I'm 81 and still love going to the gym

When my family moved to Oregon from Southern California in 1974 for my husband's new job, I missed the sunshine and pools I'd enjoyed in California. When the community college where I taught offered free memberships at a new gym, I signed up expecting exercise and got much more.

Decades later, at 81, I still go every other day; it remains a key part of my health routine. The weight room is full of young people lifting weights and pounding treadmills, but the gym also includes older members. An 87-year-old woman runs stairs "because it feels good," and her 91-year-old husband keeps a steady treadmill pace.

In the pool, people of my age welcome one another and physical imperfections—surgery scars, mastectomies, even amputations—draw no stare; even those who use a lift achieve equality once buoyant. I didn't expect close friendships, yet I met Maria, an Austrian with an infectious laugh, and our casual greetings turned into daily swims.