My super-fit grandparents in their 80s motivate me to exercise. My granddad can do 500 push-ups, while my nanny walks 2 hours daily.
Phil Mackenzie is a fitness influencer whose grandparents inspired him to be fit.
He says his granddad, 84, can do 500 push-ups, while his nanny, 80, walks for two hours a day.
He says he wants to stay active and set a similar example for his own children.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Phil Mackenzie, a 37-year-old fitness influencer from Burlington, a city in Ontario, Canada. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My nanny and granddad can do anything. They move the most out of everyone I've ever met. My granddad does 500 push-ups three times a week, and my nanny walks for two hours every day. I get to see how much better their lives are at 84 and 80 versus other people who can barely get out of a chair at 70.
Fitness has always been in my life, and I think my nanny and granddad are where it came from. They've inspired me, and I prioritize wanting to be strong and fit, lifting weights, and doing cardio because of those two.
My granddad has been lifting weights for 6 decades
My granddad started lifting weights way before it was mainstream. There are pictures of him in a gym when he was 18, and he's 84 now. He still lifts weights five times a week, goes on the elliptical three times a week, and walks with my nanny for two hours a day.
He's always done physical labor. He and my nanny renovated the houses I've lived in, and he helped build the house my family and I live in today. He even ran a marathon in his work boots when he was younger just to see if he could.
I started playing rugby at 13 and weightlifting at 14, which I loved because of my granddad. I saw how lifting weights led to him being confident and capable.
As much as I'd like to work out as often as my granddad, my wife and I have four boys under 7, so I like to keep my workouts short and sweet. I used to be a professional rugby player but retired at 30. I've worked out at home for the past five years.
I'll usually do 30- to 35-minute workouts four or five times a week. That's mostly weight training and a little bit of cardio, like interval sprint training. On top of that, my wife and I walk our kids to school and play tennis when we can.
I want to inspire my kids to start healthy habits — just as my grandparents inspired me
I stay fit because I want to be able to do anything for my kids. It's hard to imagine not being able to do something physical, especially as a father.
I want my kids to be inspired the same way my nanny and granddad inspired me. I think your actions speak louder than words. Every parent says they want their kids to be healthy, but I think very few are willing to show them.
I never want to pressure my kids to do sports or to work out, but they see me doing just that all the time, and kids do pick up on everything.
Recently, my youngest, Ash, was with me while I was working out. At no point did I ask him to do anything, but he just grabbed the little 5-pound weights and started copying my movements. He's only 1 ½ and he's already trying to do a dumbbell clean or dumbbell swing!
I've picked up healthy habits from my grandparents
I don't remember it, but I was watching my granddad and my nanny do all these things, just as my son watches me.
I think that's why I have such a passion for and commitment to fitness. Whether they knew it or not, my grandparents' actions have led to healthy habits I've picked up.
For example, I don't walk all the way to get my groceries, but I'll park the farthest away from the grocery-store door so we have to walk farther to go in. I'm sure that's a subconscious habit I have from Nanny.
Home cooking, too — my nanny cooks from scratch. She makes this one-pot chicken-and-vegetable curry, which is a go-to meal. And in all these years, I can't remember seeing my nanny or my granddad eat a massive plate or second portion. They only eat as much as they need.
I try to eat very similar to how they eat. My wife and I try to limit processed foods as much as possible and eat lots of protein, fiber, and vegetables.
If you want to be capable when you're older, it's about doing the little things now. People often look at fitness as all or nothing, but I think you can slowly build into it.
Maybe walking to the grocery store is way too hard right now, but you can start by parking at the end of the parking lot.
A lot of my nanny's and granddad's healthy habits are free, like walking, not drinking much, and getting enough sleep. But it's really about building lifelong habits.
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