You would think he was in his 30s or 40s.
As he bounced onto the stage, former President Olusegun Obasanjo snatched the microphone from Charly Boy, host of the television programme, and sat down to join the conversation.
The amused audience watched as the conversation progressed, with Baba at his witty best.
Then the programme ended.
Obasanjo stood up and suddenly sprinted off the stage. The host and other participants rushed after him, apparently trying to restrain him. But Baba was having none of it. He jumped down from the stage, forcing an aide to rush forward to catch him.
As the audience erupted in laughter, he simply marched off to take his seat in the front row beside his friend and fellow active senior citizen, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.
That was vintage Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo.
At 89, his “official” age, the former President remains remarkably active and agile, making him a fitting first role model for Senior Citizens Still Standing, a new series in our Healthy Ageing column celebrating older Nigerians who continue to demonstrate that growing older does not necessarily mean becoming inactive.
By his own admission, Obasanjo could well be older than 90, like many of his classmates who are still alive. But regardless of the number on his birth certificate, very few people would dispute his remarkable physical vitality.
Obasanjo has never hidden his passion for physical activity. His fitness routine has reportedly included squash, football, treadmill workouts and energetic dancing. The former President is also open about living with diabetes, a condition he has said he has managed for more than four decades.
So, what can senior citizens learn from the remarkable display of agility captured in the video?
Prof. Ushotanefe Useh, a renowned Nigerian physiotherapist and keep-fit advocate at North-West University, South Africa, currently in Nigeria on a research assignment, describes it as “agility at its best.”
“First, watch his shoes,” Prof. Useh said. “They are flat, comfortable and ideal for senior citizens.”
According to him, Obasanjo’s choice of footwear was particularly important because shoes with adequate cushioning and shock absorption can help reduce the impact on the feet and joints during movement.
“The former President is, of course, a keep-fit enthusiast, so seeing him bouncing off the stage like that is not entirely out of place, even at his age,” he said.
Prof. Useh explained that appropriate footwear can provide support for the ankle, knee and hip joints and reduce the impact associated with certain movements.
His advice to older people is simple: pay attention to your shoes.
“For senior citizens from the age of 60 and above, we should begin to look for shoes that are comfortable and shock-absorbing. We don’t need those kinds of ‘Italian-sole shoes’ anymore at that age.”
But footwear is only one part of the story.
Prof. Useh also pointed to Obasanjo’s generally trim appearance and active lifestyle as characteristics worth emulating, while stressing that older people should pay attention to nutrition, healthy weight and regular physical activity as they age.
The video, he said, demonstrated several important components of physical fitness, including strength, agility, endurance and flexibility.
“He has demonstrated all the health-related fitness parameters. For performance, he has gone a little beyond the health-related fitness parameters,” he said.
Prof. Useh, however, cautioned senior citizens against copying Obasanjo’s dramatic stage exit without first considering their own level of fitness.
“I think we should put a disclaimer: Dear senior citizens, don’t try the Obasanjo jump at home unless you have been certified as fit as him,” he joked.
“Only a fit Obasanjo, or anyone as fit as him at 89, should attempt to bounce and jump like that.
“I really want to congratulate him for his great health and for showing us a good example of what a healthy senior citizen of our time can do.
“Finally, I’ll urge our senior citizens to learn a lesson or two from President Obasanjo. Stay active and you will enjoy your old age.”
That, perhaps, is the real lesson from the Obasanjo performance.
Healthy ageing is not about pretending that age does not exist. It is about making the most of the years we have by staying as active, independent and healthy as possible.
President Obasanjo, whatever one may think of his politics or public life, has certainly demonstrated that growing older does not have to mean sitting down and watching life pass by.
At 89, Baba is still standing.
And, occasionally, still jumping.
Indeed, President Obasanjo appears to demonstrate the spirit behind Betty Friedan’s memorable observation:
“Ageing is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”
- The Healthy Ageing Project is a collaborative platform on healthy ageing and longevity, with Healhtimes Communications Nigeria Limited serving as the interim administrative host.
