Watching Will Henderson of Waikiki standing on one leg on a BOSU ball, one would never guess that he was diagnosed with vertigo more than 40 years ago. Nor would one guess that he is 88 years old. He attacks his vertigo head on, challenging his body to achieve better balance. That's also how he attacks his exercise program.

Of course, Henderson did not become such a remarkable specimen overnight. Fitness has been a priority his entire life. In high school and college, he played basketball and ran track. For the next 30-plus years, he worked out on the beaches of O'ahu, paddling, swimming and running in the sand — that is, until his dermatologist told him he had to stay out of the sun to protect himself from skin cancer. For the past 27 years, he has worked out at home and at the Honolulu Club.

Until quite recently, Henderson would ride the bus to a stop, then run alongside the bus to see if he could beat it to the next stop. When he could no longer beat the bus, he quit running.

"I do exercises within the range of what my body can do," Henderson explained. His aches, pains and abilities may change as the decades pass, but he simply adjusts his activities rather than cutting back. His daily workout, he said, is critically important to his overall health and well-being.

"I have found the stability ball and the BOSU ball to be particularly good as I have aged, rather than using heavy weights," Henderson observed. "I have about 26 exercises that I do regularly. I distribute these around and do about six a day, rotating them on different days. ... When you have an array of 20 to 30 exercises and you mix them up, you don't get bored and you do get better at them."

There are days, Henderson said, when going to the gym is more of a social activity. He may not feel like doing a full-on ball and weight routine and cardio program, so he spends more time chatting. But that's an important part of his overall well-being, too. Since he lives alone, he makes an effort to keep engaged with the world.

Henderson starts his mornings, six days a week, walking up 12 flights of stairs in his condo building. He then does a 30-minute aerobic walk, followed by a light stretching routine. Alternatively, he may do 20-minute miles on a treadmill for 45 minutes.

"I've lived this way all my life, and it works for me," Henderson said.

How about diet and nutrition? "I don't have a good understanding of nutrition, so the only thing I do is to minimize cholesterol," Henderson said. "I grew up on potatoes and gravy and thick porterhouse steaks; I didn't think about diet until 10 or 15 years ago."

He says he's always been a moderate eater, but he does admit a passion for sweets. "I don't keep any sweets in my home," Henderson said, "but when I go out, I take my fair share of desserts."

While Henderson is reluctant to offer advice to others, he did say this: "Even if it happens late in life, it's important to establish exercise as a lifestyle. Your exercise will change as you age, but you can just modify your exercise and keep going."