'I was unfit and overweight, until I turned 70 and started strength training'
Joan MacDonald, from Ontario, Canada, took up strength training when she was 70. Now aged 78, she hasn't looked back since. This is her story.
I've always considered myself an active person. I played slow-pitch softball in my 40s, did lawn bowling in my 60s and I cycled a lot, but I didn’t follow a specific programme. Over the years, I worked out at the gym on and off. I even had some success with a personal trainer at one point, but wasn’t able to keep any weight off.
I was in my 70s when I knew I had to make a change. It was a couple of things that were all happening around the same time. I had terrible swelling in my ankles, painful arthritis and I had difficulty walking up and down stairs. I was on medication for high blood pressure and acid reflux, and my doctor had just told me that I may need to increase the dosage.
I was tired, I was emotional, and I was in desperate need of a change. On top of that, my mother's health was also declining – and I knew I did not want to follow the same path she was on. Here are the factors that helped me take control.
1.I relied on others for motivation
My daughter Michelle (@yourhealthyhedonista), a personal trainer, sat me down and insisted that I make big changes while I could still turn my health around. She really took me by the scruff of the neck and got me over that initial starting hump.
She asked me to join her online group, with other women who were all working to change habits and take the best possible care of themselves. So I renewed my gym membership, bought a food scale, a measurement tape, and got to work.
2. Those first workouts weren't easy, but I didn't let myself give up
In my first gym workout, I felt like a fish out of water. Following along with the session Michelle had created, I was really challenged and found myself huffing and puffing throughout the whole thing. My acid reflux was terrible and it was tough to push through that. But it made me determined to stick with it.
3. I trained frequently and consistently
At the beginning, I was strength training four days a week along with one day of yoga. The sessions lasted around 60 to 75 minutes with the warm-up and cooldown. I could see myself getting stronger and more skilled month to month.
4. I followed an upper/lower-body workout split
Once I got stronger I started doing weight training five days a week. My plan had me doing two leg sessions, two upper body and one glute-focused session per week. This allowed each muscle group (upper and lower) to recover, while I trained the other.
5. I kept track of my weight and size - and this kept me motivated
After doctors recommended I keep track, I started to notice my measurements changing right away and that was so motivating for me to see. I lost about 10lbs in the first month, and inches all-round. My clothes started falling off me.
As part of the online group I was in, we had to make progress collages comparing how we looked with our original photos. That was very revealing, especially when we had a slow week.
6. I tracked my macros
I did change my diet too. I started eating five balanced meals a day. As part of my plan, I had to track my macros – how much protein, carbs and fats I needed in each of the five meals.
I could eat whatever I wanted, but it had to match the macros I was given by my daughter. I also had to stop snacking, and I had to drink water with every meal, and just slow down when I ate in general.
7. As I've built strength and skill, I've gradually progressed the exercises I do
I now do more advanced exercises like deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, squats and heavy hip thrusts. My balance, mobility and flexibility have improved a lot, so I’m also doing more single-leg, unilateral exercises too.
I can now do strict push-ups and pull ups, and I’m starting to do some plyometric exercises like hops and skipping – we're working on my reflexes now.
Here's how I work out in a week:
Monday: Yoga
Tuesday: Upper-body strength workout
Wednesday: Lower-body strength workout
Thursday: Cardio
Friday: Upper-body strength workout
Saturday: Lower-body strength workout
Sunday: Cardio
8. I kept my goals in mind, always
I really wanted to get off the medications I was taking – that was my primary goal. I also set a realistic goal to lose two stone. But by the six-month mark, I had lost almost three stone.
And at 10 months, I was able to get off my blood pressure and acid reflux medication. In addition, my cholesterol medication dropped by 50%. Currently, I am off all medications! Hooray!
I was over 14 stone at my heaviest. I currently weigh nine stone! I'm so proud of what I've accomplished. I never gave up on myself no matter how challenging or frustrating it was. I lost my mother in the first year, which was a real tragedy for me personally, but I kept training and following my meal plan throughout it all. I didn’t go back to my old habits.
Haige Skipping Rope
Hurdilen Sliders
Women's Health Cast Iron and Rubber Kettlebell - 8kg
DOMYOS Hex Dumbbell 5 kg
The Reversible Mat 3mm
Reebok Purple and Grey 6mm Yoga Mat
More fitness stories:
What is Pilates? 34 exercises, benefits + 15 best online classes
Weight training for beginners: Benefits, tips, lingo + workouts
20 best HIIT workouts for all levels, from 5 to 45 minutes long
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
