Stronger on the Back Nine
As they begin their fifth year at Shell Point, Karen and Barney Pultz show how an active, connected life can strengthen healthspan and create more time for what matters most.
Karen and Barney Pultz have a standing appointment most mornings, and they rarely let anything get in the way of it. “We wouldn’t even think of getting up in the morning and not going to exercise class,” said Karen. “We try to make sure we never miss it.”
Before moving to Shell Point, they both lived an active lifestyle. Barney, a retired Army aviator who served for 41 years, once rode about 300 miles a month on a road bike and completed the two-day Bike MS ride from Miami to Key Largo and back eight years running. Karen, a former elementary school teacher, exercised regularly at a local gym to keep in shape.
Today, their weekly exercise routine is varied, with advanced balance classes, strength training, spin class, personal training sessions, Pilates, and regular workouts with the fitness center’s Technogym equipment. Karen also walks The Island loop several days a week and takes the stairs in their building almost exclusively.
“Our instructor told us if she were teaching 40-year-olds, she’d be teaching this class the same way.”
Karen said that as she and her group fitness classmates have gotten stronger, instructors have steadily raised the bar with progressively harder challenges. “Our instructor told us if she were teaching 40-year-olds, she’d be teaching this class the same way,” said Karen. Modifications are always offered in class for those just starting their fitness journey, but for the regulars, the constant progression is the point.
“There are many things I couldn’t even begin to do four years ago that I have no trouble with at all now,” said Barney. “We’ve gotten four years older, and we can see we’re doing better than ever.”
Data Driven
The progress is more than a feeling. Barney has completed a series of InBody assessments at the Wright Wellness Center to track his body composition. With each, his BMI decreased while his muscle mass increased. He has been able to decrease some medications, while eliminating others: After 27 years of blood pressure medication, he no longer requires it.
Along with exercising and eating mindfully, he credits Dr. Gary Goforth at the Shell Point Medical Center for connecting him with a VA clinical pharmacist program that proved transformative.
Karen takes no prescription medications. Her InBody analysis has improved even as her weight has held steady, showing increased muscle. When she needed a hip replacement, her fitness level made recovery noticeably smoother. “The exercises I did in physical therapy were exercises I had already done in our strength class at Wright Wellness Center,” she said.
“It’s not just ‘you’re looking better, you’ve lost some weight,’” said Barney. “It’s a complete holistic lifestyle change that is having a measured impact. There’s data. You can see the data.”
That conditioning pays off when the Pultzes travel. During the cruises they take with friends, Karen and Barney are typically the oldest in the group, yet they are the most active. “We do it all, and we don’t miss anything,” said Karen. After one trip, their travel companions went home and joined gyms. The men challenged each other to fit into their tuxedos for a black-tie cruise, but Barney took it a step further: He wore his Army dress blues.
Last spring, the Pultzes’ commitment to staying healthy took an unexpected turn, demonstrating the value of Shell Point’s on-site healthcare. Barney’s plan to renew his FAA medical certificate for a celebratory 80th birthday helicopter flight with his grandson was thwarted when a physical revealed he had multiple blockages in his heart, despite showing no signs or symptoms. After triple bypass surgery, Barney returned to Shell Point and spent over a week at Larsen Health Center to recuperate.
“It’s one thing to say it’s nice to have services here. It’s another thing to need to use them,” said Barney. “Larsen came through with flying colors. The facilities are spotless, the staff coordinated all my care, including occupational and physical therapy, and the communication with my cardiologist was excellent. I felt completely and professionally cared for.”
“Our Healthy Living Coordinator kept in touch the whole time, too,” Karen added.
Staying Curious and Connected
Without a house and pool to maintain, the Pultzes have more time for the kind of learning they never expected to pursue. Through Shell Point’s Academy of Lifelong Learning, the Pultzes have attended lectures by a Brookings Institution AI expert, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and a senior research scientist specializing in China’s military development. “These are world-class speakers who are leading edge in their field right now,” said Barney.
