Living a Healthy Lifestyle at 96
This Second World War Veteran has placed Puerto Rico’s name in the high ranks of Body Building competition. He came in 2nd Place in his category in the 1950 Central American Olympic Games.
When you meet a 96-year-old Veteran with such passion for life it tends spark something inside your soul that ignites appreciation and gratitude. Victor M. Rodriguez is full of life and energy, when you speak to him for just a short period of time his instincts of mentoring you for a healthy lifestyle seem to be his nature. This Second World War Veteran has placed Puerto Rico’s name in the high ranks of Body Building competition. He came in 2nd Place in his category in the 1950 Central American Olympic Games in Guatemala and continued to compete for 10 years in New York bring home multiple 1st place medals and trophies. Mr. Rodriguez legacy is bringing the first honors of this sport to his home country.
Mr. Rodriguez lives with his daughter and caregiver who is a very important part of his healthy lifestyle. Since Victor is so enthusiastic and passionate about mentoring others to live well, we asked him for 5 tips to Living Healthy at 96.
Below “Don” Victor gives us a recipe of how to have a healthy mind, body and soul!
1. Make spirituality and family your number one priorities in life.
“For me the most important part of life is having good moral values, spirituality and a healthy relationship with my family, then sports. Without sports my life would not be complete”
2. Have a daily routine and get 6-7 hours of good sleep every day.
“I have a morning routine, my wakeup time is at 6:00am, I take my vitamins and meds with water, then I lift weights and exercise for 30 mins, afterward I take a shower, shave and get ready for breakfast”.
3. Watch what you put into your body; your well-being depends on your food intake.
“Breakfast is the most important meal for me, I always have 1 egg, ½ cup of Oatmeal, 1 piece of Raisin Bread with peanut butter and Green Juice. My lunch is stronger, I eat foods like rice, beans, vegetables, chicken, fish or turkey. I always have salads with green leafy vegetables in my meals. Dinner is my lightest food like soups with chicken. I grow plantains, bananas and other vegetables, so I enjoy making these foods part of my dinner activities. One of my favorite things to cook is fried plantains “tostones” with my daughter”.
4. Make time for family and activities you love.
“I spend lots of time with my daughter, she is my caregiver and friend. We play dominoes, checkers, tabletop games and pool time is awesome. My Favorite time with my daughter is when she takes me out to ride my jeep, I can’t drive anymore, so I purchased the jeep I always wanted, and we love going on road trips with it”.
5. Stay active, your mind and body need to work to function well, I stay away from negativity.
“I keep my body and mind occupied; I believe it’s the key to staying healthy. I have an indoor stationary bike and weights that I use daily instead of sitting around. I keep busy with many activities like caring for my bonsai trees, washing my jeep and gardening.