreso on overall fitness, I’ve also discovered the many health benefits of exercise as we age. I’ll be 53 next month, but most people I meet think I look about 40, and I feel even younger than that. Most of my friends my age have some kind of chronic health problems requiring treatment or medication. I don’t have a thing wrong with me. I feel great and I have no health problems at all. People around me get sick while I might get a sniffle that lasts for literally a few hours before I feel fine again. Believe me, as you age, good health becomes increasingly important.

Today, I have a new hero. His name is Jim Morris. It’s likely you’ve never heard of him, although he has many accomplishments to his name. He has competed opposite Arnold in his younger days, won the Mr. America title at the age of 37 and has many bodybuilding records that still stand to this day. At one point, he was even a bodyguard for Elton John.

While I’m a dedicated meat eater myself, at the age of 50 Jim Morris became a vegetarian, and then, 15 years later, a vegan. He also continued to work out religiously throughout his life.

This is Jim Morris at the age of 78 posing for an ad for PETA. “Wow!” Just “Wow!” I look at this picture and I say to myself “In another 25 years, that’s going to be me!”

Every time I feel my motivation waning, every day when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. and I think about how nice it would be to roll over and go back to sleep instead of working out, I think about Jim and that gets me moving.

I have a choice. I can keep looking after myself and stay young for decades to come, or I can quit and get old, sick and weak. There is no middle ground.

So, Jim Morris, thank you. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. With your example to follow I have no doubt I’ll still be in great shape when I’m old, with all the health benefits that go with that.

Epilogue. Jim Morris passed away at the age of 80 in 2016. Congratulations on a life well lived, Jim.

Please note that Dynamo Fitness neither endorses nor advises against vegan and vegetarian diets. Always consult your physician before making any significant changes to your diet. 

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Will Dove

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Will is a lifelong fitness nut. He started exercising religiously at the age of 16. Now 52, he still works out 5 times per week and maintains a body fat percentage in the single digits. Will is passionate about helping others to achieve their fitness and body image goals, and believes that most people fail to achieve these goals, not through a lack of self-discipline, but through a simple lack of knowledge.

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