NAPLES, Fla -- Lifting weights, and inspiring others while he does it at the age of 96, talk about amazing. Richard Neiss has been hitting the gym twice a week and loving every minute of it, and he started his workout journey at 80 years old.
Neiss says it was his daughter who got him hooked on lifting weights. "She said daddy, you can’t just retire, you have to stay active, and so I did.
Neiss says he struggles with the neuropathy in his legs, but he pushes through it. He says a big reason for that push is his wife, Ann, of 68 years who he attended the gym with twice a week. Although she died five years ago at the age of 92, he says a regular gym schedule can lead to a long life.
"Keep active, don’t give up. Cause once you give up, it won’t be long," Neiss said.
Neiss spends his time at Addicted to Fitness, in Naples, and you'll always find his trainer and owner of Addicted to Fitness, Jon Bates, right by his side. He's trained Neiss for 16 years.
"Dick has anyways been there, been consistent. Always up, always happy, always positive," Bates said. Over the years the two have developed more than a working relationship, it's a bond. Bates says Neiss is "sharp as a tack," and "one of kind," because he's so dedicated to fitness.
"Not only from a physical standpoint, but here Dick at 96 is mentally sharp as a tack. There are so many studies that show the benefits of exercise to ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s," Bates said.
The 96-year-old has inspired so many, to just keep, moving, no matter what age.
"It’s much better that they feel you’re an inspiration rather than the other way around, I started at 80 years old, you gotta know it was never too late," Neiss said.
