Age is no obstacle

Bernie Mirin, a resident of Lester Senior Housing Community in Whippany, doesn’t let age slow him down. The 90-year-old still gets in a solid hour of exercise a day, enjoying the outdoors whenever possible.

Mirin, who raised his family in Livingston, retired from his South Orange clinical psychology practice in 1988 and moved to Aspen, Colo., where he spent 23 years. A typical day included biking four miles to a tennis court in the morning, playing a game of tennis, then biking back home for lunch before going fishing in the afternoon. “It was not unusual for me to travel 50 miles in a day by bicycle along the many trails there,” he said.

He also indulged in his lifelong photography hobby, taking pictures of Colorado landscapes for the U.S. Forestry Service. “I spent a great deal of time outdoors and got friendly with a forest ranger there,” said Mirin. “I showed him some of my shots of Aspen and its environs, which are quite beautiful, and he connected me with someone at the Forestry Service.”

Mirin moved into Lester’s Judy & Josh Weston Assisted Living Apartments two years ago, having moved back east to be near his daughters. The Lester community is one of four senior residences owned and managed by the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey.

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Mirin still enjoys photography — some of his prints hang in his apartment today — but says the two most important things he focuses on are exercise and healthful eating. Weather permitting, he rides his bicycle an hour a day around the senior community’s parking lot. In inclement weather he uses the residence’s exercise room, which has recumbent bikes, treadmills, and weights.

Mirin said his daughters encouraged him to take an apartment in the assisted living apartments because residents there get three meals a day, housekeeping, and linen service as part of their rental package. “It’s very convenient and I like the fact that it’s all handled,” Mirin noted. “I don’t have to do as much shopping, cooking, or cleaning.”