Jim Shults – 15 in 2015

// City President, Regions Bank Saline County // 30 years in Saline County

Age is just a number. If you don’t believe it, take notes from City President of Regions Bank in Saline County, Jim Shults. At the age of 59, he is fired up about fitness.

Early in 2014, after meeting a friend for lunch who had recently made changes to have a healthier life, Jim decided to make some changes to his own routine and join his friend at the gym.  “I went the first time and it was really eye opening,” he says. “I hadn’t done this time of exercise since junior high… of course I was sore but I kept going.”

That March, Jim dove head-first into a four times a week bootcamp at McClure Fitness. His wife, Sue, also joined him for their weekly routine. “I didn’t have a goal,” he says. “Let’s just start this.” Jim and his wife would weigh once a week and even attend a nutrition class hosted by the gym. “It all made sense to me,” he said. The instructor encourage them to “spread calories out, never miss breakfast, drink a lot of water, eat fruits and vegetables and take a snack at 10:30 a.m.,” he says.

“When I started, I didn’t think of myself as overweight. I’m a grandfather, you’re supposed to have some additional weight,” he says. But he was motivated to make changes once he noticed a difference in the way his clothes felt. Jim stuck with the workouts and the nutrition guidelines and went from 215 pounds to 170 pounds by the end of 2014.

Working out is now a habit for Jim, his wife and their bootcamp friends, who jokingly refer to themselves as the geriatric club. Together, they motivate one another to keep up their healthy lifestyles. “We share a camaraderie and we push each other,” he says. While Jim has tried solo exercising on the treadmill, he says he prefers going to bootcamp because of the group atmosphere and the upbeat music. “We work harder in a group,” he says.

Life is all about finding balance and maintaining his fitness helped Jim keep his balance spiritually, physically and mentally. “I think you have to be intentional about a lot of things. I’m intentional about quiet time and bible study, and I’m intentional about exercise,” he says.

Jim’s goal is to encourage others to join him in 2015 and do something for their health. “Don’t limit what you think you can do because of age…you can do more than you think,” he says. “If you find something you struggle with, modify it and work with a group that will hold one another accountable.”