Jack Lowe interview in Ageist Magazine
by David Stewart, July 22, 2021
For Jack Lowe, fitness and health had been a huge part of his life. Then one day in 2013, without any warning, he collapsed in pain, completely immobilized. His mind raced — was this to be the end? Would he ever walk again? Insistent investigation on his part yielded a diagnosis of acute spinal stenosis. His condition needed immediate attention or the result would be a permanent disability. Surgery and rehabilitation allowed him to walk again, slowly at first, then more deliberate with time.
As he was recovering, what struck him most was the prejudice associated with his age. He was up against the common belief that after a certain age there is very little effect that one can have on one’s body. In his seventies, he set out to prove how wrong that belief was. As he grew stronger, there were two things that struck him. First, that surprisingly few people his age shared his desire to stay fit. Secondly, that these widespread opinions on fitness at his age were not only misguided but harmful. He knew that the human body was an incredible thing that could bounce back from nearly everything if the correct effort was made. He made it his mission via founding the Fit For Life Foundation, to bring this message to others. The Fit For Life Foundation’s statement of purpose is “improving the quality of life of older people in aging societies worldwide by supporting life-long fitness and independent mobility. For a world where everyone can stay active and healthy, regardless of age.”