Women that got fit and/or into fitness and working on their physique later on in life, how did you manage to do so finally?
Women that got fit and/or into fitness and working on their physique later on in life, how did you manage to do so finally?
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I started a little bit around age 20 but fell off the wagon until about age 30. I managed to do it by being consistent with exercise and I’ve enhanced it with meal prep, which I’ve been doing since age 35 or so. 41 now and I’ve added much more outdoor activities at this point. Healthy habits are what keep me going.
I was recovering from a knee and ankle injury on the same leg and I realized I was slowly losing the ability to do things. Like getting down on the floor to get something under the bed was a full event that needed prepped and planned out. Or getting out of breath carrying 15 pounds up the stairs. I realized I was too young to just live the rest of my life slowly losing my abilities and if I wanted to stop that eventuality, something was going to have to change and I was going to have to get off my butt and do something about it. So I joined a small-class, HIIT gym with strength training classes that was full of encouraging, positive women like me. Best decision I have ever made. That was last April and I’m still going strong. I’m not perfect but I’m in a lot better shape than where I was a year ago.
It wasn’t linear but the biggest thing was I made it a priority. I studied it 24/7, I let it consume me. I focused on calories and exercise. I cleared my kitchen of unhealthy foods, I dedicated most of my time, energy and thinking capacity on what the healthy decision/move will be. I did the hard workouts I didn’t wanna do and ate the salads when I really wanted a double cheeseburger.
i got clean from drugs and alcohol at 35 put on a TON of weight. at 38 i began going to the gym now at 46 ive lost about 40 pounds of weight and completely changed my body composition. recently got on glp1 and hrt and couldn’t be happier.
I surrounded myself with ppl who prioritized fitness and tried everything I could until I found stuff I liked (powerlifting and yoga are my things) then I studied those forms of fitness and made them hugely important in my life
This came after changing jobs to work in a rehabilitation center where I saw ppl close to my age come in as amputees knowing I didn’t want that for myself
I was asked to be a bridesmaid and bought a dress that ended up being too small. I loved the dress so much that I just made it fit.
I couldn’t stand seeing photos of myself and wanted to love my own image before trying to find someone to partner with.
I started with just getting to the gym. Walking on the treadmill and being consistent. Then added weights.
It took two years – but I lost 80 pounds and have kept it off since hitting my target for the two years since then. I’ve stayed consistent and changed my gym routine based off what my body tells me. Sometimes it’s treadmill and weights. Sometimes it’s just a big bike ride. But it’s consistent.
My rage and spite has not a lot of other places to go unfortunately
Tbh I started working with old people and it was VERY obvious who kept moving and who didn’t. Found things I actually liked or ways to make things tolerable.
I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and started following the fasting sub on Reddit. The combo works well. At first, I had to keep repeating the first week of running with the app because you run/walk. However, it wasn’t long before I started CRAVING to jog and run. I have no idea how that app works so well, but I got in shape somewhat fast and mentally felt better than ever. I wish I started earlier; it could have helped me so much in life. I also hike and just do things that I enjoy.
As for fasting, I started with 16-and-18 hour fasts at first, then progressed to 3 days and so forth.
During Covid, my husband and I both put on over 50lbs. I went from an XL to a 2XL. When 2XL got too tight, I knew it was time. I bought my best friend and I gym memberships (accountability) and started ozempic. When we started going to the gym, one of the trainers was always around to offer encouragement. We are now doing personal training sessions with him and he’s been fantastic to work with. I started low carb last week as well. Down 14.4lbs and not stopping until I surpass the 50lb gain.
Always did some sports but never really into fitness and ‘healthy’ eating.
At age 48 after a breakup and gaining weight (perimenopause) I felt the mental and physical need to workout.
Been doing fitness and changed my eating habits for 2 years now.
I am physically and mentally fit nowadays – o feel better than ever and love it 😊
WW and exercise.
At 35, I just started walking every day and doing a simple weight routine 3 days (any days) a week.
I started eating out less and less and buying less packaged foods because they just started hurting my stomach all the time.
It’s not always fun, but I follow the plan, NOT my mood.
It was because of the guy I was dating. He kept making jokes about liking asian women and I put 2 and 2 together and asked if he had a fetish for asian women. He said yes and as a mexican girl I honestly had never felt more overweight and insecure in my life. Ironically I was thinner and in better shape than him. Ive been working out since december and my whole body is more defined. My conviction is never letting myself feel that level of insecurity ever again. I also really love dressing up and I like when the clothes fit me just right.
