Body for the Ages founder Pax Beale (1929-2016) was a pioneer of American fitness, and one of the first researchers to link weight-resistance training to the reversal of heart disease. He founded Body for the Ages in 2006, and his contributions to modern wellness continue to touch many lives today.

A national bodybuilding champion, Pax Beale was at the pinnacle of his profession when he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required a five-way heart bypass surgery, and left him a cardiac cripple. Intent on correcting his condition on his own terms, Pax created a wellness regimen supported by a foundation of weight-resistance training and nutrition. The regimen Pax created proved to be so powerful that it successfully reversed his heart disease and restored his heart to normal function. With his five-way heart bypass surgery behind him, he continued to refine his fitness and nutrition program, and went on to win another national bodybuilding title in his 60s.

Years later, in what Pax called the “fourth quarter” of his life, his mission was to bring his wellness philosophy to a wider audience, and help everyone increase their chances of living to their maximum genetic lifespan. As he approached his eighties, with over 40 years of experience in the medical arena, including owning acute general hospitals, surgery centers, and medical labs, Pax had many successful ventures behind him. He could have easily, and proudly, rested on his laurels. Instead, he created and launched Body for the Ages, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Affectionately calling it his “swan song,” Pax achieved his dream of sharing his cardiovascular research and experience, and touched many lives as president of the Body for the Ages organization, as well as a public speaker and an author.

Aside from his professional accomplishments, here are a few of Pax’s adventurous physical feats and fitness credentials:

• A bicycle race to Alaska against a 20,000-ton ocean liner. (He won!)
• The only person to swim Alcatraz in the pitch dark in cold December.
• Created the first-ever “run for fun” jogging club, and in doing so, played a large role in launching the fitness revolution in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Member of the U.C. Berkeley Rose Bowl football team.
• Represented Cal and the U.S. Navy in boxing.
• Ran Death Valley in 109 degrees!

As you can see, Pax had an endless appreciation for life, and he wanted to stick around living it as long as possible. Using intellect and an indomitable spirit, he gave himself the gift of a lengthened lifespan, surprising every doctor who ever treated him. Pax left you the tools to do the same. Learn about his philosophy throughout this site—your home base for the Body for the Ages Heart Wellness Program.