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At 106, Eddie Biggar credits regular movement with helping him preserve his mobility, strength and independence.
Biggar, a resident of Sunrise at Reston Town Center, works out in the community’s gym once or twice a week. He views exercise as preparation, keeping his muscles strong enough to respond when he needs them—especially during an emergency.
“The more you move, the more your body stays with you,” Biggar said. “They are there to help me keep myself out of trouble.”
Remaining seated for too long is not part of his plan.
“If I sit, all I do is get broad. Yes, broad, that is as neat as I can put it,” he said.
Summer heat and bright sunlight, which bothers his eyes, can restrict Biggar’s outdoor walks. Instead of abandoning his routine, he finds ways to stay active indoors, including walking through the building and climbing stairs.
A stairway near his room leads toward the third floor. Biggar has not reached the top yet, but he has moved beyond the second-floor landing and completed the first of the two sections above it.
His approach to healthy aging is straightforward: keep moving, adapt when conditions change and exercise carefully.
“You have to get up every day and put one foot in front of the other,” Biggar said. “But you have to do it right because if you do it wrong, you can wind up on the ground.”