Those who dread the decline associated with aging — physical and otherwise — can look to the examples of very senior athletes to cheer them up. Recently, TheNew York Times reported on the feat of a French cyclist, Robert Marchand, who set a world record for cyclists at age 105: pedaling more than 17 miles in an hour. As his countrymen might say, Formidable!

No record was broken — he was the first 105-year-old to try it. But the significant thing is that he had improved his aerobic fitness by increasing the intensity of his training at age 103, well after many thought fitness was all downhill. Veronique Billat, a professor of exercise science at the University of Evry-Val d’Essonne, said Marchand’s result strongly suggests that aerobic fitness and performance can be improved “at every age.”

Wondering about his longevity secrets? Marchand is said to favor yogurt, soup, cheese and chicken, with a glass of red wine at dinner. He may have a lifestyle advantage, too: Marchand is described as “very optimistic and sociable,’’ with many friends. Researchers say isolation is bad for your health.

Just as remarkable is another athlete recently profiled in the Times. In the fall, Ed Whitlock, 85, of Milton, Ontario, became the oldest person to complete a marathon, 26 miles, 385 yards, in under four hours. Exercise physiologists are testing him to see how he has stayed remarkably fit, though he has declined some. At 73, Whitlock ran a marathon in under three hours. A sports reporter said then he might have been the “world’s best athlete for his age.”

Whitlock has zipped along despite not having a coach, a special training regimen or a heart-rate monitor to fine-tune his training. But there’s something particular about his workouts — Whitlock runs laps in a cemetery outside Toronto, perhaps finding motivation all around him.

Here in Lebanon, Thor’s Stone Athletic Club, a group of older exercisers who lift weights at the Carter Community Building Association, chase records and socialize. Of club members, Carl Wallin, 75, former track and field coach at Dartmouth College, said “I consider each and every man and woman my friend.”

Members say their lives are improved. “Three and a half years ago, I could barely get out of a chair,’’ Cal Wolfe, 77, told Valley News staff writer Liz Sauchelli. “Now I’m deadlifting 300 pounds and I have no trouble getting out of chairs or carrying grocery bags.” Peter Aptakin of Hanover is the club’s oldest member at 92. “I find that it is quite addicting. It has made me stronger and healthier,’’ he said.

We aren’t among those who hold that aging is just a state of mind. It is an actual fact. But by luck or pluck, some seniors manage to hold it back, winning some victories along the way. Researchers have found that exercise can enhance health and extend lives, which should be of interest to a nation with an aging population and serious concerns about Medicare costs. The real-life examples are out there, every bit as awesome as the athletes the masses cheer from their easy chairs.