Why some older Canadians bounce back after a period of bad health – CBC

Study found older adults who are physically active, socially connected, psychologically well recover better

Oct 13, 2025

Ken Martens, 79, smears chalk all over his hands and gets ready for his workout. He deadlifts 230 lbs and benches about 120 lbs.

Looking at him today, you wouldn’t guess that he almost died last year.

After a series of blackouts and falls, he was rushed to the hospital in February 2024, where he learned his heart was failing. Martens now has a pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to his heart 24/7. And after months of working out and socializing at Winnipeg’s One Family Fitness Centre, he’s feeling like a new man.

“I feel like I’m in better or as good health as I’ve ever been,” he said.

His story isn’t as rare as you might think, according to researchers. Many older people can, and do recover from periods of bad health — about a quarter, suggests a recent Canadian study published in peer-reviewed megajournal PLOS One.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/bouncing-back-older-age-9.6934095