John Tubbs just completed his twenty-first fitness assessment, and he is 77 years young. BeWell spoke with the retired Stanford scientific and engineering associate about how these annual fitness assessments have allowed for a more active life and have offset some of the physical limitations of aging. When we spoke with him, he was just returning from a trip to Disneyland with his middle-aged daughters and teenage grandchildren.

How did you get started tracking your fitness at Stanford?

I found out about HIP and liked the idea of a yearly benchmark for my fitness level. I had been running since I was 35, which is when I read “Aerobics” by Kenneth Cooper.

What are the different goals you set for yourself over the years?

My goals have varied over the years. In three of them, I trained for marathons. In the first one, I  quit after 19 miles when my hands and arms went numb. In the second, I quit after six hours because I kept getting dizzy and had to lie down about every 100 yards. I completed (yay!) the third one (the San Francisco marathon) in four hours and 43 minutes when I was 50. Otherwise, my yearly goal is to perform at least as well in the annual HIP fitness test as the previous year. The test provides good motivation for maintaining my fitness.

How has aging impacted the process?

I’ve found that, even with diligent training, aging takes its toll. I’m 77 and I’ve noticed that my energy level has been gradually decreasing, especially in the last few years. This is true not only for running, but also for chores like cleaning the windows of our vehicles and volunteering at the church. For instance, today I bowled for several hours in the morning, played 18 holes of golf in the afternoon (walking with a push cart) and then came home and took a nap in my recliner. A few years ago, I would have fixed something or done some other chore after golf instead of napping.

Were there any bumps in the road?

I had rotator cuff surgery in 2012, and the recovery period interfered with my training. Also, most years there were short periods of illness along the lines of colds and flu. It’s mildly annoying to be at a desired level of fitness, become sick, and have to work back up again.

What advice would you offer to those wishing to follow in your footsteps?

If possible, pick an exercise that you enjoy; it’s much easier to stick with it. I enjoy most sports, but I like running and cycling for sustaining aerobic fitness. For upper body workouts, it is useful to have some simple apparatus at home, so it becomes unnecessary to drive to a fitness center. I have a Gold’s Gym Power Tower, on which I can do pull-ups, pushups, and dips. It also provides an anchor for the rubber band that I use for triceps, etc. I use a mat for abdominal curls, back lifts, and stretches.

What is the secret to your success?

It feels good to be fit. It’s nice to be able to move tables at church, lug ladders around, go skiing, play ping pong, play frisbee with my grandchildren. Unfit people miss out on many of life’s pleasures, including the pleasure of knowing that you can handle most of the physical demands that living makes upon you.

One thing that helps me maintain my fitness level is the desire to do well on the annual fitness test. For instance, this year, knowing that I was going to be on a cruise for three weeks, I worked hard to be fit before I went, because I seem unable to maintain any exercise schedule while traveling. I was unable to take the fitness test before I left, but apparently I didn’t lose too much on the trip, since I did well after I got back. Of course, I did some snorkeling and walking on our vacation, so I wasn’t completely sedentary. I guess if I didn’t have HIP, I’d have to devise my own annual fitness test as a motivation.

Any final thoughts?

I think HIP is a great benefit to the Stanford community, and I hope it continues its good work. I appreciate my long relationship with it. Is there such a thing as Participant Emeritus?

Julie Anderson, Health Improvement Program, on her long-standing professional relationship with John:

“John has been a faithful participant in the HIP Health & Fitness Assessment Program for the past 21 years and I’ve had the privilege of conducting 19 of his 21 assessments. He has been able to keep up his excellent fitness level into his retirement years because of his commitment to an active lifestyle. His traveling always includes some type of activity. He has a fitness routine that he sticks to consistently at home. He’s always enjoyed activities outside his home that provided social support like a bowling league, golf, skiing or mountain biking with his son-in-law and other friends. He always wants to do better every year; for the abdominal assessment, he increased from 100 sit-ups last year to 110 this year. The average for his age group is 14! John is an excellent picture of what a healthy retirement can look like.”