“You can’t really explain it to people who don’t live here. They are still doing chores at home. Here, you have the time and the freedom to explore what you’d like.”
“You can’t really explain it to people who don’t live here. They are still doing chores at home. Here, you have the time and the freedom to explore what you’d like,” said Barney. “Your time is your most valuable asset.”
Group fitness classes at Wright Wellness Center also provide something no assessment can measure. “After four years we’re friends with everybody in the class, so it’s a social event as well as a fitness event,” said Barney. “Everybody kind of looks out for everybody. I think that’s a pretty strong incentive not to miss.”
The same people tend to show up each week, creating both encouragement and accountability. If someone misses a class, the group notices. “They’ll ask, what’s wrong? Why weren’t you there?” said Karen. “It’s an extra layer of support.”
“You can get lazy when you just go by yourself to the gym,” Barney added. “But when you have a friend group there, it makes it much easier to get up and go.”
That sense of connection extends beyond the Wellness Center to their life at Sundial. “People aren’t knocking on your door all the time. But if you need something, they’re there,” said Karen. She is part of Sundial’s social committee that organizes a first-Saturday coffee every month, seasonal barbecues, ice cream socials, restaurant outings, and holiday celebrations that have become building traditions.
The Pultzes are also active volunteers. Karen is part of the Larsen Healthcare Auxiliary, and Barney, a member of Shell Point’s Veterans Group, organizes a monthly veterans’ breakfast at King’s Crown. Barney is also working to build bridges between Shell Point and the broader Fort Myers community through his membership in Fort Myers Rotary South, starting with connecting an ACC football referee from his Rotary club to present at a sold-out Academy class. He also serves on the board of Project Dentists Care, a United Way and Lee County Human and Veteran Services-supported nonprofit that provides free dentistry to Lee County residents in need.
While Karen and Barney intended to remain active in their church in Fort Myers, they decided to become members of The Village Church after connecting with Pastor Andy Hawkins and his sermons. Now, Karen is a Deaconess and plays the handbells, and Barney serves on the Church’s Finance Committee.
Barney said retirees have more to offer—and more to gain—when they stay plugged into the world. “People our age are looking for experiences and social connections,” he said. “We don’t want to sit and watch TV. We want to fill our time in ways that are really worthwhile.”
Planning Ahead
Karen shared that when she and Barney first started considering moving to Shell Point, she resisted. “I really liked my house. I liked my neighborhood. I liked my life,” she said. “And why did I want to move in with all these old people?”
Barney, a self-proclaimed fledgling golfer who plays weekly with friends at the Shell Point Golf Club, added, “I thought of retiring here as just a progression of planning the ‘back nine’ of our lives.”
He said he and Karen did their research before becoming residents, but after settling in, he started to wonder whether the value was really there. Yet as the months passed, costs they had underestimated as homeowners quietly disappeared, and their calendars became full.
“You can spend your days mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, worrying about the next roof. Instead, we’re spending our time on things that are really worthwhile.”
“People don’t realize how much better their time management can be here,” said Barney. “You can spend your days mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, worrying about the next roof. Instead, we’re spending our time on things that are really worthwhile.”
For the Pultzes, the decision also comes back to their three daughters. With careers and families of their own, the last thing Barney wants is them to face a crisis without a plan in place. Here, the healthcare team already knows the Pultzes’ history, Larsen Health Center is on site, and the continuity of care is built in.
“Our children are never going to have to call a realtor,” he said. “We are giving them a blessing, a gift, by setting it up so they never have to have that conversation among the three of them.”
The life the Pultzes have built at Shell Point extends beyond routine. They are stronger, connected to the community, and free to focus on what Karen said matters most: “our health, our family, God, and each other.”
What could your own “back nine” look like — with more time for your health, hobbies, and the things that matter most? Discover Shell Point during a Campus Tour or call (239) 466-1131 to connect with the Sales team.
