While many people look for excuses to put off going to the gym, Father Elias Abdel Massih needs nothing more than his regular appointment with the weights. A month ago, he turned 84, yet he continues to work out three times a week, lifting 90 kilograms on the leg press machine, which uses the leg muscles to push the weight. It is a sight that might prompt many younger people to rethink their relationship with exercise.
For Father Elias, age does not seem to stand in the way of staying active. Exercise has never been a passing phase in his life, but rather a lifelong companion that has been with him for many years. He started with judo before moving on to running, taking part in two marathons and setting a record in his age group in the 400- and 800-meter races.
Today, he continues to maintain his commitment to physical activity by going to the gym three times a week, working under the supervision of his trainer and sticking to his regular exercise routine. He does not hide the fact that people at the gym are impressed when they see him lifting weights, often responding with words of encouragement and admiration. He, however, sums it up simply: he wants to stay healthy and keep doing what he has always done.
But exercise is not the only thing that fills Father Elias's day. He dedicates around seven hours a day to writing books, combining physical and mental activity, as though keeping the body and mind healthy were two sides of the same lifestyle.
As for his diet, he makes sure to keep it simple and balanced. He starts his day with milk, cornflakes, two boiled eggs and a banana. For lunch, he usually chooses just one dish, while in the evening he settles for some fruit.
Father Elias does not keep his experience to himself. Instead, he turns it into a message for younger generations, urging them not to put off exercising or wait until they grow older to recognize its importance. He also stresses the need for schools to give greater attention to physical education, arguing that just half an hour of exercise a week is not enough to instill this habit in children.
For him, life does not stop at the age stated on an identity card, nor is one's ability to stay active determined by a particular age. He continues to think, write, exercise and eat normally, seeing all of this as an essential part of maintaining his health.
At 84, Father Elias Abdel Massih is not offering young people a magic formula, but sharing an experience summed up by a simple conviction: taking care of one's health does not begin when we grow older. It is a habit we build and maintain every day.
