On March 24, I completed my 90th ride around the sun. I’m often asked to what I owe my longevity. I usually joke, “I chose my parents carefully.” As a geneticist, I know the genetic lottery plays a part.
The scientifically documented key to a healthy long life is exercise. Studies show it reduces the risk of a wide array of conditions associated with old age, from diabetes, obesity and cancer to Alzheimer’s, stroke and heart disease. No drug, diet or treatment can match the spectrum or degree of reduced risk as exercise.
A Life Shaped by Physical Labour
The Second World War enabled racists and opportunists to brand Japanese Canadians as “enemy aliens” — including those like my parents, sisters and me who were born and raised in Canada. In 1945, we ended up on a farm in southern Ontario. Farm work started at 7am and we worked till 6, six days a week. It was physical activity.
After relocating, I got a job in construction, shovelling gravel, carrying lumber, hammering and sawing to build houses. It was hard work but I loved it.
An Epiphany at O’Hare Airport
A year after our marriage, I was flying through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. With half an hour to make my connection, I grabbed my bag and began to sprint. Halfway to the concourse, I was doubled over, gasping and exhausted. I missed my flight.
It was an epiphany. I decided to enroll in a faculty exercise class. At first I couldn’t even complete a track circuit without stopping. But I stuck with it, and over weeks, my body responded. After decades of working out, I actually got down to my high school weight.
A Call to Society
Today, Elders are the fastest growing group in society. They should be recognized and valued for what they’ve experienced and witnessed. And governments should subsidize fitness programs and centres to help Elders move their bodies.
David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. davidsuzuki.org
This article originally appeared in the Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine, April 2026 Issue 209.