It’s never too late to finish a big project – and it’s never too late to even just start pursuing an important goal. For proof of just that, look no further than Lloyd Black, a member of Anytime Fitness who started his gym membership last year – when he was 90.
One year later and another year fitter, Black is still maintaining his workout routine. Black, whose gym is based in Semmes, Alabama, first started exercising to help himself get through each day, and now he hopes his decisions inspire other people who think the clock ran out on their dreams.
Lloyd Black is a dedicated 91-year-old exercise aficionado
When Black started having trouble mowing the lawn or doing regular household chores, he decided to incorporate exercise into his weekly routines. His workout routine did just that and had the added benefit of easing some of his ongoing aches. This is a bonus many people who experience pain can potentially enjoy; as explained by Utah State University, even those with chronic pain can find massive relief through exercise as they increase flexibility and strength. This, in turn, reduces inflammation, pain sensitivity, and fatigue.
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Black, too, saw firsthand how exercising built up his endurance. A 10-minute treadmill walk left him breathless. Now, this nonagenarian can easily do 30 minutes. He also lifts weights, performs leg presses, and uses machinery that works his upper arms.
Lloyd Black is an unmistakable and inspiring part of the gym
Black is easy to spot thanks to the denim overalls he wears to every gym session. “The reason I wear them is very simple: I don’t have much hips,” joked Black. “If I get too active, I have trouble keeping my pants up.”
“People notice his overalls,” says Ashley Seaman, manager of Anytime Fitness, speaking with TODAY. That makes it all the easier for other gymgoers to be inspired by Black – and he’s giving them a lot to be inspired by. Seaman continues, “He’s been showing so much progress and over the past year he’s been coming faithfully three times a week or if not more like every other day.”
Black offers multiple lessons here; he encourages others that time has not run out, no matter a person’s age. But he also has shown the importance of dedication. Black has admitted, “The fitness center is something you don’t necessarily enjoy, but you enjoy having done it. You realize how much it helps. That is what I get out of it.”
Black is a retired school principal in the Semmes area, and so this is an important bit of guidance students likely learned during their educational careers there. For his own efforts, the honorary title of Member of the Month has gone to Mr. Lloyd Black multiple times. It’s the gym’s way of thanking Black for being such a source of “motivation and inspiration,” and in a celebratory tribute post on Facebook, the gym hopes “to have him many more years to come.”