Also every time I see my muscles more defined i feel like vi from arcane 💪🤓
In 2016 during summer break in college a couple of my friends and I started going to the ymca together. When we went back to class I was the only one who kept going consistently and I never stopped. At first the goal was to be smaller, then to make sure I got my moneys worth, and then to be able to carry all the groceries in one go. Almost 10 years later, I’ve done 4 powerlifting meets, 2 spartan races and several 5ks. I love being strong and proud of the things my body can do even during the days I don’t like how i look
Finally took my lactose intolerance seriously and started walking /jogging 3-5 times a week at 27/28 and I’m 30 now and I’ve lost about 70lbs. I look better and feel better and I’m not stopping. I don’t even eat the same anymore. I got addicted to seeing results. You really do have to eat better!!
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I wanted to feel strong.
I suddenly had the time when my son finished school and started driving. I had always stayed kind of fit but not to the level I have been able to achieve in the last few years.
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I started with little baby steps. My goal is to be fit and healthy vs ”skinny”. I started to do just 5,000 steps a day and I gradually increased it every month. Another goal was for me to only workout two times a week but stick to the recommended amount of weekly exercise. I do HIIT so my goal is 75 minutes every week. It takes time, and you have to be patient with yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you fail. Just keep trying. I realized that when trying to lose weight or be fit it’s a lifestyle. So taking baby steps is the best approach.
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I have a family member going through an addiction at the moment so I started going to the gym as a way to take my mind off things and now I’m addicted. Having a car definitely made it easier to go and I usually go before work or during my lunch. I keep track of the exercises and weights I do so seeing the progress is extra motivation
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Watching my dad decline physically has made me more conscious of the things I take for granted about my own body.
I started training for the strength it Brough in not for aesthetic and that was a game changer. Think of how strong you will be once old and how amazing it will be to do normal actions like picking up your grandchildren and playing with them 🙂
I was an athlete in high school, struggled with an ED in college and then fell off and had an aversion to the gym for about 10 years. At some point I realized I had become “skinny fat” and needed to make a change. I kept telling myself I would get into weight training on my own but always felt intimidated when I got there and wimped out. Getting a personal trainer was the push that I really needed, and now I genuinely enjoy strength training and feeling myself get progressively stronger
I had to get paid to do it. I’ve never in my life been able to stick to any kind of gym or fitness routine, they bore me.
I got a job installing flooring and dropped 60lbs in about 18 months. And when I flex I got visible muscles! 😂
38 here. Had terrible anxiety and my therapist suggested exercise. Rolled my eyes at first but decided to try rock climbing. Something about solving physical puzzles while getting stronger just clicked. Now I’m at the climbing gym 4x a week and have arms I never thought possible.
I wanted to wear nicer clothes and feel put together. I started small, just yoga, then I saw which muscle groups I need to work on and now I work with a personal trainer. I have some equipment at home but seriously lack the drive to be consistent. So I pay for someone to get me out of the house and do my training plan. It’s going well, I am noticeably more toned after roughly 4 months of work. The scale hasn’t budged much because I am just so hungry from strength training. It will happen.
I first got in shape around 26 or 27 after a lifetime of hating sports because I was bad at everything and very slow. It was then that it clicked that I need movement for my own benefit, not to compete with anyone
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I took a pole dance class on a whim based on a colleague’s recommendation and fell in love with it!! I did quickly realize i didn’t have the strength or stamina for it so i’ve been doing strength and flexibility training intermittently. It’s been a bit over a year since and i’m so glad i started it.
I’ve never been the fit type or consistent with any workouts, I tried weight lifting, cardio/pilates/yoga, all the works and found nothing I could really stick with until pole. Even lifting alone on non-pole days i still feel happy that i’m working toward my goals. I really do think it’s about finding something that really makes you feel empowered and love for yourself/what you can do which was key for me
I’ve been active since I was 16 but I know lots of women who started in their mid-40s or when they started going through peri/menopause and it’s through consistent effort and discipline. They learned about nutrition and what exercises work for their body.
I literallly just tried to make the gym my hangout spot even if it was me hanging out on damn mat stretching. Slowly started doing more after that and roaming. Haha. I have bad aniexty but I feel I look better in my 30s then I did in my 20s. Lol
I had a really physically demanding job before. I quit when I had my first baby. Pregnancy destroyed my core strength. It made doing simple tasks like getting off the couch or floor really difficult. I also developed postpartum anxiety after both pregnancies. I’ve always had problems with anxiety, but postpartum made it significantly worse. I started doing strength training and zumba to help rebuild more core. It ended up helping my mental health more than I thought possible.
