Last week, my wife and I went to see Barry Manilow in concert at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. It was a sold-out show on his “farewell” tour. I have been a fan of his (although I do not consider myself a Fanilow) since I was in junior high school; his music was a big part of the soundtrack of my teen years. As you can imagine, the crowd’s age skewed toward the AARP-zone. The concert was the first of Manilow’s that I had been to and perhaps the best concert I have ever seen in my life.

Originally, the venue was supposed to be Blossom Music Center–an outdoor, covered amphitheater with lots of lawn seating as well. At some point it was moved to the Arena where the Cavaliers play basketball. My wife and I wondered why the venue was changed, but I guess it always comes down to dollars and cents. The Rocket Arena can fit more people than Blossom. We also considered that while lawn seating is popular with those with good mobility, the older crowd may have found it off-putting to have to sit on lawns and climb up the hill. When we saw how steep the stairs were at Rocket Arena, we knew that could not be the reason.

As we entered our section that evening, two women were brought into the arena in wheelchairs. They were able to ambulate on their own for a little bit–and they did have aisle seats; even so it took several people to help them navigate down the steep stairs and get them situated. In the meantime, a line of people behind them had to wait to get to their own seats. When Manilow appeared on stage, it set quite a contrast. He is almost 82 years old. He sang and danced for an hour and forty-five minutes straight with no intermission!

How is it that some people struggle to get to their seats and others have the stamina, agility, and balance to entertain for nearly two hours? Of course, Manilow must have coaches and/or trainers who keep him healthy and fit–he looked great (although its obvious that he has “had some work done” on his face). Even so, I cannot help but think that it has to do with the choices that each of us makes as we go through life. As I tell my clients, the decisions we make today will affect what our tomorrow will be like. If we exercise, get sufficient rest, and eat right, we are more likely to be able to do the things we want as we get older. There is no 100% guarantee, but overall there is a strong cause-effect relationship.

Not everyone is Barry Manilow. There are always genetics and other factors that affect how we age. Research shows, however, that taking care of ourselves will yield results over time. This is one the main reasons why many of my clients have chosen to work with a personal trainer in their older adult years; they want to continue to do what the love to do as they age. For Manilow, it is to be an entertainer; what is it for you, and how can you make it happen?