I refuse to miss daily exercises, says 103-year-old
21 minutes ago
Qays Najm/BBC
A retired school inspector says his discipline and determination to exercise each day has allowed him to remain living in his own house as he celebrates his 103rd birthday
Ron Letheren settled in Ellingham, on the Norfolk-Suffolk border near Bungay, about 40 years ago with his late wife, after teaching across Essex and being headmaster of two schools
The centenarian, who ended his career as a senior education inspector for the Inner London Education Authority at County Hall, said he also took a “good lot of pride” in completing “complicated” online puzzles each day
The former military officer, who served in WW2, said about his exercise routine: “I won’t miss it, no matter how I feel.”
Qays Najm/BBC
Letheren said he spent 20 minutes carrying out stretching and strengthening exercises as soon as he woke up each morning
“I do quite exacting physical jerks and I strengthen my legs with one of these elastic things and pump them,” said Letheren
“I do 60 of everything – I try to wiggle my toes and lift my feet off the bed lying on my back.”
He also credited using the stairs as an important part of being able to live independently at home – although joked they were harder to climb up than step down
“It demands a personal discipline to overcome – it is a painful thing to do, but it can be done if you’re determined enough,” said Letheren
Qays Najm/BBC
He taught at schools in Pilgrims Hatch, in Brentwood, Stifford Clays in Grays and Tilbury, in Essex, before becoming a primary school inspector in Hackney and then a district inspector in Islington
After moving to Norfolk, he became the chair of governors at Ellingham Primary School and sang in the local church choir, and until recently read lessons there
Letheren said that at the age of 103 his mental agility was as important as his physical fitness and he spent “a lot of time hacking” his way through online puzzles
“The brain is like other parts of your body – it needs use to survive,” he said
“Never take a backward step – you hold on to what you’ve got.”
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