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AMERICAN FORK -- Paul Walgren hopes to live to be 100 years old, and he hopes that he can welcome that birthday in with a run.
"I'm wondering if I can reach 100," he said. "My mother was 97, her father was 96, but neither of them were active like I am."
Though Walgren has almost a decade left until he reaches the triple-digit birthday, he's not wasting any time working toward that goal.
"You get in the rocking chair, you die," he said.
Walgren exercises two to three times a week on the track of the American Fork Fitness Center, and he sets ambitious fitness goals for himself.
Get medical clearance.
- Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program, especially if you have a preexisting condition.
- Keep in mind ongoing health problems that could affect your workouts.
- Ask your doctor if there are any activities you should avoid.
- If you haven't exercised for awhile, you can easily hurt yourself by pushing too hard.
- Space out workouts.
- Warm up, cool down, and stay hydrated.
- If you feel dizzy, short of breath, develop chest pain or pressure or pain, stop exercising immediately.
- Adjust workout to ability.
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"I alternate jog walk, jog walk and I only count the jogs for my fitness," he said.
His fitness routine includes a healthy dose of conversation, too. He visits with others when he walks, and people say he is a good track companion.
"When he comes in, everybody knows him, they look for him, they are excited to see him, they encourage him -- he encourages them," said Derric Rykert, Parks and Recreation director for American Fork.
Paul usually runs and walks a few 5K's during the summer, and he enjoys running outside. Walgren says he's fortunate to be in a position to do so, especially for someone of his age. He wants others to be able to enjoy being active late into life as well.
"Believe in yourself, accept the fact you are going to hurt a little, especially when you start out," he said. "Just accept it's a lot better than the hurt you have sitting. That doesn't appeal to me at all"
