90-year-old Barbara Green is proving age is just a number in the gym.
SAN ANTONIO — Barbara Green is proving age is just a number. At 90 years old, she is known at her gym as the “energizer bunny.”
The San Antonio great-grandmother spends nearly two hours in the gym three times a week. Her workouts include walking, strength training and even finger exercises. And while many her age are slowing down, Green seems to be speeding up.
“Firecracker, energizer bunny and a ray of sunshine, all in one,” said personal trainer, Maria Lino, who works at HealthLink Fitness and Wellness Center.
Green is affectionately known at the gym as the “energizer bunny” because, as Lino puts it, “she just keeps going.” Whether it’s arm workouts during a walk or wrist stretches between sets, Green stays constantly in motion.
“We are working the shoulders here,” Green said mid-rep. “You always try to do something while you’re walking? It’s too boring otherwise.”
Green didn’t always live this active lifestyle. She said she began working out just 10 years ago, after spending much of her life raising four children on her own. But since stepping into the gym, she has become a fixture, and an inspiration especially to married couple Michael and Laurie Neerman.
“Still to this day, I can’t believe she’s 90,” Michael said. “She’s mentally sharp and physically in shape. She’s amazing.”
“She’s our goal,” added another gym member, Laurie. “We want to be like her one day, staying active both physically and mentally.”
Each of Green’s workouts begins with a 30-minute walk, followed by a circuit that includes core and flexibility exercises. She jokes about her abdominal workouts: “We have to make sure we have abs,” she said with a laugh.
Green says she stays healthy by drinking only water, avoiding soda and eating clean. But her biggest motivator? Her family.
“I don’t want them to have to take care of me,” she said. “Not until that day comes when the Lord calls me home.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for women in the U.S. is about 81 years. For men, it’s around 75.
Lino often uses Green as an example for other clients.
“Exercise is medicine,” Lino said. “You want to get to where she’s at? Keep coming in. I’ve seen so many people younger than her who can’t keep up.”
Dr. Dawncherrie Walker, who works at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, said her grandmother lived to be 102 years old.
“I go back to what my grandmother who lived to be 102 said, which is take care of yourself, and the rest will take care of itself,” she said.
Dr. Walker said it is never too late to start making changes.
“People always say they’ll start their diet tomorrow,” Walker said. “I tell them: Pick one thing to do today. Give up soda, drink more water, reduce your plate by ten percent. Start small.”
Walker added that while Americans are still catching up to other nations when it comes to longevity, many centenarians around the world share common traits: less stress, more movement and a mindset focused on what they can control.
Dr. Walker said it not just about the physical health, but mental health as well.
“Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep,” she said. “Read for 20 minutes a day or do a crossword.”
Green keeps her advice simple: “Keep moving. Keep exercising. Keep friends.”
Though she admits she’s beginning to “feel her age,” she says she’ll keep going for as long as she can.
“I am blessed,” Green said.