By Matthew Gutierrez
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her early 50s, Anne Proppe gained about 40 pounds. She had stopped exercising so she could focus her energies on raising three daughters in her Baldwinsville home. Her blood pressure rose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anne tried exercise, getting her third-degree black belt in 2005 and running almost every day. But she got shortness of breath. When she visited a doctor, she insisted she had runner\u2019s asthma. She actually had a heart murmur. Before she knew it, Anne was undergoing heart surgery to replace an aortic valve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A native of Lafayette, Anne has since dealt with a second heart surgery. But at 68, she shows no signs of slowing down by prioritizing her health: She runs or walks every day with her 3-year-old golden retriever, Riley, the perfect running companion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through it all, Anne\u2019s message stays the same: maintain your health and get your checkups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWatch your diet. Keep your weight down. Exercise is most important,\u201d she said. \u201cKeep yourself busy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few times per week, Anne sees an elderly neighbor to quell loneliness, a growing issue nationwide. Sticking to checkup pays dividends, too, and so do follow-up checkups. They made her more aware of her body, even after she retired from a career in banking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was raising three teenage daughters, working full-time and keeping a house going,\u201d Anne said. \u201cNo wonder I was so exhausted. You\u2019ve got to listen to your body. For women, it\u2019s harder. Men get chest pains. It hurts. With us, it\u2019s exhaustion, shortness of breath. It could be subtle. We\u2019ve got to be vigilant. Better be a fool than dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anne grew up in the countryside, riding horses and enjoying the outdoors. She met a man in Fulton whom she later married. She was always healthy, she said, but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re immune to setback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefits of regular checkups are numerous, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health care providers let you know which screenings and exams you need to be aware of. Early exams can help find problems before they grow bigger. Among the most recommended exams, screenings and vaccinations are high blood pressure, prostate cancer screening, oral health, and breast and cervical cancer early detection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exercise, particularly walking or running, also provides a boost to one\u2019s mental and physical health. The act improves joints, burns calories and improves the heart while reducing stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Anne stays busy with others. She enjoys spending time with neighbors, friends, her grandchildren and husband. A running companion also helps her avoid loneliness, which researchers have found is as closely linked to early mortality as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day or consuming more than six alcoholic drinks a day. It\u2019s even worse for longevity than obesity or physical inactivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With health at the forefront, Anne turned 68 in November. She still runs three to five miles per day, with her dog being her biggest motivator on days she doesn\u2019t feel like going outside or going for a run. In November, she completed the Las Vegas Half Marathon through the Strip. She\u2019s now completed seven marathons, including New York City, Walt Disney World and San Diego. She says she won\u2019t let up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had two friends die at Christmas,\u201d said Anne\u2019s husband, Joseph. \u201cIt\u2019s a reminder that life is short and we need to support one another, including ourselves. Anne just keeps going.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Matthew Gutierrez In her early 50s, Anne Proppe gained about 40 pounds. She had stopped exercising so she could focus her energies on raising three daughters in her Baldwinsville home. Her blood pressure rose. Anne tried exercise, getting her third-degree black belt in 2005 and running almost every day. But she got shortness of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,101,126],"tags":[531,755,747,157],"class_list":["post-2242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-features","category-health","tag-american-heart-association","tag-anne-proppe","tag-go-red-for-women","tag-inspire"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Anne-Proppe-0001.jpg?fit=3470%2C5200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2090,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2090","url_meta":{"origin":2242,"position":0},"title":"Anne Snowdon","author":"Staff","date":"September 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Breast Cancer Warrior By Carol Radin | By Marita Hughes\u00a0 When Anne Snowdon started treatment for breast cancer, she decided to be like a phoenix, the mythical bird that dies and is reborn. 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