Barb hadn’t always enjoyed running, “but I enjoy living,” she says. “I knew running would help me maintain my health, so I began walking and worked my way up to running.”

Starting simple

“I really only started walking in the last six years or so,” Barb says. “It was during the winter when I started doing simple exercise videos, and they would tell me how far I walked. When spring came, I got out and started walking every day. I just made a very consistent effort to walk 15 or 20 minutes after I got home from work.”

With a little effort and consistency, Barb began to see changes. “I was so pleased. I dropped four dress sizes and about 20 pounds just from these simple workouts and walking.”

Next Steps

Barb and her husband, Mike, made another health change that has made a big difference for them: they started working with Kettering Health cardiologist Harvey Hahn, MD, for preventive care.

“My dad had six heart bypasses in his 60s. When I was getting to that age, the lightbulb went off that I needed to take care of my health. Being a nurse, I know how important preventive care is. Mike and I were both being treated for high blood pressure, and we wanted to be in the care of a cardiologist.”

A fellow runner, Dr. Hahn has been one of Barb’s biggest supporters. After running her first half marathon at age 62, Barb entered a SilverSneakers contest and was named the national SilverSneakers Swanson Award winner, which honors a SilverSneakers member who has made a difference in their own life through their dedication to health and has been an inspiration for others.

“She really is the poster child for good health,” says Dr. Hahn. “She eats right, exercises regularly, and works with her doctors. Since she’s started running, she actually gets people to come out of their houses and run with her.”

“Since I’ve retired, I think that I look at aging differently,” Barb says. “And now that I see all the different opportunities that I have, I don’t want to slow down.”