Meet William Lee. He’s one of the 2024 Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes, and he’ll be sharing updates on his health and wellness journey through the rest of this year. William, age 66, has been connected to physical fitness since his military days, but a major health scare during his second career served as a serious wake-up call. Today, William is rededicating himself to exercise, and redefining the narratives surrounding older adults and strength.

My fitness journey began while I was serving in the U.S. Army. I was selected to attend Soldier Physical Fitness Academy (Master Fitness Trainer Course) at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. The course was mostly classroom work, learning about the body and how different muscle groups function and how to build them — with and without weights, and through cardio training. After graduating the course, I returned to the unit and trained and led hundreds of soldiers in fitness and nutrition, daily workout sessions, and preparation to take the Army’s physical fitness test.

Delivery, Discovery…

When I retired from the Army, I began working for the U.S. Postal Service as a City Mail Carrier. In 2003, having not worked out consistently for several years, I became sick while delivering mail on my route one day. I stopped at a doctor’s office, and he checked my blood pressure: it was 200/103, which was extremely high, and the doctor informed me that I had stage 4 kidney disease. I immediately started working out daily again, and it truly saved my life.

I immediately started working out daily again, and it truly saved my life.

My message — and what I would like to share with the Senior Planet community and all older adults — is the importance of staying active and maintaining flexibility as we age.

As we get older, it becomes even more crucial to prioritize our health and well-being. Incorporating regular exercise into our routines can have a significant impact on our overall quality of life.

Invest in Yourselves – No Limits!

Through a combination of strength training, cardio exercises, and flexibility workouts, we can build and maintain muscle mass, improve our cardiovascular health, and increase range of motion to prevent injuries and enhance our mobility. With dedication and commitment, we can achieve our fitness goals and enjoy a healthy, vibrant lifestyle.

There’s nothing that we can’t do when we stay active and invest into our fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness.

My fitness motto is: “The older we get, the better we should get physically.” There’s nothing that we can’t do when we stay active and invest into our fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness. Today, I explore each of these topics through my fitness channel on YouTube: youtube.com/@MasterFitness-WLee.

I hope you’ll check out my videos for motivational messages, inspiration, and helpful resources on improving your physical and mental health. I want to pursue my passions and continue making my fitness videos to hopefully show that us seniors can get in shape and live an active life. No Limits!

Stronger Together

I look forward to getting to know the Senior Planet community better at my upcoming virtual presentation on Wednesday, March 27 at 1:30pm EDT: Full Body Flexibility and Muscle Growth. During this session, I will be demonstrating a series of stretches to help you get limber, increase your strength, and decrease the risk of injury. I hope to see you online!

In need of a little motivation to get moving? Join our daily health and wellness programs, stay tuned to the latest news and articles from SeniorPlanet.org by signing up for The Orbit weekly newsletter, and follow us on social media (Facebook | YouTube | Instagram) to get to know these awe-inspiring athletes. You might just find a new love for fitness along the way!