Exercise Keeps Harley Hopping

Harley Ransom, 97, proved he was up to the challenge when the leader of his exercise group at Meth-Wick, a retirement community in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, called in sick. He took over and put the group through its paces the morning of Oct. 21 - his 97th birthday. (See today's Ramblin' column in The Gazette.)

"She called me and I'd done this before,"  Harley says. "But it was different this time. It was my birthday."

Circling arms in place, doing squats with a chair as backup and marching in place is not what you'd call a strenuous workout. But, for senior citizens, a  half hour of this exercise three times a week keeps them feeling young.

""When I go to play golf in Arizona in the winter, I don't have any soreness," Harley says. "I attribute that to my exercises."

The exercise program began at Meth-Wick 13 years ago after Harley and his late wife, Laura, moved in after living in Belle Plaine, Iowa, from 1972 to 1996. (Harley, who was born in nearby Blairstown, managed the Me Too grocery store in Belle Plaine until retiring in 1977.)

At that time everyone gathered to watch an exercise tape. About three years ago they teamed up with St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids to have a live instructor, which Harley says works better and encourages more people to participate. It's not unusual to see at least 20 people on any given day. (The photo below was taken in 2007.)

Leading exercises wasn't new to Harley even when he stepped in the first time. As an officer in the Army during World War II (he was discharged as a major), one of Harley's first duties was to lead calisthenics.

And, even today, Harley will do additional exercises on his own, often using his 2-pound or 5-pound weights to increase the resistence in moving his arms. But, he's quick to point out he's not trying to build a strong body, just trying to keep the one he's got limber.

Despite having diabetes and going through treatment for bladder cancer (6 chemo and 36 radiation sessions), Harley says he feels great for 97.

"This hasn't slowed me up too much," he says. "The fatigue level is up a little. But, if it was a 10 before, it's now a seven."