‘I’m 73-Years-Old and in the Best Shape of My Life—Here’s Every Detail of My Workout Routine'

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‘I’m 73-Years-Old and in the Best Shape of My Life—Here’s Every Detail of My Workout Routine’ originally appeared on Parade.

When you create a career around a specific subject area, eventually, you may become part of your target audience. That is certainly the case for Dr. Karl Knopf, who has specialized in the health and fitness of older adults and the disabled for more than 40 years. Now at 73, he finds himself often taking the advice that he has shared in the many books he’s written.

Previously, Dr. Knopf taught students about corrective exercise (which focuses on movement dysfunctions and imbalances), developed an organization called the Fitness Educators of Older Adults Association and, nowadays, is a director at the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) and is on the advisory board of PBS’s Sit and Be Fit show.

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Calling fitness a “positive addiction” that he has carried into his golden years, Dr. Knopf continues to find fun, inventive ways to stay motivated to exercise.

“You need to be able to find a lifetime fitness program that matches your personality,” he shares, something that the Northern California native is implementing in his own life.

A Love for Fitness

Even when his body has said “no” over the years, Dr. Knopf says that he has always worked out in some way, shape or form daily. It all started in his teen years when he was a high school and college wrestler and worked out using a barbell set in the garage.

“In my thirties, I ran regularly and did triathlons before I hurt my back transferring disabled students,” he says. “For my 30th birthday, I ran 30 miles. After I hurt my back, I realized I needed to train smart, not hard.”

His chronic back pain made him rethink his workout routine, but he didn’t stop altogether. He says that it “significantly diminished the intensity of the exercises” that he could perform. Although “life often gets in the way,” as he says, this injury forced him to become creative.

“I realized the saying ‘No pain, no gain’ was insane,” he says. “I am a believer in the two-hour rule—how you feel two hours post-exercise is an indicator if you did too much.”

Dr. Karl Knopf’s Workout Routine

Now, at 73-years-old, Dr. Knopf is in amazing shape—and in a lot less pain. Here are the details of his workout routine:

Walking

Varying his program every six weeks to “avoid boredom,” he does include some types of exercise regularly. For instance, Dr. Knopf says that he goes for a daily 45-minute walk with his dog (“A dog is an exercise machine with fur,” he says), and overall, he aims for 10,000 steps daily.

He says that he walks “to enjoy the scenery and stop and talk to folks whenever possible.”

“A dog is an exercise machine with fur.”

Biking

Sometimes, Dr. Knopf likes to mix things up with some biking in his routine too, finding it a great way to keep his blood pressure under control and reduce stress.

Swimming

Every afternoon, Dr. Knopf swims or completes water exercises for 20 to 30 minutes, something that he attributes to destressing his joints and improving his mood. He actually does exercises from his own book, Make the Pool Your Gym. He gets in the pool year-round, even in winter when he wears a wetsuit to do his water routine.

Light resistance training

Each evening, Dr. Knoph does some light resistance training with bands or dumbbells for 15 minutes, right after dinner and before he sits down to watch TV. His resistance training focuses on his upper body.

Bocce ball

For some fun that also counts as light exercise, Dr. Knoph likes to play bocce ball at a local winery.

Words of Wisdom

Specializing in “sensible exercises” as seen in his many books, Dr. Knoph is all about the philosophy of “a little bit of anything is better than a lot of nothing,” as he puts it.

“Grow strong, not frail,” he advises. “And do what you enjoy. What you do today will determine your tomorrows.”

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Author and fitness expert Dr. Karl Knoph.

‘I’m 73-Years-Old and in the Best Shape of My Life—Here’s Every Detail of My Workout Routine’ first appeared on Parade on Jul 27, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.