donald Howard isn’t your typical 62-year-old. With biceps like a Roman gladiator and shoulders like The Rock, this bodybuilding-grandpa looks as if he pumps iron in his sleep.
I’ve been exercising for 50 years. I started at 12. I’m 62 now.
But after years of pushing his body to the limit with infinite reps and sets, this New York Hercules hurt so bad that simply reaching down to tie his shoelaces became a Sisyphean task.
I just woke up one morning, and every time I bent down, I was feeling this excruciating pain.
Hoping he hadn’t lifted his last weight, Donald made an appointment with spinal surgeon Dr. Woojin Cho at Montefiore’s Department of Orthopedics.
...and when we got our MRI, we found multiple disk degeneration with spinal stenosis.
Dr. Cho
The surgery was a success, but Donald had to wait eight long months before returning to the gym. During that time, his hard-earned physique began to fade away.
I just started going full blast.
Our body is a kind of machine, so if you don’t use it, it’s going to become rusty.
Today, Donald once again looks like he was carved out of granite and is back holding court as the honorary mayor of his local gym.
I feel like a million dollars. I pop up like breakfast toast every morning.