Judy Aw, 74, climbs three times a week at Sportrock Alexandria, an Indoor gym. Aw, who started rock climbing 20 years ago on a whim, now teaches others who are 55 and over. Photo by Owen Clark

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Judy Aw tried rock climbing 25 years ago on a whim. Her gym had added an indoor climbing wall, and when she reached the top, she was hooked.

“It was such a high,” said Aw, now 74. “It’s a full-body experience — It’s not just physical, it’s the mental part of it, too. I’ve been climbing ever since.”

Last year Aw formed a group for climbers over age 55. They meet every Wednesday at Sportrock Alexandria to cheer each other on, calling themselves The Golden Heights. “They can relate to me,” she said. “I’m not someone in my 20s teaching them to climb.”

She also volunteers with a climbing group for people with Parkinson’s disease, Up Ending Parkinsons. Its members report that rock climbing improves their symptoms.

“It’s amazing how they can make these big movements. They may be shaking, but when they’re on the wall, it’s like a miracle,” Aw said.

Despite the cold temperatures, Aw and other athletes over 50 are committed to exercising through the winter. From indoor pickleball to swimming, local elders find that regular exercise with others enhances — and may extend — their lives.

What the science says

When we hit age 40, our metabolism slows down, and we begin to lose muscle mass at a rate of 3% to 8% each decade.

“Not only do we lose muscle mass, but we lose it faster when we stop working out,” said Dr. Gary Kaplan, medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. “So, you have to be really religious about maintaining your exercises, both aerobic and strength training,” he said, even during the winter.

Exercise is good for the brain, too, and may prevent neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.

“Aerobic exercise is probably one of the best anti-inflammatories for the brain,” Kaplan said.

Most of all, a sport can give retirees a sense of camaraderie.

“The number-one factor that predicts longevity is community,” Kaplan said. “Being among others, having friends or being involved in team sports is a good thing.”

That fellowship is what keeps Arlington rock climber Doug Chism, 54, coming back to the climbing gym.

“Pretty much all my friends now are climbers, and I have more friends now than I’ve ever had in my whole life,” he said. “You don’t only want to go to the gym to exercise; you also want to go to hang out with your friends.”

Keeping strong with kettlebells

John Kalil, 84, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, discovered CrossFit and kettlebell workouts 20 years ago, thanks to his son.

“We were jumping up on boxes, doing pull-ups. I was so sore I didn’t want to go back,” he said, “but I went back.”

After he learned to swing kettlebells (round weights with handles) and follow the workouts (rowing, jumping and even crawling), Kalil went from 210 pounds to 165 pounds, and his blood pressure and A1C dropped.

Although he had been athletic throughout his life, this type of strength training transformed him.

“I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been. This probably added 15 years to my life,” he said.

Kalil started coaching others, and five years ago he retrofitted his garage into a fully equipped gym to launch his business, JB Fitness. Today he teaches 30-40 one-hour sessions a week, one-on-one with his 25 clients, one of whom is 89 years old.

One woman protested when it was time to do floor exercises. “She said, ‘John, I haven’t been on the floor in two years,’” he remembered. It didn’t take long for her to become stronger and more flexible.

“I’m 84 years old, and I don’t sit on my butt. I stay in shape because I want them to see that it doesn’t take much for the body to recover,” he said. “I do the exercises myself, so I’m aware of how much they can do.”

Zumba Gold

Another teacher who exercises alongside her classes is Ruth Barnes, 51, a longtime Zumba and Zumba Gold instructor in Washington, D.C.

Designed for beginners and older adults, Zumba Gold is a low-impact, cardiovascular dance class. The “Gold” classes are a little slower than regular Zumba, Barnes explained. There are no jumps and fewer turns, she said, “to avoid dizziness. But it’s still an active workout.”

Her popular (and often free) classes, offered through the D.C. Public Library and Around Town DC, focus on balance, flexibility and strength. People in their 60s, 70s and 80s attend her classes.

Dancing, which requires coordination and strength, may be a fountain of youth; after all, it helped Fred Astaire live to age 88.

“The good thing about dance is it gives you a chance to move your whole body in a variety of ways,” Barnes said. “Keeping strong legs means you have a better chance of aging well and being able to care for yourself.”

The peppy music keeps people moving, too, she said — “a little salsa, a little merengue. We also mix in a little disco, flamenco, some line dance. It’s mostly international music, with a little bit of R&B.”

Beginners are welcome, and classmates cheer them on, Barnes said. “It’s a very supportive, lighthearted group.”

That supportive kinship shows up at the climbing gym, too, Aw said.

“It’s the only activity [where] you are working with a partner, but you’re not competing against each other; you’re helping each other. You’re helping each other be better.”

Of course, not everyone wants to climb, dance or swing kettlebells. Dr. Kaplan says that walking, particularly indoors in the winter months, is an effective way to stay active.

“Walking is actually as good as many other forms of aerobics,”  he said.

Whatever you choose to do, try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day, and don’t hurt yourself, he emphasized.

“Pay attention to your own body. Start low, go slow and progressively build your capacity.”

Where to find 55+ programs

Check local libraries, rec centers and senior centers for classes near you. People over 65 are eligible for SilverSneakers, which means Medicare partially pays for gym memberships.

Like Sportrock Alexandria, which hosts The Golden Heights classes, other private gyms, such as Life Time in Fairfax, offer special programs and classes for people over 55. Life Time’s program, called ARORA, includes Pilates, yoga and dance classes that focus on balance and other age-specific concerns.