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Dropped the focus on looking a certain way and started focusing on joyful movement instead of exercise
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At the time I was single, and I was sick of the self-doubt cycle of feeling like I wasn’t presenting someone worth having because I myself felt like I wasn’t living my best life. It was an “aha” moment where I was spending all my free time being lazy watching tv, and I thought “well if this makes you feel so bad about yourself then get up and change it already, for yourself.”
Having kids and watching my parents age were my big motivators. I was always very spotty with fitness before – I’d get into something for a bit, then drop it because money/time/energy got in the way.
I’m mid 30’s now and I’ve got twin toddlers who NEVER STOP MOVING… I wanted to be able to run around with them without feeling like I was gonna pass out. I also wanted to have more energy in general and get those endorphins because life is stressful and exhausting. It’s a cruel trick that the best antidote for being tired and stressed all the time is to move your body…
My parents are in their 60’s, and there’s such a stark contrast between their health and general well-being that is largely due to activity level. My mom and her husband are thru hiking the AT to celebrate his 70th birthday – they’re both on track for long lives of independent and comfortable living. On the flip side, my dad has never taken care of his body and now we’re working out arrangements for him to live with me because he can’t keep working but he can’t afford his many medical needs on social security.
I need external motivation, so I started seeing a personal trainer. It’s expensive, but it keeps me consistent and accountable. I figure if I’m gonna spend too much money on something, it might as well be taking good care of my body. You only get one, ya know?
I developed health anxiety and realised all the excuses were just not good enough anymore because I was unhealthy, plain and simple and my anxiety was accurate. So I said little by little, I will do it. 53kgs down now
Two fold. First and biggest is that I really don’t want to be a frail old lady. I want to still be independent and able to travel well into my twilight.
Second I put on a lot of weight due to a few different reasons. Hit 13 stone and hated the way I looked. Changed my diet, started lifting weights and 8 months later I’m already a stone down. Looking a lot better too!
i didn’t like feeling so tired and weak all the time and i realized that exercise and a healthier diet were going to be the only ways for me to feel better. i think it’s one of those things where when you get into it and feel the effects, it becomes a lifestyle and not just another chore or box to check off.
Two things happened to me:
First, I landed a great job that required I physically keep up with strong, male coworkers. So I was like “Okay, I need to get stronger.”
Then, I got divorced, and while I wasn’t going for “revenge body” I just found myself with a lot of extra time when I didn’t have a husband to go home to. It was actually really nice to realize I wasn’t expected anywhere and I finally had a chance to work on myself a lot more. After a month or so of really regular exercise, I found myself thinking about the gym a lot when I wasn’t there. Not out of guilt like I should be there, but out of desire to be there because I felt SO good after knocking out a good workout.
Later – like into my late 50’s before I started going to the gym. Dedication is the only way. It’s too easy to say I don’t want to do this today, I’ll skip just today. But that’s a slippery slope.
Dedication IS motivation.
You don’t have to go every day but try to keep a routine of minimum 3-4 days a week. (That being said, I skip a lot of days still. I try to get there at least four times a week – even if I don’t want to on those days.). I’m 67 now and down 30 pounds in the past five years. I’m trying to build up strength now to carry me into my upcoming years.
In this process now (or again). I had a problematic injury that set me out for years. On and off.
I am now back on the track to get into my correct weight and fit and my clothes and health. I do mentiob a bit of mental health self-situation that can or cant be helpful in dealing with. It is something most doctors and professional do not connect as its multifaceted not niched.
Adjusted all my food, and macros and nutrients, made a food plan and readjusted it all for a whole month and hormonal changes and cravings and needs. Set routines. Set a balansed mind, body, soul work as its not just one part.
Started to walk minimum of an hour a day. Without music, or distractions. Finding again my boredom, my oen thoughts was crucial.
Then more and more walks then a walk-gym-walk. Introducing more and more every week.
I break fast after that with a simple glass of kefir, one egg and one spring onion. Meals after are changing. I journal my path every day in a 5 year diary.
Decreased social media to controlled portions.
Tossed out alchohol, soft drinks, oil, fast food, sugar.
Mental health work being in the present and in an adult ego state. Learn from experiences. Have a evening walk with a friend or SO, or a bike ride or something social. Have preppared fruit for snack, as well as meat days for ovulation etc.
No food after specific time. No phone in bed.
