Sattler Credits “100 Year Program” To Prolong Life

    In 1969 Day County native Roger Sattler picked up running with the goal of improving his health. Now at the age of 90 his routine has evolved into a full program of workouts and supplements to try and stay active for as long as possible.
    Born in Sisseton, Sattler grew up on a farm near Roslyn. He was drafted into the military at age 22 where he spent seven years before taking a job in Minneapolis, MN. While on a business trip Sattler said he read a book by a fitness instructor which inspired him to take up running.
    After building from one mile runs to distances over five miles he mentioned he began adding other exercises and vitamins to further improve his health.
    “The past 57 years I’ve been training and conditioning to stay in good physical health. Taking some of things that I take and doing the exercises I do has really been extremely beneficial to me,” Sattler said.
    One day he said the idea came to him to call his routine the “100 year program” with a goal of prolonging his life through strategic wellness. Though he calls it the 100 year program Sattler said he knows he doesn’t really have control over his longevity and the goal is really to be proactive in promoting his general health and quality of life.
    “I feel fantastic every day. Now that’s obviously not going to last forever – nobody is going to be on planet earth forever but so far it has been an absolutely amazing experience. Obviously I have no control over the actual age I live to but I really enjoy this whole journey,” he said.
    Some of the exercises he said he completes daily are push-ups, sit-ups, planking, running/power walking, light weight lifting and rocking heel to toe exercises which he said improves his balance. These exercises are combined with a list of dietary supplements which he said he has consulted with doctors to create.
    According to Sattler a few of the other physical feats he claims to have completed are 10,000 sit-ups in 80 minutes, 2,000 push-ups without stopping and he once walked from Apple Valley, MN to Webster, a distance of around 250 miles, in eight days.
    Despite these feats he said he hasn’t sustained any injuries related to his exercise and he actively encourages his friends and family to be more active.
    Now living near Minneapolis with his wife he said she sometimes worries he will hurt himself by doing too much but he is still currently planning on training for a marathon.
    For anyone who may be interested in beginning their lifelong health journey Sattler said he recommends consulting a doctor before starting any supplements or workout routines. After establishing a plan he mentioned it is important to grow and improve with greater distances and challenges.
    “A lot of people start for a couple weeks and then never go back to it because they think it’s too hard or their health is too far gone to begin again. Maybe that’s true but you don’t have to do extreme stuff to improve your health, just have consistency,” he said.
More on Sattler’s program: 
    Roger Sattler credits a combination of nutrition, exercise and consistency for what he calls his “Life to 100” program. His daily routine includes apple cider vinegar, ground flax seed, honey, cinnamon, almonds and various supplements, along with aspirin, zinc and magnesium. Sattler also uses safflower oil both topically and as part of his diet. Throughout his life, he has completed a number of endurance and fitness challenges, including climbing Pikes Peak and Camelback Mountain, walking up the Eiffel Tower, completing the City of Lakes Marathon in 3 hours, 39 minutes and 29 seconds, and participating in four 150-mile bike rides for multiple sclerosis awareness. He also walked approximately 250 miles from Apple Valley, Minn., to Webster in eight days and has hiked both the South and North rims of the Grand Canyon multiple times. 
    In recent years, Sattler has completed personal fitness challenges that included 10,000 sit-ups in 80 minutes, 50,000 toe-heel exercises in five hours and 100,000 toe-heel exercises in 8½ hours. Today, he continues an active lifestyle that includes more than 4,000 toe-heel exercises, 500 push-ups, 500 sit-ups and a five-mile run or power walk each day, along with planking and weight training several times per week. Sattler says he has logged approximately 70,000 running miles since taking up the sport in 1969 and continues to add to that total.