Standing in front of the full length mirror at the gym, I flexed a bicep to admire my muscle definition, then snapped a photo on my phone.
‘Looking good!’ I said to myself.
A year ago, I started working out with a personal trainer and the results were obvious. The reflection in the mirror was fit and strong, with a narrow waist.
Striking a pose for the camera in the gym is pretty standard behaviour these days, you might think.
But I’m no Gen Z influencer. I’m actually a septuagenarian – a person who was born in the age of typewriters, not smartphones.
This year I celebrated my 74th birthday, but I feel more like I’m 40.
In fact, I’m in the best shape of my life. And I’m here to tell you that it’s never too late to make changes.
If I can do it in my early 70s, then you can do it too.
I haven’t always felt so body confident. As a busy working mum I had the same hang-ups as so many other women.
I didn’t like the way I looked, hiding my figure beneath baggy Laura Ashley dresses. I hated eating in front of people, fearing they’d judge me.
In my forties I fell into the trap of trying to do it all. I juggled raising my daughter Laura, now 43, with a career in NHS clinical leadership that left me feeling stressed and depleted.
By 50 I’d reached breaking point. I wasn’t very good at asking for help – instead I’d sit in my car, listening to classical music and having a good cry.
It was a good friend who eventually convinced me to see my GP. We were in the pub after work one day, nursing large glasses of wine, and I felt like I needed to share how I was feeling.
She was very understanding, which helped me to stop judging myself, and she gave me the confidence to seek help.
I ended up breaking down in the doctor’s surgery, but thankfully my GP was extremely sympathetic and I was signed off work with stress-related depression.
I went swimming and walked a lot. After six weeks, I thought I felt a little better, so I went back to work – only to end up off again two years later. The situation hadn’t changed and the dark feelings were coming back.
That was my lightbulb moment. I handed in my notice.
I did a lot of soul searching. My burnout had set me on a completely different path.
Around this time, my approach to my health was also shifting. So many women hit 50 and think that’s it, they’re done, but for me it felt like a new beginning.
I enrolled in a gym and learned how to use the machines, as I’d heard resistance training can help protect against frailty and falls as we age.
Over the next few years I went to the gym roughly twice a week. Sometimes I didn’t want to go – but at the end of every session I always felt better.
Becoming a grandma in 2011, when Laura had my gorgeous grandson, Jacob, spurred me on even more. They live in the US and I knew I needed to keep myself well to manage the long-distance flights. Jetlag is no fun if you’re not fighting fit.
I wrote and self-published a book in 2011 called Journey to Chocolate about my quest for a more balanced and satisfying life. People go through life on autopilot – I wanted to reach out and give them a shake.
I started eating ‘clean’ with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, avoiding processed food and not drinking alcohol from Monday to Thursday. The changes to my diet made me feel more energetic and alert; I slept better, and managing my weight was much easier.
My husband, Iain, was totally on board. He started eating in a similar way and began feeling better, too, and I found that I was meeting and making friends with younger women who shared my enthusiasm for life.
In spring 2020, as the Covid pandemic hit and the world went into lockdown, I became sick of hearing the over-50s described as ‘vulnerable’. I’d recently celebrated my 70th birthday and I felt anything but. In fact, I felt I’d had the best years of my life since turning 50.
But staying well as you age does take work, so in October 2022, I signed up with a personal trainer, Janine Worthington.
I met her through a women’s networking event and initially assumed she was quite young but when I saw her in person at a Macmillan Coffee Morning, I realised she was a mid-lifer who just looked really healthy.
‘I’d love to have a session or two with you,’ I admitted. If she could look so good then why couldn’t I?
During our first session in her garage gym she had me doing squats, lunges and lifting weights. Despite being hard work I surprised myself with how much I liked it.
It was different to how I normally worked out: we were chatting at the same time, so it was more enjoyable, and she helped me get the best out of each exercise, so I was learning as well.
I discovered I responded well to being pushed during our one-to-one sessions, and Janine focused on what I could do, rather than my age.
‘I can’t believe this is actually fun!’ I laughed.
Now I work out with Janine once a week, do regular pilates sessions with my teacher Beverley Densham and go for daily walks with Iain.
We’ve been married 45 years and we’re still going strong.
I run a Facebook Group called The Unlikely Guru, to bring together other like-minded folk who want to enjoy their lives as they age.
I call myself the ‘unlikely’ Guru because if you’d told the 40-year-old me that I’d be a fitness influencer in my 70s, I’d have burst out laughing.
Now, I’m determined to lead an ‘ageing well’ movement.
My message is simple: it doesn’t matter how old you are – don’t give up and don’t settle. With a few simple tweaks, such as prioritising exercise, a good diet, lots of sleep, lowering stress and having a sense of purpose, it’s never too late to improve your vitality.
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As told to Jade Beecroft
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