A 64-year-old who swam the earth's circumference shares his longevity tips

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A 64-year-old who swam the earth’s circumference shares his longevity tips

A swimming pool lane.

Many would agree that it’s challenging to stick to a weekly workout routine, let alone train for an endurance event like a marathon. But 64-year-old competitive swimmer Chuck DiMeglio has proven that sticking to a long-term fitness goal is not only possible—but it’s also tremendously rewarding. In 2022, he completed an iconic lifetime goal of swimming a distance equivalent to the Earth’s circumference. For context, that’s about 1.75 million lengths in a 25-yard pool.

“I think everyone should have a goal that is good for you and something you love to do,” DiMeglio says about his achievement. “I’m a big numbers guy and I’ve been swimming my whole life. This goal just felt right to me.”

Of course, recording five decades’ worth of pool workouts is tricky, so DiMeglio has made a few estimations—primarily during his adolescence—Hone Health notes. His swimming career dates back to 1963, when he learned to swim at the hotel where his father worked. It wasn’t until college that he began recording his laps in a planner. He’s been through dozens of planners since, swimming competitively through college and participating in work-sponsored swimming events, such as the Battle of the Corporate Stars. 

DiMeglio has also earned several titles at the National Senior Games. Since his mid-fifties, he has won gold medals in the following events: 50-meter backstroke, 50-meter butterfly, and 100-meter individual medley. He earned a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle.

And while most of us aren’t swimming competitively through our 60s (or ever), the lessons DiMeglio has learned can help us all age better.

Check Your Disease Risk

DiMeglio’s perspective on longevity and disease prevention shifted dramatically after his father, a healthy, active guy, was diagnosed with heart disease and had to undergo triple-bypass surgery at 75.

“His whole life, doctors told him, ‘Oh, you’ll never have a problem. You’ve got a great heart,'” DiMeglio recalls. “The diagnosis was shocking.”

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Genetics, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity can all increase the risk. 

DiMeglio has never been overweight or had any chronic conditions associated with cardiovascular disease (think: diabetes). He has always followed a balanced diet and engaged in physical activity most days of the week. 

“But, when my dad suddenly needed surgery,” he recalls, “I decided to see a cardiologist to talk to him about my own risk.” 

Despite swimming five days a week, DiMeglio was found to have total cholesterol creeping up past 200, which is considered “borderline” for heart disease risk. For context, a healthy level of total cholesterol is below 200. He now takes a statin drug to help lower his cholesterol, which his doctor closely monitors.

Listen to Your Body

As a competitive athlete, DiMeglio admits going too hard sometimes and getting injured as a result. He has gotten micro-fractures in his feet from pushing off the wall too aggressively during turns and tweaked his knees and shoulders from overdoing a stroke. But over the years, he has gotten better at listening to his body and resting between workouts. He takes every weekend off from the pool to give his body rest, he says. 

“You just have to be careful as you get older because things start ripping and tearing,” DiMeglio explains. “That’s why I take recovery so seriously.”

Research does suggest that older athletes take longer to recover from strenuous activity and are more likely to deal with post-exercise soreness compared to their younger counterparts. 

That’s why every Saturday and Sunday morning, you can find DiMeglio at his local golf club enjoying light activity. He’s even adjusted his swing to take pressure off of his feet. He shamelessly cruises around the course in a golf cart, instead of walking, to ensure he doesn’t overdo it on his off days.

“Some people think I’m lazy, and I tell them, ‘I’m recovering,'” he says, laughing.

Don’t Stop Exercising—Make Adjustments

Research shows that athleticism declines with age, starting at 35 and especially as you get closer to 70. But DiMeglio argues that your athleticism doesn’t deteriorate as you get older, it just changes. 

In his teens and twenties, his goal was to swim faster and faster every time he jumped in the pool. These days, he focuses more on building endurance at a sustainable pace. This way, he says, he can enjoy the pool for years to come. 

DiMeglio’s workout schedule varies from week to week, but he typically alternates between distance and speed. On Monday, he typically swims a shorter distance at a faster pace. On Tuesday he goes a little farther than the day before. Wednesday is his endurance day, where he tackles the longest distance of the week. And on Thursday and Friday, he tries to hit a happy medium between speed and endurance. 

“You’re not going to recover your youth,” DiMeglio says. “But I’m actually doing some workouts I never would have dreamed of doing when I was younger [thanks to the endurance I’ve built].”

Mind Your Mindset

Despite meeting his goal of swimming the length of the Earth’s circumference over two years ago, DiMeglio has no plans to slow down. You can still find him at the pool Monday through Friday, swimming up to three miles (nearly 100 laps) on a given day. Why? He has his sights set on a new goal: two million pool lengths by the age of 70.

“Former classmates tell me, ‘We’re getting old. I can’t do that,'” DiMeglio says. “But me? I’m not looking at my age. I’m not thinking about getting old, so I don’t feel old. It’s just a mindset.”

This story was produced by Hone Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.

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