There’s no excuse for skipping the gym when America’s veterans are still getting after it.
David Scott, a 95-year-old World War II veteran from Dover, New Hampshire, still works out at his local Planet Fitness every week.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Scott emphasized the importance of exercising regularly and taking advantage of the ability to move your body.
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“It makes me feel good,” he said. “Like I’m in control of my body and my muscles understand that I’m in control.”
Current-day David Scott is pictured on a hike (left) next to a headshot of a younger Scott (right). (David Scott)
Every other day, Scott completes a 30-minute, full-body workout at Planet Fitness, using a series of machines to target his shoulders, legs and stomach.
The veteran’s advice to younger 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 if you do it,” he said. “It helps your balance as well as your muscle tone.”
In 1945, Scott joined the U.S. Army at 17 years old, just one day before WWII came to an end.
Scott has enjoyed hiking through Colorado’s mountains and running along its rivers, he said. (David Scott)
He has fond memories of his time at Fort Dix in New Jersey, noting that he served with a “very tough group.”
“And a very, very friendly group,” he said. “I enjoyed it very much.”
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With his G.I. Bill benefits, Scott attended Harvard University, where he studied philosophy and joined the wrestling team.
Growing up, Scott played baseball, but the Harvard wrestling team is where he thrived and gained his varsity letter.
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“I wrestled the captains of the Princeton team and the Yale team,” he said. “I lost both, but I had the Yale captain in a pinning hold … He won just by an inch.”
David Scott, pictured, wrestled for Harvard University. (David Scott)
Scott also stayed active through a series of jobs, including with his local sewer department, before moving to Denver, Colorado, where he worked as an accountant on a construction project.
But he most enjoyed hiking through Colorado’s mountains and running along its rivers.
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“I thought, ‘I’m going to live another 30 years, or 40 years, and I might as well enjoy life,’” he said. “Colorado is a beautiful place.”
While Scott sees staying active as key to living a healthy and meaningful life, he also credits his longevity to his marriage to wife Lydia Vergani, who he met on a ski trip in Milan in 1961.
David Scott is pictured with his wife, Lydia Vergani. The two have been married for 62 years. (David Scott)
Vergani, an Italian skier who qualified for the Olympics, was “much faster” at skiing than Scott was – and he confirmed it was love at first sight.
“She was very friendly,” he said. “She was very athletic.”
The two were engaged two weeks later, when Scott was 33 and Vergani was 24, and they got married in September 1962.
“We had so much in common,” Vergani told Fox News Digital. “A love for opera and adventure.”
Throughout 62 years of marriage, the couple has stayed active together through hiking and walking, Scott said.