Drinking a lot of water, and sweating. I walk and work out it a woollen long shirt under another. I drink around 3l before 12-13h. Meal plan is quite nice and filling and most days cant even finish it.
I lost 6 kg and around 8 cm in the first month and I was eating enough and healthy and on time. I gained muscles, and I had a doctors appointment day before I started and around first month thick and it showed my blood abd blood pressure and cholesterol being much better. I did not starve myself, I started to reprogram. I use quite a bit more tricks but this was the beginnings and I was introducing it all slow nit ti overpower myself. I worked through all the voices “loser” “lazy” and just connected to my own thoughts. I became more creative, calm and my anxiety and OCD got more quiet. Mentioning this as a mediacally diagnosed anxiety and OCD disorder for now 16 years now.
I acknowledge not everyone can connect to this but we all can experience anxiety and other emotional states and finding solace, if can, in forest and nature has, for me and others, prove healing. So much that the country I live in, its one of the first steps to try that you can get from your doctor. I
I found I really enjoy being in the forest or around the sea from it. Its quite funny to figure out it works for ne as well.
I was always naturally thin with a high metabolism and I would work out once in a while but not at all consistently. Then when I hit 40 a few years ago my metabolism went to shit and I started having sleep issues (perimenopause absolutely sucks btw) so I started doing reformer Pilates twice a week because I like it and started working with a trainer at the gym twice a week because I don’t like it and she keeps me accountable. Now about 3 years in I definitely feel worse when I don’t work out and I am training for a 10k.
I had plenty of time during covid
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I hate working out or going to a gym. It’s so boring and repetitive. I’d have to put a goal in front of me to stay committed, like a race, but as soon as it was over I stopped training. And it was stressful to do it that way too.
Now, I’m in better shape than anytime in my life previously. Because it’s my job. I had no prior experience, but I decided to become a fitness trainer at this great venue I found. It’s fun, the clients are amazing, and I love the activity.
I’ve always found it easier to get in shape with everyday activities rather than a workout regime. Daily activities like biking to work, or training and teaching people at my job.
I “workout” so I have the body to do the things I love doing, rather than working out to have a beach bod or achieve a weight goal. I’m by no means slim and toned, but I can cycle 100km in a day, hike up mountains, and do four back to back training classes at my venue. So I’m happy with my fitness level.
When I turned 30, I just wanted a change in how I was feeling. Focus wasn’t to lose weight. Started eating better for 3 months and walked more everyday. Made the adjustments real slowwwww which I think is the best thing to do. I feel much better, I am able to jog now, lost a few pounds, my mood is better.
Was hospitalised for exhaustion, malnutrition and pneumonia. Once I started taking care of myself I started to feel happy and capable. It gave me the confidence to take the wheel and direct my looks in the direction I wanted. I’m genuinely comfortable with the way I’m put together now because I gave myself the control back.
The company I work for got bought out by an extremely large corporation. My reputation for work has to start over and people judge on appearances, I’ve lost 120# in a year before my transfer date so I can start off on the right foot and keep growing my career. I dont want to hinder my chances for a promotion. I already see a difference in how many awards I’ve been recognized for in a smaller body versus a larger one. I’m now mentally tying my weight to my compensation, and work isn’t over until til I’ve lifted weights and finished cardio. Literally, if I go to the office, then I go to the gym and I’m also on a glp1
Broke my leg and had to have surgery for my 43rd birthday…. I was on crutches for 3 months, in physical therapy for 4 months.
I had a peg leg and was incredibly unbalanced. I was afraid of stairs, step ups, ramps, slightly sloped walkways, uneven ground and I just simply couldn’t live like that. So I went to the gym to build my leg back up and ended up having an incredible time and feeling better than I had ever felt in my life. Mentally and physically…. and then… I realized how confident I was in my clothes and how good I looked.
I’m 35 soon to be 36 I started working out again a year ago. I got a coach as I was coming back from an injury from another sport. I used to do some weightlifting in the gym many years ago and while cross training for another sport I really enjoyed testing my 1 rep max.
Months later I sign up for my first powerlifting competition. Now I’m on a weight loss journey currently but I have built muscle over the past year. Currently on a mini cut for my next comp. I got engaged recently so that’s also my new motivation. I wasn’t happy with how I looked in photos as I gained a lot of weight during COVID. So slowly chipping away at that. I keep saying around every bday that I want that year to be the strongest and fittest that I’m ever been. Hopefully I can keep progressing in the gym and working on my physique for years to come.
