In shaping up, they offer hope for a healthier, happier life

Nicole Nazzaro four years ago (above) and now. The photos hang in her ofce as a reminder. I never knew what I was capable of, she says.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICOLE NAZZARO

by Maureen OHagan

O HOW do you go from exercise-averse to exercise enthusiast? And how do you keep doing it, even as you age? Meet the inspiration:

Nicole Nazzaro

But Im afraid Im really going to hurt myself.

Perfectly reasonable. How many times have you read the warning, Consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program? It used to be that health authorities thought it could put people at risk of a sudden heart attack. The advice has always been, take it easy! Regnier thinks people have followed that advice a little too well. Theyve overminimized, he says. Health authorities now believe its riskier not to exercise. Sudden death, a major federal report says, is, more accurately, a risk of inactivity.

But Im too old! Why bother at this point?

Admittedly, when we age, our bodies tend to fall apart on us. But professor Conley found something interesting with his mitochondria-measuring contraption. Scientists used to think the decline of those powerhouses was inevitable, and that it started as early as the 40s and 50s. The bad news is, it is inevitable. The good news is, the inevitable part doesnt start in middle age. We can stave it off until were in our 70s or 80s if we take the time to exercise.
Maureen OHagan is a Seattle Times staff reporter. Benjamin Benschneider is a Pacic NW staff photographer.

I thought I had the fat gene. Looking at the woman sitting across from me at a Kirkland Starbucks, sipping a skinny caramel latte, youd never guess it. But that was what Nazzaro told herself for years. It made sense. Her parents were overweight, and she was carrying an extra 30 or 40 pounds. Her blood pressure was high, too. Her father died of a heart attack at age 58. I told myself I was destined to be overweight and live out my fathers life, she says. She was unhealthy and pretty unhappy. Only she didnt quite see it that clearly. Its a real mind game I played with myself, she says. She believed she was exercising, even though it was only sometimes. She told herself her lousy diet would get better. Tomorrow. In 2008, at age 36, she signed up for a half marathon. She intended to run it, but wound up mostly walking. Then, from the sidelines, someone snapped a photo. This is the picture that changed my life, she says. Nazzaro looks not only overweight but completely miserable. I was lumbering through life, like Eeyore, she says. I wanted to be like Tigger. She pulls out another photo, this one taken last year, at a West Seattle 5K. Here, she is slim and muscular, her expression determined. She is also 40 pounds lighter. The athlete was there all along. Yet in her Eeyore phase, she couldnt even conceive of the self the second picture reects. I literally thought my body was broken, she recalls. I tried everything

T H E S E AT T L E T I M E S

JUNE 10, 2012

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