Shirley Coen, an 85-year-old retiree, recently broke a bench-press record for 80-something women. She managed to lift 55 pounds even though she hadn’t started working out until two months before she set the record!
Eager to keep her mind and body active and engaged, Coen says that “Age doesn’t count. Do what you can, when you can.”
According to her trainer, Sherry Abblett, many seniors like Coen don’t really know how strong they are and can be. Abblett says “When I put a weight on the bar, they’re like, ‘Oh, I can’t lift that.’ Well [they] try it and get it.”
At Engage As You Age we don’t expect all of our clients to set records (although we’d love it if a few did!). The goal of all of our social stimulation activities is to keep people engaged in their own homes or in retirement communities. Whether it is learning how to life weights for the first time like Coen recently did or learning a new language or sharpening ones photography skills, the key is having fun.
Contact us today to learn a new hobby or revisit an old one. We’re able to connect you to fun activities if you’re aging in place in your own home or residing in a retirement community.
Click here to learn more about Coen and her weight lifting.
See the CNN video below to see Coen break the record!
