My friend Lou Sportelli has a knack for meaningful quotes that stay with me.

For instance, one meaningful quote that has stood the test of time with me is this one."We are the same person today as we were yesterday except for two things the books we read and the people we meet."Since Dr. Sportelli is a great reader of self-help books, (and he so generously passes them along to others), I'm not sure if that quote originated with him or if he is quoting one of his favorite authors.But I am sure of its truism. I've found I often meet someone who enhances my world, influences my thinking or compels me to try something new.Last week I met a few people who have done all three. Let me tell you about them.Harold has had three strokes that have further weakened his frail frame. He also has a host of other medical problems.When he went to one of his doctors, he asked how he could help himself improve physically. Specifically, he wondered if trying yoga would help.The doctor said he probably wouldn't gain back his former strength but exercise might help him keep the ability he has. Wrong.When Howard went to a well-regarded yoga studio to ask if the husband/wife team could help him, they told him yoga would help him get stronger, if he had the patience to stay with it.But Howard couldn't start even gentle yoga because he didn't have the ability to lift his leg a foot off the floor. So he started private sessions of chair yoga. After a few weeks, he was strong enough to try gentle yoga classes.Fast forward three years. He now takes seven classes a week and can do all of the difficult moves.Here's the one amazing thing I didn't tell you about Howard. He was 91 years old when he first came to the yoga studio. He is now 95 and is absolutely thriving. He's physically active and is enjoying life to the fullest. He's also an inspiration to everyone around him."Don't tell me you can't turn your life around and improve your physical condition," he says. "And don't tell me you're too old or that you have too many physical problems."If a skinny twenty-something instructor tells me about the health benefits of yoga or other exercise, I might listen with half an ear.But when a frail 91-year-old man becomes a healthy, happy 95-year-old because of his own persistence, I sit up and take notice. I also vow to be even more physically active.Did you ever want to exercise because you think it might help you but you hurt too much to start?Earlene Campbell, another woman I met at the yoga studio, was in that position for years. She says she was spending much of her time lying on the sofa in intense pain."I had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 8 and also suffer from lupus, chronic heart problems and stage 4 kidney failure. My body was falling apart and the only thing I could do for the pain was to take more pills," she says.When the pills weren't controlling her pain, she asked her doctor what she could do for some relief."He told me I should try exercise because it's been proven that exercise can help. But how in the world could I exercise when I hurt too much to move?"My back, knees and feet everything hurt," she says."I couldn't even stand at the sink to wash dishes. I would wash two dishes then have to sit down because of the pain."When she heard about chair yoga, she decided to try it because she wouldn't have to stand. After a few weeks, she was able to join the gentle yoga class, eventually working her way up to harder classes.At the time, Earlene was 67. Now, she's 70 and is a walking testimony to the power of exercise."It has turned my life around," she attests. "I am off all pain medication and doctors are amazed at the change."But she's also conscientious about working out every day even when she can't get to the yoga studio."When I go away for a few weeks to visit my family I take along exercise DVDs. If I skip my workouts, my body feels it and starts falling apart," she says.I have to admit I wasn't at the yoga studio to work out. I was there doing a story on the incredible 95-year-old guy I had heard so much about. I wanted to touch him, hoping his pluck was contagious.He showed me how long he can stand on his head and hold difficult posses without quivering.Heck, when I try some of the very simple yoga poses, my body quivers.There was an 88-year-old woman there who does six yoga classes a week. She also kayaks and does stand-up paddle boarding (it gives core muscles a workout).I asked how long it takes to start to see remarkable results.Most thought it took about four weeks of concentrated effort.By sharing their stories with me, these "youngsters" inspired me. I hope they inspire you, too.