Lee Bender

Thirteen years ago, Lee Bender of West Chicago was thinking of killing himself.  At 67, he weighed nearly 300 pounds, and suffered near constant pain from gout.

“The specialists at a pain clinic told me there was no hope, Bender said.  “My body was filled with arthritis, and my wife had passed away, too.  So I began saving up Valiums.  I had over 100.”

However, something caused Bender to reconsider his options.  “I knew that I could choose to be a dead man, but I decided to stick around and try to do some things.”

To begin with, Bender began researching ways to reverse the effects that aging and disease had on his body.  “I studied nutrition and I also realized that you’ve got to strength train to keep your muscles and bones strong.  Nutrition alone isn’t enough,” he said.

Bender applied his new knowledge to himself with a vengeance, and at age 80, he is a man transformed.  Nearly 70 pounds lighter, Bender can sit at a weight machine and smile as he casually lifts almost 200 pounds over and over again.  His body is now arthritis-free.

Such strength would be admirable in most any 80-year-old, but it is even more remarkable given the fact that Bender was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 10 years ago.

Bender has been able to allay the symptoms of the debilitating neurological disease, such as muscle tremors and weakness, with a regimen of resistance training that emphasizes dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of repetitions to build muscle endurance.

“I’ve been able to slow it down or even reverse it,” Bender said of his Parkinson’s disease.  “My cardiologist now says I have the heart of a healthy, 40-year-old man, and I don’t get sick with the typical colds and flu.”

Bender now wants to focus his energy on helping other senior citizens become active as well.  “There is something that anyone can do,” he said.  “There are exercise bands that can be used for resistance training even while you’re seated.”

He has worked out at Cardinal Fitness Center, 2011 Franciscan Way, in West Chicago for the past year, and urges his fellow seniors to take advantage of the quality equipment and professional assistance at fitness centers if they can. He also advises them to find friends to work out with.

“Seniors should work out together in groups, so that they don’t feel intimidated or embarrassed when they walk into a gym,” Bender said.

A big obstacle for many seniors, said Bender, is mental instead of physical.  “Too many old people feel like they’re supposed to have aches and pains, and they think they are supposed to lie around. The problem is that they spend all their time sitting around and talking about their aches and pains instead of doing something.”

Bender recently remarried, and he credits his second wife, Wei Wei, with helping him remain energized.  “She’s got drive and energy,” he explained.  “She can help me put ideas into action and get things done.”

One thing Bender is planning on doing, at his doctor’s suggestion, is starting a club for seniors 80 and older.

“I’ll call it the 80 Plus Club,” he said.  “It will help people find the resources out there for them.  We want to help some people.”