April 20--Last June, Walt and Marilyn Lonner, ages 81 and 78, spent eight days bicycling along the Danube, covering 225 miles from Passau to Vienna. From their bike seats, they viewed tour boats plying the river and felt a little sorry for the sedentary passengers.
With their son, daughter-in-law and two teen granddaughters, they traversed the scenery under their own power, averaging 35 miles per day. The pace allowed for bird-watching, leisurely lunches and discovering local wines.
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"All the days were good!" said Marilyn. "I saw a real cuckoo in a tree. I'd never seen or heard one before. We saw storks. We crossed locks on the river, which was fun for our granddaughters."
Exercise is part of their everyday lives. At home in Bellingham, Wash., the Lonners cycle an 18-mile route twice a week or hop a ferry to pedal around nearby Lummi Island. Before the Danube trip, they took a bicycling technique class, to improve their efficiency. They take other fitness classes as well and do their own yardwork.
Walt's advice? "Stay as active as you can. No heroics. Walk if you have the knees." Peace of mind is important too. "Live within your means; pay as you go; don't depend on someone else to bail you out."
Don't get seduced by unhealthful foods, Marilyn says. Growing up in an immigrant family in the 1940s, "we couldn't afford chips or pop, so we never developed a taste for it, nor did our kids."
Model healthy habits for children and grandchildren, say Walt and Marilyn, who are preparing to go on a ski trip with extended family. After all, you'll want them to keep up with you.
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