{"id":579102,"date":"2026-07-10T18:46:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T18:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/579102\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T18:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T18:46:10","slug":"i-started-working-out-at-71-and-turned-half-of-my-weight-into-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/579102\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I started working out at 71 and turned half of my weight into muscle’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throughout my life, I always associated working out with losing weight. Because I\u2019d never had a weight problem or been a heavy person, I wasn\u2019t very active until my 50s, when I gained weight due to menopause. So, I started working out, but not taking it too seriously: I\u2019d walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, three times a week, on and off throughout that decade. I ended up losing the weight, but beyond that, I wasn\u2019t interested in working out to build strength or muscle.<\/p>\n

When I hit my 60s, my mum \u2013 who was about 60 pounds overweight and had some health problems \u2013 needed assistance from health-care workers to move around. As I watched her over the years, I feared I\u2019d end up in the same boat. That motivated me to continue to keep myself at a healthy weight to stay mobile throughout my life.<\/p>\n

An InBody scan kickstarted my strength training journey<\/p>\n

At 71, I started taking fitness seriously due to a few factors. (I even quit working so I could devote more time to it!) Not only did I want to work out so I didn\u2019t end up like my mother, but I also moved far away from my friends a few years earlier and wanted to meet new people. Then, when the pandemic hit in 2020, I gained 20 pounds. So, I joined Orangetheory<\/a>, a strength training and cardio combination class that focuses on heart rate zone training to strengthen your cardiovascular system.<\/p>\n

When you start working out at Orangetheory, you have the opportunity to do an InBody body composition scan. Mine was a real eye-opener: It revealed that a majority of my weight was made up of fat and not a lot of muscle, which I wasn\u2019t happy about. I realised that my body\u2019s health isn\u2019t all about the number on the scale \u2013 the composition of the weight is more important. I decided I didn\u2019t just want to lose weight, I wanted to change my whole body composition. I set a goal to transform 50 percent of my body weight into muscle within a year.<\/p>\n

So, I took Orangetheory circuit training classes three times a week, working on both strength training and cardio. I worked especially hard on the treadmill run portion of the class, and even achieved a seven-minute mile at one point. A year later, I achieved my body composition goal.<\/p>\n

Then, I was ready to branch out and take different types of workout classes and lift weights on my own, so I joined the local Life Time athletic club. I experimented with different types of classes to find out what I enjoyed, and I worked with a few different trainers to guide me with strength training before going solo.<\/p>\n

Now, at 75, I go to the gym five to seven days a week<\/p>\n

I take two barre classes and two strength training classes a week that target my full body. I also do three to four ballroom dance classes a week because they bring me joy and help me stay social. After these classes, I usually work on my pullups, use the elliptical, or do a strength training circuit that works the chest, back, arms, abdominals, legs, and shoulders. In terms of volume, I normally do three sets of 12 reps for each move.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t design any kind of workout plan and I\u2019m kind of a wildcard in the gym; I love to wander around and try different weight machines based on what I feel like doing that day. I also don\u2019t take any traditional type of rest day \u2013 I’m determined to move each day to stay strong.<\/p>\n

One goal I\u2019ve had is to do unassisted pullups. While I haven\u2019t reached it yet, I\u2019m progressing: I used to be able to do a few reps at 70 percent assistance, and now I can do five or six pullups at 30 percent assistance, so I\u2019m getting closer. Another PR I\u2019m proud of: A year and a half ago, I could hold a plank for more than four minutes \u2013 my goal now is five minutes.<\/p>\n

These three habits were essential to my strength transformation1. I found a type of movement I love<\/p>\n

When it comes to fitness, everybody\u2019s preferences are different. To be consistent and create the results you want, you need to find what works for you. (You don\u2019t have to have to deadlift a ton of weight in order to see results or enjoy your workout!) When I first started exercising seriously, it was a lot of trial and error, but I found types of movement \u2013 barre, strength training, and dancing \u2013 that make me feel joyful and strong.<\/p>\n

2. I move at my own pace, even in group fitness classes<\/p>\n

Fitness is a lifestyle, not a trend. You can become strong and achieve your goals at any age. You can also move at your own pace and customise your workout. Sometimes in group fitness classes, the instructor will move too fast and when I try to follow along, I can\u2019t concentrate on my mind-muscle connection. I\u2019ll feel like I\u2019m just flailing weights around and that I\u2019ll hurt myself, so instead, I move at my own speed. I know my body and what it can handle, so I\u2019m cognisant when I work out and never do anything to potentially injure myself. Slow and steady is my motto \u2013 and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

3. I remind myself that I might be setting a positive example for younger people<\/p>\n

In many of the workout classes I take, I\u2019m the oldest person in the room. Lots of younger people in my class will tell me that they hope to look like me one day and that I inspire them. That drives me and feeds my ego and soul \u2013 I want to keep being someone that other people can look up to and admire.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

\u00a0Addison Aloian is the associate health & fitness editor at Women\u2019s Health, where she writes and edits across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. She\u2019s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City\u2014she recently completed her first marathon, the 2025 New York City Marathon\u2014and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women’s Health, she\u2019s made an appearance on the Oprah Podcast and her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Throughout my life, I always associated working out with losing weight. Because I\u2019d never had a weight problem…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":579103,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[199299,18,525,135,19,17],"class_list":["post-579102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-core2","tag-eire","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116897172724985615","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579102\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}