When a general manager of a gym had to nominate a “Member of the Month” for January, one person immediately came to mind – 91-year-old Lloyd Black.
When Lloyd first walked into Anytime Fitness gym in Semmes, Alabama, he got curious looks from the rest of the gym-goers. How couldn’t he? First, the man had a full head of white hair.
Second, instead of the usual lightweight shirt and sweatpants, Lloyd chose to wear denim overalls for exercising. At 90 years old, he wasn’t exactly someone you would expect to see in the gym, but nothing could keep this man from staying fit and healthy.
Lloyd had been struggling to fulfill his household chores and thought exercising would help him regain his strength and reduce his body aches. So, together with his wife Mary, he joined Anytime Fitness about a year ago.
“I realized I was in bad shape,” he admitted. “I could not do simple tasks anymore. That’s what motivated me to do it.”
Once he began working out, the dedicated man began seeing results. When he first started, he would catch his breath on the treadmill and get off it after 10 minutes, too tired to even extend a minute more. But after a year, he could easily walk on it for 30 minutes and even found a way around the machine’s complicated technology.
There is one person in particular who is very proud of Lloyd’s achievements – Ashley Seaman, the general manager of the Anytime Fitness location. For January’s member of the month, she felt that Lloyd deserved her nomination.
“He’s been showing so much progress and over the past year he’s been coming faithfully three times a week or if not more like every other day. We were going into a new decade and I wanted it to be a special member of the month this time. So I felt like he would be the perfect one,” she said.
Lloyd has also been attracting attention in the gym because of his unconventional choice of exercise outfits. He wears overalls during the winter and sports work coveralls once summer arrives.
“The reason I wear them is very simple: I don’t have much hips,” he told TODAY. “If I get too active, I have trouble keeping my pants up.”
Another advantage of the jumpsuits is that they are very “comfortable and warm.”
As Lloyd’s cardiovascular abilities improved, he started doing more difficult exercises. He began weight-lifting, doing leg presses, and using some upper arm machines. Soon after, he became like a mentor to other older members.
“He’s just a friendly soul,” Ashley said. “It’s cute because he will go to the other silver sneakers, the elderly members, and he’ll show them how to use the machines.”
As a result of his hard and consistent work at the gym, Lloyd finds it easier now to mow the seven acres of grass at his house. He can also move easily and his discomfort has decreased.
Like many of us, Lloyd doesn’t exactly love going to the gym despite its benefits. However, he chooses to focus on what he gets out of it, which is why he hasn’t stopped going to the fitness center.
Since Ashley, the general manager, shared Lloyd’s member of the month honor on Facebook, the man’s story has gone viral and many people praised him for his efforts. Although it wasn’t his original intention, Lloyd is glad that he is able to inspire others.
“If it helps others, I’m glad to do it,” he said.
Watch the video below to know more about this incredible man.
When we look at Lloyd and see his sheer dedication to staying fit, we realize that there is really no excuse – if we truly want to take care of our bodies, we should do it by all means!