Her weights may be light, but her results are anything but.
For 99-year-old Shirley Goldman, heading to the gym to lift three-pound dumbbells almost every day is non-negotiable—it’s her way of feeling her best, even as she nears a full century of life.
Her doctor has certainly noticed, and encourages her to keep doing exactly what she’s doing.
So what’s her secret to staying active as she approaches centenarian status? The Post took a closer look.
99-year-old Shirley Goldman has stayed active in one way or another her entire life—and she’s still working out nearly every day.
Almost every morning, the great-grandmother wakes up at 5:30 a.m. on the dot, gets dressed, eats a pre-workout snack, and heads down to the gym at Encore Luxury Living in Jericho, New York.
She starts each session with cardio, either walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike for about 20 minutes to warm up her muscles and support cardiovascular health.
“I go about five or six times a week on my machines,” Goldman told The Post. “It makes me feel energized for the day, and it gives me something to look forward to each day.”
For her, fitness isn’t just about feeling good—it’s also about looking good. Before she lifts a weight, she puts on her makeup, sticking to her personal motto: “Powder and paint make a woman what she ain’t.”
Working with a certified fitness trainer at the luxury senior residence, she then moves on to light strength training, using three- to four-pound dumbbells for upper-body exercises, typically doing three sets of 10 reps.
She also uses resistance equipment, including a band machine she pulls with her arms, along with other weight-based exercises designed to support strength and mobility.
Goldman takes her time on each machine, focusing on proper form rather than speed to make sure she’s fully engaging her muscles.
In addition to her gym routine, she meets with a physical therapist twice a week to work on balance—an important factor in maintaining nerve, bone, and muscle strength that naturally declines with age.
Waking up at 5:30 a.m., Goldman works closely with a trainer at the gym in her senior luxury living apartment community.
Poor balance doesn’t just limit mobility—it can also increase the risk of falls, a serious health concern for middle-aged and older adults that can lead to significant injury.
She and her therapist focus on stretching routines and use massage guns, a recovery tool shown to help increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and improve range of motion after workouts.
Consistently active through the years
Even as she approaches her 100th birthday this November, Goldman simply doesn’t like to sit still.
Before moving to Long Island, she spent nearly 30 years in Florida, where she played golf, volleyball, and even tennis with her children and grandchildren—and is now a proud grandmother to 11 grandkids.
While she no longer plays sports as often, she remains an enthusiastic supporter, attending as many of her family’s games and events as she can.
Movement has been a constant throughout her life. From childhood, she was always active—running in the streets and playing catch or basketball at school.
“Even when I was a little child, I would play basketball,” she said. “I was always busy and very active, I loved it.”
She does admit there was one gym mishap: while walking on a treadmill a little too confidently, she misstepped, landed awkwardly, and injured her hip about a year ago.
“Everybody [here] looks for the chairs with the arms. I sit without arms, straight up. I don’t need them.”
Shirley Goldman
She simply adjusted her routine during recovery, focusing on the stationary bike to keep up her cardio while she healed.
But beyond that brief setback, Goldman has rarely taken a break from exercise—only skipping a session occasionally if she has a headache or a friend calls her away.
Otherwise, she describes herself as a true busybody and says she honestly doesn’t dislike getting movement in, no matter the form it takes.
“It makes me feel energized for the day, and it gives me something to look forward to,” Goldman said of her routine.
“All my life I’ve enjoyed [exercise],” she added. “I look forward to it constantly, every day. I’m overall keeping busy, and happy, and it’s great.”
Experts say her consistent movement may be a key factor in her longevity. Physical activity across the lifespan—especially in older age—has been linked to improved cardiovascular health, stronger bones, better cognitive function, and a reduced risk of premature death.
Another unexpected benefit of her lifelong commitment to exercise is her posture, something Goldman says she’s maintained since childhood.
“My teacher used to have me walk around and show the children how straight my back was,” she recalled. “Everybody [here] looks for the chairs with the arms. I sit without arms, straight up. I don’t need them.”
Movement has always been a part of Goldman’s life—she played basketball as a child and has never been one to sit still.
While posture may seem like a small detail, experts note that the effects of poor posture can often be felt immediately through muscle tension, fatigue, and misaligned joints.
Over time, slouched sitting can also impact long-term health in surprising ways, potentially leading to permanent structural changes in the spine and its supporting muscles, which may contribute to chronic pain and degenerative conditions.
More than physical gains
Despite spending her life staying active, Goldman says she doesn’t work out solely for physical health—she also experiences strong emotional and mental benefits, describing a sense of pride and accomplishment after each gym session.
“I feel very good about myself,” she said. “I feel like a new person, and I feel alive.”
She also credits part of her longevity to her diet, saying she watches what she eats and focuses on fruits and vegetables, along with eggs for breakfast after her workouts.
To her fellow seniors, she strongly encourages picking up light weights and staying active, emphasizing both the physical and mental benefits.
“Keep active, be busy, don’t be afraid to try new things,” she said. “And it’s good for your mind.”
While her current goal is simply to reach 100, Goldman says she has no complaints and is grateful to keep moving.
“I’m in good condition and I’m in good health,” she said. “I cannot and will not be without exercise, as long as God gives me time.”