I’m 41 years old, I have an active job but I’ve been dealing with weight problems for too long, I’ve never had the motivation, but during a medical visit I got on the scale and I was at 98 kilos, and I had the first click, my second was a few months later when I looked at my photo.
Results It’s only been two weeks since I started exercising 3 times a week and also a dietary rebalancing even if I still enjoy myself.
I’ll see where it leads
I got diabetes and started Mounjaro. Full stop. It’s completely altered my brain chemistry in a very noticeable way.
I started prioritizing it and doing activities I loved. Once I discovered I could make the gym into a form of meditation and focus, I learned to like it much more.
Moving into the fitness field recently has also helped.
I was untrained all the way up until the age of 25 and weighed 270 lbs. I am 29 years old now and weigh about 245 lbs but am very tall for a woman 6’8″. A friend recommended martial arts to me and since then I have been training regularly, I can highly recommend it.
I found exercise that I actually enjoy doing. Reformer Pilates. Found a good class that was accepting and fun and light hearted. I go whenever I can fit in a class.
I also stopped focusing on dieting. I still eat anything I want but when I’m eating it I slow down and ask myself if I’m full or do I need to continue eating so and up having about half the amount I used to
I was 31, not sure if that counts as “later in life.”
I was working in healthcare at the time, and I was helping a woman in her 90s back to her recliner. She stopped about two feet away from her chair, began screaming in excruciating pain and refused to take another step further. I felt her going back, like she was about to fall, so I gently lowered her to the ground and called for the CNA staff.
I realized two things in that moment: first, if I was going to be working with human bodies, I needed to be strong enough to support them so I don’t hurt myself. Second, if I make it to my 90s, I would like to be in much better shape than that, if possible.
I hired a personal trainer that following week. I’ve been lifting off and on for four years now, and I’m in the best shape of my life. I finally achieved unassisted pull-ups, I’m deadlifting over 200lbs, and my waist got smaller. I feel great! ❤️
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I read “Just Your Type” by Phil Catudal and Stacey Colino. I always tried to get into fitness, but was never doing it correctly. Once I read this, realized my body type and what it needs, I had a renewed sense of motivation because I was actually going to see results. Around the same time, I found the Kira Stokes Fit app, which is so much fun and has made me feel so good. Best shape of my life, started in 2020. I’m 37 now, five years in, and going strong. I can’t imagine living life the way I was before and not having this as part of my weekly habits.
I’ve always been into fitness since I was a teen but didn’t get the results that I want due to too much alcohol as young women do and not enough of the right food in spite of a very active lifestyle. It’s only now that I’m 36 that I’m in the best shape of my life with lifting and cardio and eating clean and cutting alcohol down to minimum. So I think I started late but I was getting rather frustrated with myself that I didn’t get the body that I wanted to have but it was definitely due to lack of protein and not eating enough. So I was skinny fit but now I have some actual muscles and feel much stronger!
i adore the discapline, how good it makes me feel and blessing of working off the stress.
My husband gifted me a gym membership for Xmas when I was 35. That February I joined the Aqua class and it kept me honest because there was a schedule and class mates would ask where I was when I missed. A year later I joined a silver sneakers class. I have an ankle injury and was to help with movements and every day movements. So once a week I was there and the other days Aqua. I could bend down to pick things up in a way I never could before. Then around the time trump was elected the instructor got super political and hostile so I switched gyms and working on my new schedule. So basically find a class you enjoy that meets several times a week. I can’t just walk into the gym without guidance and do anything productive. I need a class.
I started GLP1 meds in July 2021, when I was 44yo. I wanted it to be sustainable and a lifetime change, so I started slowly adding movement into my day. This looked like 10-15 minute walks in the evenings a few days a week, and playing Just Dance on my Nintendo switch a couple of mornings a week. I chose things that I would enjoy and wouldn’t get tired of. I specifically did not associate exercise with weight loss – I was losing weight thanks to the meds, but I was exercising to increase stamina, strength, flexibility, heart health, etc. That way, even if my weight loss stalled or I struggled with eating, it didn’t mean I couldn’t still exercise.
I eventually added strength training at home, just dumbbells and kettlebells. At this point, I was playing Just Dance for 30-40 minutes three times a week and strength training twice a week. I had managed to create a sustainable, consistent routine. Last year, we bought a smart gym, and I’ve become obsessed – now I strength train for an hour 5 days a week, and also do Just Dance or Pilates or walks. I never would have imagined this just 4 years ago. Again, I think choosing things I enjoy and starting small, and doing it for non weight/aesthetic reasons helped me create a long lasting habit.