Age Wise

Living Proof That It’s Never Too Late to Start Exercising

Science shows what Mike Harrington knows — no matter your age, now is the time to start improving your fitness and health

Mike Harrington was sedentary until age 69. Now in his eighties, he’s a record-setting powerlifter. Photo courtesy of Kyle Wurzel.

Mike Harrington was a self-described couch potato until, at age 69 and 50 pounds beyond his high-school weight, he decided to start working out. Eight years later, he got serious about it. When I met him at the gym a couple of years ago, he was 81 years old and had just set an age-group world record for planking at 10 minutes. He had built up to that amazing level over a period of months, starting out with just a 34-second effort the first day.

Planking, though, is a mere sideshow to Harrington’s real passion.

Earlier this month, at age 83, he won his sixth Arizona state powerlifting championship, setting new state age-group records for the bench press (143 pounds), squat (183 pounds), and deadlift (286 pounds) — all adding to his national and world championships from recent years.

Harrington’s motivation?

“I started weight training at age 77 as a measure to extend my life and improve the quality of my life,” he told me after his recent win. “I consider the time and cost as an investment in my health.”