Mike Green was like a lot of middle-aged men a few years ago.

The 56-year-old self-employed asset manager struggled with his weight, hypertension and high cholesterol. He didn't work out and didn't eat particularly healthy. After his 52nd birthday, that all changed.

"I decided I'd better start taking care of myself," he said. "I was a sprinter in high school, and I wanted to run sprints in the Huntsman Senior Games."

He joined a gym, which is where he met the man who changed his life — Paul Holbrook.

"I walked into a gym where Paul was training someone 4 1/2 years ago," Green said. "That's where it started."

But his training with Holbrook, a gerontologist and physical trainer, reaped him more rewards than a return to his athletic glory days. He needs half of the medication he once took, he's lost 40 pounds and his cardiovascular health is greatly improved.

He runs 50 meters in 7.09 seconds and the 100 meters in 13.3 seconds when he competes in not only the Huntsman Senior Games, but the Senior Olympics.

He relishes being an anomaly among his age group.

"It's a little unusual," he said. "Some of my friends go out and play a game of golf or tennis, but I run sprints. My mental health is so much better now, too. When you work this hard for something, and achieve it, the sense of satisfaction and self-worth is unbelievable. I'm living in the moment."

Holbrook began his work with clients over 50 in regular gyms around Salt Lake County 12 years ago. But the atmosphere wasn't always conducive for mature adults attempting to changing the habits of a lifetime. So he recently opened the AgeWell Center, 2670 S. 2000 East, a small space devoted to helping adults over the age of 50 improve their lives by returning strength, balance and flexibility to them as they age.

"I wanted to create a place to change the way we think about aging," Holbrook said. "This is not anti-aging. First of all, we have to admit the medical community has done a wonderful job of extending our life span. But our health span hasn't kept pace. We're living longer, but we're not as healthy. We need to improve our health so we live not just longer but quality lives."

The atmosphere is markedly different from the modern heath spa, with soft music, calming colors and no mirrored walls. The purpose is to focus on bettering one's health, he said.

"Outside stimuli take away from what's going on inside," Holbrook said. "I think you can focus better and the workouts have more intrinsic value. . . . I think the fitness industry is doing a terrible job meeting this need."

The average age of the clients of the AgeWell Center is between 70 and 75. However, Holbrook encourages people to come in as early as 50 to begin minimizing the effects of age. The workouts help with balance and flexibility, as well as strength and cardiovascular conditioning. The drills are meant to help clients retain their mobility and abilities, even as time marches on.