It’s Time to Act.
Today, my husband shared a podcast with me about fitness and Aging. It featured competitive athletes in their 60s, 70s, and beyond.
They were all men.
That’s when I got pissed off.
Where are the fierce, fit, active women in their 60s, 70s, and beyond?
Ladies, where are you? OMG—we need you!
Honestly, I need you.
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. — Jim Rohn
Is it true? Don’t we have minds of our own? Sure. But our environment shapes us more than we like to admit.
A few weeks ago, after a gym workout, I overheard two women talking beside me. One said, “she forgets how old she is,” not in the “forgetful little old lady” kind of way, but that she was prone to “biting off more than she could chew.”
My first thought was: BRAVO! Whoever you are, YOU ROCK.
And I couldn’t let that go unacknowledged. The honor of every woman over “a certain age” was at stake.
I asked if I could offer a perspective. I told them that at 63, I forget my age every time I wake up on this side of the grass… and especially every time I go to the gym.
I shared that I believe it’s vital to maintain the mindset of someone strong, capable, and powerful. Badass.
She may have overdone it and hurt herself, but that’s about technique, not age.
And before anyone starts tossing around clichés—
“You’re only as old as you feel.”
“Age is just a number.”
“Not bad for an old girl.”
STOP. RIGHT. THERE.
Please. Don’t read any further if that’s your default response.
These patronizing lines set my teeth on edge.
Is anyone else tired of being buried under the weight of empty clichés?
At my gym, I see older women playing Pickleball. They look lean and strong. They move with confidence. They have grit and a competitive streak. Bravo, ladies!
But I don’t see them lifting.
I don’t see many women my age doing any heavy resistance training at all.
A few years ago, I frequented another gym that had water massage tables—great for recovery. I got to know an older woman who came often. She’d chat up everyone who would talk to her, but rarely lifted a weight.
That’s fine if you’re there to socialize. But I don’t go to the gym to chat.
One morning, after a stringent workout, I was relaxing in the massage chair next to her. She told me about her husband’s poor Health and how she enjoyed coming to the gym alone – it got her out of the house. I mentioned I liked the gym for its great equipment, especially the free-weight room, as it was nice and quiet in the mornings.
She said, “Oh, I don’t go in there. I’m 73, you know.”
YOUR POINT?
I didn’t say it out loud, but I thought it.
If you lift weights to maintain muscle mass, you’ve had this conversation. Over and over. And you’ve heard the same line from women of every age:
“I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder.”
“I don’t want to look like a man.”
NEWSFLASH: Building muscle is incredibly difficult, especially after 30, when muscle loss begins to accelerate.
You are not going to get “too big.”
That’s not how this works.
So please, get over it. Or at least, stay out of my way.
Oh wait—you’re at the 3-to-5-lb end of the rack anyway…we’re good…
Does that annoy you? I may be Canadian, but I’m not sorry, because I’m not writing to you.
But if this makes you smile…
If the audacity of this post wakes something up in you…
If you feel a tug of kinship and fire…
Then, friend—
Let’s ROCK.
Because here’s the truth:
We’re not just talking aesthetics.
We’re talking Brain Health. Longevity. Vitality.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, nearly 1 million people will be living with dementia by 2030. By 2050, that number climbs to 1.7 million.
But 40% of these cases are preventable.
PREVENTABLE.
A 2020 Lancet study outlined 12 key Lifestyle factors that reduce dementia risk—including physical activity.
Read it here:
The Lancet: Dementia prevention, intervention, and care
So no, I’m not trying to be inspirational. A tad cheeky, perhaps, but most of all, I’m trying to be real.
This is your invitation.
To make a stand.
To rise up.
To lift.
Originally Published on https://akasha111blog.wordpress.com/
