Yahoo Lifestyle ‘I’m 69 and In the Best Shape of My Life—This Is the Exact Workout Routine I Swear By’
Cindy Dreibelbis played various sports growing up: gymnastics, volleyball, softball, downhill skiing and more. And yet, feeling fit didn’t “hit” for her until now.
“For the first time, I truly feel like an athlete,” says the 69-year-old from Berea, Ohio. After retiring, Dreibelbis picked up pickleball, a sport that’s rising in popularity. She says it’s completely changed her life. “I haven’t looked back since,” she adds.
Related: What is Pickleball and Why is it So Popular In the U.S. Right Now? Here’s 10 Facts
Dreibelbis now plays competitively, participating in tournaments. This past year, she achieved a major milestone: her first gold medal at the Michigan Senior Olympics. How incredible is that?!
Dreibelbis has faced some obstacles, but she’s pushed through them. “Despite facing major injuries along the way, staying active and committed to my fitness routine has been key to my recovery and has allowed me to return to performing at a high level,” she says.
🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊
For her, staying fit entails various types of workouts, which she shares below.
Cindy’s Dreibelbis’s Workout Routine
Dreibelbis plays pickleball about five days a week, and she engages in lots of other physical activities, too. She added water aerobics to her routine, for example, and engages in additional exercises that strengthen her legs, arms, shoulders and core as needed. (Typically three sets of 12 reps, she says.)
Additionally, Dreibelbis uses Train100, a program tailored to older pickleball players. It includes four weekly weight-training workouts, plus agility training, to improve footwork. Each session builds on the last, so you feel like you’re growing and improving.
She’s happy with the results, too. “This progressive approach has really helped my muscle memory and on-court performance—especially my backhand,” Dreibelbis says.
To break down the specifics of her workout a bit more:
The weight-training program includes four 30-minute workouts a week, along with agility training.
It prescribes three to four sets of each exercise, with varying reps and weights.
Lower body exercises include squats, lunges, single-leg deadlifts and heel raises.
Upper body and core workouts focus on bent rows, overhead presses and Pallof presses.
What Cindy Dreibelbis Encourages Other Senior Citizens
Related: ‘I’m 73 and In the Best Shape of My Life—This Is the Exact Workout Routine I Swear By’
As easy as Dreibelbis makes it sound, starting a workout routine can be hard. Getting motivated, knowing what you’d like to do and can do, finding space for it…it’s not necessarily simple. But Dreibelbis urges people to not wait, saying the process doesn’t have to be some complicated, thought-out thing.
“The most important step is the first one: Just get off the couch and start moving,” she says.
From there, you’ve got lots of options: walking, group fitness classes for older adults, and physical activities you or your friends enjoy, she continues. Just move!
It’s never too late to start moving and enjoying the rewards of an active lifestyle,” Dreibelbis adds. “Every step you take brings you closer to better health, well-being and living your best life.”
Up Next:
Related: Don't Sweat It! These 101 Best Fitness and Workout Quotes Will Keep You Motivated
Sources
Cindy Dreibelbis, a 69-year-old woman from Ohio
