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My goal

"I'm 62. I'm trying to stave off age. At this age if you don't do exercise, in 10 years you'll probably be dead. I saw a picture of two guys in their 60s, one who did a moderate amount of exercise and one who didn't do any. The one who didn't do any, his skeleton was collapsing. It was serious."

My workout

Bicycling around his neighbourhood and the City of Guelph.

Daily hour-long walks with his two dogs.

Climbing big white pine trees on the walk.

My lifestyle

"We do a relatively low-fat, not very much red meat diet. I'm not a diet weirdo who eats only tofu and watermelon. I like all sorts of ethnic stuff. I don't eat corn-fed beef ... There's a farmers' market nearby that has grass-fed beef. I eat a lot of fish and take fish-oil capsules. Sleep can be hard - I have sleep apnea, so I use an air compressor. I have to be careful about my sleep. If you're not sleeping, your life disintegrates."

My motivation

"The good thing is, I have to walk the dogs every day. Once I'm out there I do the rest of the stuff. I've been climbing trees since I was a little kid, I just never stopped. Climbing trees is like climbing mountains, except it's less expensive and they're closer.

"Bicycling is really good for you. People don't get that you don't have to dress like you're in the Tour de France. I really feel better when I exercise. If I stay in my basement office all day I'm like, 'Life sucks, it's gloomy and dark.' After a walk with my dogs I'm like, 'Gee, life is wonderful.' "

My workout anthem

"I don't listen to music. Gyms are boring - if I was there, I'd probably listen to music. Outside I look at the leaves and the flowers."

My challenges

"I have arthritis, so I had to stop impact sports. I like jogging but it'll wreck my knees. Racquetball isn't good for my elbows. I'm into low-impact stuff. I call my bike the Geezer Cycle, it has lots of shocks.

"If I'm on a book tour and I'm not exercising, I can really feel it. I have to travel with my air compressor, but it's only as big as a shoebox. But if I stay at a house with kids they get freaked out, because it looks like it's strangling me as I sleep."

The critique

"Mr. Munsch's exercise program is one of the most unique approaches I've seen in a while," says Steve Ramsbottom, owner of the Performance Institute in Burnaby, B.C. "To some extent it doesn't matter what you do, it's that you do it. I must admit I haven't climbed a tree in quite a while, but am glad to hear Mr. Munsch is still at it."

Although there are inherent risks to climbing without any ropes or supports, climbing helps with full-body strength, co-ordination, mental focus and proprioception (knowing where body parts are in relation to each other, and how much effort they're expending). Climbing also has some anaerobic benefits.

Doggy motivation works wonders, Mr. Ramsbottom says, since dogs feel and behave better the more active they are, just like humans.

Cycling is a great way to develop cardiovascular fitness, since it's low-impact, emphasizes leg strength and develops the neglected inner quad muscles.

"It looks like this unique approach to staying active works for Mr. Munsch," Mr. Ramsbottom says, "and you can tell he just feels good doing it."

He suggests Mr. Munsch add in yoga or flexibility training. Tight muscles put added stress on joints, which could make arthritis symptoms worse.