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There’s no excuse for skipping the gym when America’s veterans are still hitting the gym hard.
David Scott, a 95-year-old World War II veteran from Dover, New Hampshire, still trains weekly at his local Planet Fitness.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Scott emphasized the importance of exercising regularly and utilizing your body’s ability to move.
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“You’ll feel better,” he said. “It’s like I’m in control of my body and my muscles understand that I’m in control.”
Today’s David Scott is pictured next to a photo of him hiking (left) and a photo of Scott as a young man (right). (David Scott)
Every other day at Planet Fitness, Scott does a 30-minute full-body workout using a series of machines that target his shoulders, legs, and abdominals.
A veteran’s advice for young people looking to incorporate physical activity is to “just do it” at least three times a week.
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“You’ll feel better that way,” he said. “It helps with balance as well as muscle tone.”
(In 1945, on the eve of the end of World War II, Scott joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17.
Scott enjoys hiking in the mountains of Colorado and running along rivers. (David Scott)
He has fond memories of his time at Fort Dix, New Jersey, saying he was in a “very tough group.”
“And it’s a very, very friendly group,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”
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Using his GI Bill benefits, Scott attended Harvard University, where he studied philosophy and joined the wrestling team.
Growing up, Scott played baseball, but grew up on Harvard University’s wrestling team, earning varsity eligibility.
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“I wrestled with the captains of the Princeton team and the Yale team,” he said. “I lost both, but I held the Yale captain in a pinhold…he won by a single step.”
David Scott, pictured, was a wrestler at Harvard University. (David Scott)
Scott also remained active through a series of jobs, including one at the local sewer authority, before moving to Denver, Colorado, where he worked as an accountant on construction projects.
But what he most enjoyed was hiking in Colorado’s mountains and running along rivers.
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“I thought, ‘I’m going to live another 30 or 40 years and I might as well enjoy life,'” he said. “Colorado is a beautiful place.”
While Scott believes staying active is the key to living a healthy and meaningful life, he credits his marriage to his wife, Lidia Vergani, whom he met on a ski trip in Milan in 1961, as the secret to his longevity. I also think so.
David Scott is pictured with his wife Lydia Vergani. The two have been married for 62 years. (David Scott)
Vergani, the Italian skier who qualified for the Olympics, skied “much faster” than Scott – and he admits it was love at first sight.
“She was very friendly,” he said. “She was very athletic.”
The two became engaged two weeks later, when Scott was 33 and Vergani 24, and married in September 1962.
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“We had a lot in common,” Vergani told FOX News Digital. “A love of opera and adventure.”
Scott said that throughout their 62 years of marriage, the couple has stayed active together by hiking and walking.
