- At 81 years old, Harry King works 35 hours a week as a fitness trainer.
- He specializes in helping seniors get the best from their workouts.
- King said Gerry Turner, 72, star of “The Golden Bachelor,” is a role model for older people.
Gerry Turner, the 72-year-old star of “The Golden Bachelor,” has bowled over fans — and the female contestants competing for his heart — with his high fitness level.
The trim senior recently told GQ that he regularly goes for walks and plays no fewer than nine hours of pickleball every week.
“I’ll take walks because I have a dog, and the dog loves to walk,” he told the magazine. “One of the nearby lakes has a circuit around it that is three miles, so I get that.”
Turner also said he plays pickleball three mornings a week for about three hours at a time.
“I get my exercise that way,” Turner, who proudly wears hearing aids, said. He pointed out that while he used to go for long runs to “clear his head,” he found walking a good alternative in his older years.
The grandfather and father of two didn’t mention working out at the gym, but the mansion where “The Golden Bachelor” was filmed has a swimming pool for the contestants to use between takes.
John Fleenor
A fitness trainer says Turner is a great role model
Harry King, an 81-year-old fitness trainer, doesn’t have celebrity clients but said he’d love to put Turner through the paces.
“Gerry is a great role model for older people who want to stay fit and active,” he said.
King said he hopes some people will be inspired by his role as a qualified instructor for Planet Fitness.
“I’m sure a lot of people question an older gentleman being a trainer,” King said. “But I work out harder and have more energy than most people.”
King, a former senior VP of sales and marketing for an insurance company, said he began to take exercise “more seriously” when he hit middle age.
Courtesy of Harry King
King said that despite having health issues associated with aging, including arthritis, he works out five times a week, on top of the 35 hours a week he spends as a trainer.
“You have to exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle at any age, but it’s particularly important when you’re older like me,” the octogenarian said.
He shared his top three fitness tips for seniors with Insider. “If you make it a habit, it’ll help you live a longer life,” he said.
Lay out your goals
King said that the first thing you should do after consulting with your doctor is to “ask yourself what you want to achieve.”
“Your goals might include building up muscle mass, losing weight, lowering your blood pressure, or generally feeling more healthy,” he said.
He advised seniors to monitor their progress by noting their vitals and taking photos before embarking on a new exercise regime.
“It will keep you motivated when you see the improvements to your health,” said King, who used to chronicle his achievements in a written journal.
He also told people to be “realistic” about their goals and know their limitations. “Nobody wants to get discouraged or burned out,” he said.
Remember that low-impact workouts provide the best — and safest — form of exercise for older people
King said that a steady, low-intensity workout is ideal for seniors. He said the exercises are easier on joints like knees, hips, and ankles, because “your feet stay on the ground the whole time.”
He recommended activities such as walking on a treadmill, stepping on an elliptical machine, and rowing. He said stationary bikes give “great cardio,” adding that rowing worked on “all muscle groups” and offered the benefit of improving posture.
“These exercises should be done at about 60% to 65% of your maximum effort,” he said.
King said that seniors usually need to work on rebuilding muscle that is lost during the natural aging process. But he warned that lifting weights such as barbells was best done under supervision.
Get a gym buddy
King said that having a partner at the gym will help in terms of accountability.
“You will give each other the motivation to go to the gym, even when you don’t feel like it,” he said. “You’re going to have a better chance of an effective workout when you encourage each other.”
The 81-year-old said that the social aspect of the gym was a welcome antidote to the loneliness that often comes with being a senior. “It’s a good way to widen your circle of friends,” he said, adding that he “gets a kick” out of chatting with the younger members and staff at the gym.
He recommends people commit to a low-impact workout three times a week. “Try to stay at the gym for at least half an hour to an hour,” he said.
