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| Jim Owen is an inspirational speaker, bestselling author, film producer, and "SuperAger." His latest documentary film, "SuperAgers: Getting Old, Living Young," will air on PBS stations across the country starting this fall. Below, he shares some valuable insights from his lessons learned and healthy aging journey. |
| *This interview has been edited for length and clarity. |
| Q: | In a past interview, your wife said you turned from a spud (couch potato) into a stud. What inspired you to get off the couch and start moving? | |
| A: When I turned 70, I'd been on the road with book tours and speaking gigs for a decade. It was a lot of sitting on planes, banquet dinners, and meals on the run. I was in terrible shape. My back was killing me, both knees were shot, and I was 35 pounds overweight. On top of that, I woke up every morning with no energy in the tank. |
| One statistic changed my life. I read that if you make it to 70, the odds are you'll live at least another 15 years. I couldn't help thinking, "If I look and feel this bad now, what will my life be like when I'm 85?" |
| That's when I set a long-term goal for myself. I was determined to get in shape, no matter what it took. So I started walking every day and went on from there. I've never wanted to go back to my old way of being. At age 75, I finally discovered my inner athlete, and that's been transformative, both physically and mentally. It's made me confident that I can handle whatever life throws my way. |
| Q: | How do you take care of your body and mind every day? | |
| A: I believe the key to a healthy lifestyle is really pretty simple. It comes down to dropping bad habits and picking up good ones. I keep that mantra in mind as I go through my day. |
| A big focus for me was managing my weight. That got a lot easier once I started thinking of food as fuel for my body, and not just a way to satisfy my hunger or gratify my taste buds. I don't count calories, but I do follow a Mediterranean diet, write down everything I put in my mouth, and try to avoid sugar, salt, and processed foods. Three or four years back, I also decided to try giving up wine, which I usually had with dinner. It turned out that I feel and sleep a whole lot better. |
| Too often, people who want to get healthier think they have to massively overhaul their way of life, but radical makeovers almost never stick. If you want lasting progress, think about the many small choices you make each day, and get in the habit of making the healthier choice. |
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| Q: | Can you share any words of support or encouragement for our older readers who may want to follow your lead but don't know how to get started? | |
| A: If you've been inactive, like I used to be, I'd suggest starting with a daily walking program, even if it's only around the block at first. Then gradually push the envelope, going a little farther or a little faster week by week. Think of it as a 30-day challenge, and then renew for another 30 days. I promise that before long, you'll start to feel and look better. At that point, you can start to branch out into other physical activities — ideally, ones you enjoy. |
| Don't try to do too much, too fast. I've learned that small steps add up to big strides over time. |
| One thing I strongly recommend is building some kind of strength training into your program. Core strength is especially important because those are the muscles that hold up your body and help you avoid falls. A lot of people don't realize that we gradually but steadily lose lean muscle mass from our 30s on. For that reason alone, strength training becomes more necessary as you age. It's not about vanity; it's about staying functional and safe when you're older. |
| Q: | Is there anything else that you'd like to share that you think our readers would love to know or can benefit from? | |
| A: When you look at people who are in their late 70s or 80s and still active and enjoying life — the ones I call "SuperAgers" — the one thing they all seem to have in common is an unmistakable positivity. |
| If you can bring that spirit to whatever you do, life is a whole lot better. It's not about pretending that everything is roses. I've never met anyone past the age of 75 who doesn't have some kind of health issue or hasn't suffered some personal loss. It's about being grateful for what you still have and finding small moments of joy in being alive. |
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