In the vibrant world of health and fitness, a revolution brewing is not just about counting reps or tracking calories. It’s about challenging the stereotypes that have long defined what fitness looks like as we age. Who says the prime of life doesn’t include deadlifts, Pilates precision, and mastering the art of intermittent fasting?

The fitness landscape is evolving, and so are we. Gone are the days when age dictated our capabilities. We’re writing a new narrative where midlife isn’t an endpoint but a turning point for discovering untapped potential.

So, grab your water bottle and join me in this exciting exploration. Together, we’ll uncover the truths, dismantle the myths, and celebrate the power of staying fit and fabulous, no matter the milestones we’ve crossed. Our journey starts now, and trust me, it’s going to be exhilarating! Let’s disrupt ageism in the health and fitness industry!

Let me share a story of what happened to me:

It’s finally my time…

I opened the door to my local gym with workout clothes in my bag. They barely glanced at me as I entered, so I went to the front desk and told them I had an orientation appointment… I was excited and ready to work out and get in better shape. I have time now that the kids are gone.

The sales rep came out and gave me a once-over… I wondered if I should have dressed up and felt that I was being judged for my gray hair, but I stayed positive.

After we went through my goals, I got the usual tour…

• Here’s the gym – lots of machines I can sit on, so I don’t lose my balance
• Treadmills – for walking or ellipticals that are easy on the body
• The pool – water walking classes for the golden oldies (what I like to call seniors in their 80s)
• Classes – Gentle senior classes – done entirely seated (hmm, not quite what I am looking for)

This made me start wondering ….do I look that old?

They also scheduled me for 3 free private sessions with a trainer. So I went home with my workout clothes still in the bag, never working out, and feeling deflated.

This was not what I expected. I felt I did not fit in there and was judged based on what they perceived my age and capability to be.

A Journey Beyond Stereotypes

At what age does a person become old? 50, 60, or 75? Plenty of 70 and 80-year-olds can outrun, out bike, and outswim me, and I’m 60. Do we believe that all older adults are sick, frail, senile, and useless?

I’ve been working in the fitness industry for over 30 years. Here are ways I see ageism show up in the industry in less noticeable ways:

• Trainers talk about the cute older couple that works out together (a bit condescending).
• Classes are either too hard or too easy.
• We are often told that we need to take it easy; well, we are over 50 or older, and yes, we do need to take care of ourselves, but I still believe we can do whatever we put our minds to.

I get it; we all age differently, and these classes are appropriate for some people and are also needed, but for others, not so much. However, being pushed towards the ‘old age box’ (again, another term I like to use when people make me feel I am too old) because they believe you should belong is the underlying bias of ageism in the health and fitness industry.

Stop fixing me! I’m just getting older.

We hear it all the time that we are too slow, not fit enough, not young enough, not sexy enough, and there always seems to be a fix that we can buy that solves all those problems. A multi-million-dollar anti-aging industry promises to help older adults (like me) to feel young again – implying that there is something wrong with us looking and feeling the way we are.

But it doesn’t stop with exercise classes. We are often marketed to by someone or other that we need something to look younger, more toned, more fit, and perhaps like our younger selves.

Who wouldn’t want that?

These are the things they love to try to sell us:

• Botox or fillers
• Another cream to firm my butt, arms, legs, face
• A special aging treatment for either the body or face – like freezing treatments
• A fitness gadget that would show me how much energy and sleep I’m getting
• A particular class that would perk up my butt and lift my boobs
• Another supplement would give me more sleep, less stress, more muscles, lose weight…did I forget something? Oh YEAH, and look and feel younger.

Don’t you love it when people comment: “You look good for your age!” What does that mean? I didn’t look that good at another age, or did I look better at a different age?

Let’s Disrupt Ageism In The Health and Fitness Industry

Looking young and staying young is the message we are constantly bombarded with. So what’s wrong with aging and the way we look?

In today’s society, being young means you have energy, are strong, can do anything, and are desirable. However, as we age, we are valued less and treated with disrespect, revealing ageism in the health and fitness industry.

When we are told we need to be fixed all the time or not treated equally, there is a disconnect, and that disconnect makes us feel…

• Worthless,
• Hopeless,
• Undesirable,
• Fat,
• Ugly,
• Unworthy,
• And the list of names we call ourselves goes on and on.

What is essential for us as we get older?

It’s eating healthy, well-balanced meals most of the time; I love ice cream and wine and don’t want to go on another diet or cleanse ever again. Besides, my Intermittent Fasting strategies work great for me.

I’ve learned that what makes me happy is my community of uplifting and active people. It’s important to me to stay active and travel. So, I will continue to compete in triathlons for as long as I can, and besides, the older I get, the more likely I get first place on the race podium for my age group. I choose what’s important to me, let go of what no longer serves me, and so can you.

I don’t buy into the idea that I have to purchase every gadget, potion, cream, or pill on the market to help me look and feel younger. That is ageism in the health and fitness industry. But, of course, I do want to look cute in my clothes, enjoy my gray hair as it’s growing more and more, and stay at a healthy weight – wrinkles and all.

I strongly believe that we must appreciate what we’ve accomplished in our lives, giving ourselves that pat on the back! We contribute so much to the younger generation as we age from our experiences and knowledge. So let’s not forget about that.

Aging is a regular rhythm of life.

Instead of letting yourself believe that “now I’m old,” “I can’t do that anymore,” or “I don’t fit in anymore,” change the narrative and instead create positivity around aging. Instead of “I can’t,” start saying “Yes, I can,” even though it takes a little work.

We want to be in the best shape of our lives as we age because we are dealing with age-related issues like osteoarthritis, not hearing as well, and our eyesight getting worse, but that is no reason not to take care of our body and mind as best as you can without any gimmicks.

Here is how:

• Enjoying an active life, whatever that might look like to you.
• Staying strong, flexible, and balanced in mind and body.
• Creating your everyday adventures.
• Eating healthy and well-balanced meals helps us get a little more energy.
• Enjoying friendships and a positive community will feel fabulous at any age.

I don’t mind getting older, I don’t mind my wrinkles, and I appreciate my body for what it can do at 60 and beyond. And so can you. Embrace your age and don’t listen to others telling you differently because we are not staying young.

I’m sure you wondered what happened during my 3 free training sessions at the gym…

This time I showed up all dressed and ready to go.

1.  I walked on the treadmill for my fitness test, and the trainer took all my vital signs…that was all good.
2. The trainer showed me all the strength training machines that I was going to use and wrote down what to do with them so that I wouldn’t forget….(good point there because since menopause, my memory has been a bit foggy)
3.  The trainer gave me a 30-minute workout with those machines so that I wouldn’t be too sore but basically encouraged me to buy sessions because they didn’t know what I knew.

I wanted to do more cardio but was advised that perhaps this would be too much on the first day, and I should take it easy.

Even though I wanted to get a routine on the free weights and bands that I could also do at home, I was warned that I needed to learn the machines first to avoid losing my balance.

I wanted to take a class that looked fun, but when I got there, I was confused because…

• The music was so loud I couldn’t hear the teacher.
• The teacher called out moves – I had never heard of before
• I couldn’t see because it was so crowded
• They all moved so fast that I couldn’t keep up

Maybe that class was just not for me, and that’s ok. There are many exercises that I can do, and I even try a few new ones until I find what is right for me. I never went back to that gym.

Equality is being accepted and being allowed to be the person you are and the person you want to become as you age. So what does equality mean to me? To me, equality is respect.