Retired Supply Chain Manager
Home base: Woodstock
Family life: Married to MiJa, two kids, five grandchildren, one grand-dog.
Work life: Retired Supply Chain Manager
Age: 70
Mike Lawson spent his career first as a production supervisor and then as a supply chain manager for an automotive manufacturing plant which required him to stand and walk for up to ten hours a day. “Physical activity was ingrained in my daily life,” says Mike. “Now that I’m retired, I can’t sit down for long. I have a compulsion to be active.”
Mike walks three to four times a week for up to an hour, golfs once a week, lifts weights and uses the elliptical at the gym, does yard work and stays active with cabinet-making. He has rheumatoid arthritis and says that staying active helps keep his joints loose and feeling better.
When did being active become important to you?
“I quit smoking when I was 35 years old and gained a lot of weight. I decided I couldn’t live with the extra weight and stress, so I started walking after work for a mile. I worked my way up to running three miles. I ran three miles a day five to six days a week for 20 years. Finally, I had to stop because of knee and hip problems, and by then I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I had to learn to do things differently and now I stay active through walking, golfing and lifting weights.”
What time of day do you walk?
“Any time I have free, I’ll go for a walk. When I’m stressed, I have to take a walk. Even at midday when it’s boiling hot in Georgia, I don’t mind going outside for a walk. I have one, two and three-mile long routes that I switch between depending on my energy level and how much time I have available. We watch our grand-dog often and I take her for walks a few times a day.”
Who’s your fitness tribe?
“I have a group of friends who I golf with every week. My wife walks with me and we enjoy walking the trails in Woodstock. I try to keep up with my grandkids. We go swimming, play in the backyard, and vacation together where we go on hikes and walks — we walked ten miles a day at Disney World!”
Top 3 ideas to get your steps in:
- Choose fun activities, like golfing with friends.
- Yard work.
- Enjoy the outdoors with family and friends by taking a walk.
QUICK TAKES
Favorite post-workout snack: Back when I was younger, it was Miller Highlife. Now I just drink lots of water after a workout.
Favorite workout song: I don’t listen to music. I prefer to listen to the sounds of nature and have time to think.
Favorite walking shoe: New Balance
