{"id":319861,"date":"2025-10-21T00:34:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T00:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/319861\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T00:34:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T00:34:20","slug":"at-78-i-reduced-my-biological-age-to-51-using-nothing-but-exercise-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/319861\/","title":{"rendered":"‘At 78, I reduced my biological age to 51 using nothing but exercise \u2013 here’s how\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Linda Green didn\u2019t step foot in a gym<\/a> until she was 75. Now, three years since she moved to retirement home Ledian Gardens<\/a> and started regular exercise, she has the biological age of a 51-year-old. <\/p>\n

\u2018I feel like I can cope with anything,\u2019 she tells Women\u2019s Health. \u2018My biological age is based on my strength<\/a>, flexibility, metabolism and cardiovascular<\/a> function which are tested across lots of different types of gym equipment. But for me, my biggest achievement since exercising is coming off steroids for my rheumatoid arthritis after 20 years. At one point, I couldn\u2019t walk. My knees and joints just totally seized up. I had to have steroid injections into my knees. I was on steroids and other medication for around 20 years, and it took almost a year for me to come off steroids after I started exercising as I had to slowly reduce my dose. I\u2019m now on half the dose of my other medication. I never thought this would be possible after all those years. It\u2019s amazing \u2013 I feel like a new person.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Everything changed for Linda in November 2022, when she moved to Ledian Gardens. \u2018The turning point for me to start exercising really was moving here,\u2019 she explains. \u2018I felt lonely and isolated in my old flat, which is why I moved. I didn’t exercise as I felt down and had no guidance, but we\u2019re all encouraged to use the gym here, and there\u2019s no excuse. It\u2019s on the doorstep. I don\u2019t have to get in a car and go there. I just walk a few corridors and it\u2019s there. The exercise classes are also all organised for you, so you don\u2019t have to plan it yourself. The classes are also tailored to our age group. For example, we\u2019ll do balance and strength classes because they both decrease with age, and we\u2019ll do seated yoga<\/a> over regular yoga because we don\u2019t have the flexibility for regular yoga. But we\u2019re encouraged to do more than we think we can, to make us stronger and healthier.\u2019<\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/p>\n

She says exercise is the reason she no longer wants to \u2018hide\u2019 herself. \u2018We\u2019ve all got wrinkles,\u2019 she says. \u2018But exercise helps me to look healthy and feel nice. I\u2019m proud of myself and I don\u2019t want to hide.\u2019<\/p>\n

Here, she shares everything that transformed her health \u2013 and her advice for anyone looking to start exercise. <\/p>\n

Ledian Gardens is part of the Inspired Villages<\/a> in Kent <\/p>\n

1. Start small, with simple exercises and classes<\/strong>\"exercise<\/p>\n

Fabio De Paola<\/p>\n

\u2018If you just go and sit in a class first and watch, you\u2019ll soon be joining in. You don\u2019t have to do everything straight away. My first workout was in a group of four or five, so we had almost individual attention from the coach and the class wasn\u2019t difficult \u2013 I think it was a strength and balance workout, but that first session was more about getting used to the machines. Some exercises we did were simply lifting our heels and then our toes. Just start small and build up.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s never too late to start. I\u2019m proof of that. I didn\u2019t step into a gym until I was 75, and now I can\u2019t imagine not doing it. You don\u2019t need to be fit to begin with \u2013 that comes later. Just give it a go.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. Make exercise part of your routine<\/strong>\"exercise<\/p>\n

Fabio De Paola<\/p>\n

\u2018When I first started, I did two classes a week. Now, a week in workouts looks like this: <\/p>\n