Training program whips 80-year-old into shape

View larger image Joe Sackett, 80, uses a resistance machine to strengthen his arms at the Warren Memorial Hospital Outpatient Center in Front Royal. Sackett has lost 50 pounds since starting a diet and exercise program last year. Dennis Grundman/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image Sackett works out on a leg-lift machine under the eye of Valley Health fitness instructor Mike Mitchell. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Joe Sackett, 80, lifts at the Warren Rehabilitation, Wellness and Outpatient Center in Front Royal. Dennis Grundman/Daily

By James Heffernan-jheffernan@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL - Looking fit in a T-shirt, casual pants and snazzy suspenders, Joe Sackett flirts with some of the female staff at the Warren Memorial Hospital Outpatient Center before settling in for his midweek workout.

"I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in," the 80-year-old says, his trim white mustache curling into a smile as he begins a set of shoulder presses. Over the course of the next hour, he will use the circuit of resistance machines to tone and strengthen the major muscle groups in his body.

Sackett has reason to feel good these days. Through a combination of diet, exercise and weight training in consultation with Valley Health fitness instructor Mike Mitchell, he has shed 50 pounds.

"I've gone from a tight [size] 48 [pants] to a loose 42," he says. "I had to buy suspenders."
Not bad for someone who had never set foot in a gym before last January.

Since retiring 10 years ago and handing over his automotive repair business on North Royal Avenue to his son, Sackett has stayed active, splitting wood and performing other chores at his Warren County home. He still stops by the shop every day to say hello and check up on things.

But by December 2009, Sackett was carrying a few extra pounds around the middle, so he decided to attend an open house for the outpatient center's pilot "New Year, New You" program.

"One of the girls convinced me," he says.

Asked if he was nervous about starting a fitness regimen at a time when many men his age are confined to a rocking chair, or even a nursing home, Sackett replies, "At my age, I don't get nervous. It's the best time of my life."

The fitness program at WMH begins with a personalized assessment of cardiovascular capacity, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility, as well as resting blood pressure and heart rate.

Mitchell, 25, a sports clinician who played football at Warren County High School and later at Shepherd University, then tailored a weight-loss program for Sackett that included one-hour workouts three days a week and a change in diet.

"I stay off the sugar, the salt and the fat now," Sackett says. "I try to eat right."

That means eating his biggest meal in the middle of the day, and a light dinner rich in fruits and vegetables.

The discipline and hard work has paid off. Sackett lost 30 pounds in the first three months -- and he's not done.

"I felt good before, but I feel better now," he says.

In addition to personal training sessions, the WMH Outpatient Center offers orthopedic care, massage therapy and rehabilitation services. It's also home to WMH's Fit for Surgery program, designed to help improve a patient's fitness level and increase muscle strength prior to elective surgery, which may result in faster recovery times.

The atmosphere is friendly and encouraging. Mitchell's clients range from athletes to bariatric patients, young professionals to seniors.

"Mike's a good trainer," Sackett says. "He got me started, and he's stayed with me."

Mitchell is quick to return the compliment.

"Joe's a great success story," he says, adding, "He has such a good outlook on life. He's proof that it's never too late to get in shape."

For more information on the fitness program at Warren Memorial Hospital's Outpatient Center, visit www.valleyhealthlink.com or call 635-0730.