Age is an oft-repeated excuse most seniors use when it comes to exercising. We look at people who have defied this notion to keep moving…
Mala Hanotti often forgets her age. It’s only when she has to fill up official documentation that she recalls her age. No, she has no memory issues. On the contrary, her metabolic age is the reverse of her biological age. “Age is just a number. It doesn’t matter how old I am,” says the Gurgaon resident. “I lead my life just the way I did before retirement. Nothing has changed, especially when it comes to my fitness routines. I may have slowed down, but not stopped it,” she adds.
Hanottti presents the perfect example of how age does not make exercising difficult. This 67-year-old avid marathoner has been a part of runs in Antarctica, the Great Wall of China, New York, Japan and many more. But it doesn’t stop there. Her deep interest in yoga led her to join a two-year course to earn a masters degree from a university in Himachal Pradesh. “I sit with 20-22 year-olds in a classroom. In fact, I topped my class this semester. The desire to learn and grow should never stop, least of all because you are old,” she adds. Her first marathon was at the age of 40 in 1993 and she has not stopped running since.
Hanotti isn’t alone. Usha Soman, the 81-year-old mother of former supermodel Milind Soman, is a fitness enthusiast who can put any teenager to shame with her push-ups. She often runs marathons with her son. Her video of 16 push-ups done on her last birthday went viral. Then there is Rekha Devbhankar who is cycling her way to Vaishno Devi, since July this year, from her home in Maharashtra. Being 68 has not stopped her from cycling solo. She makes pit stops when it gets dark and covers about 40 kilometres a day. She intends to cover 2,200 km to reach the temple, proving once again that age is just a number.
As they get older, most people start paying attention to their diet, but often neglect physical activity. It’s important to remember that once you hit 60 the need to workout becomes more important as joints become weak, which increases the risk of injury.
Examples of seniors pushing themselves to achieve fitness milestones are all around. While some go on solo pursuits, people like Dr. Sanjay Mahavir Paswan, a senior politician from Patna, encourages others to adopt healthy activities. Paswan who cycles around wherever possible, runs a cycling club, to encourage senior citizens to take up the activity. “An injury can happen at any age, so seniors should not get scared of casualties. If they can’t cycle then at least go for walks. Also pay attention to posture,” says 59-year-old Paswan. His advice to fellow seniors is to use stairs instead of lifts and to walk and cycle as much as possible.
It’s a point reiterated by Hanotti. A former banker, Hanotti started going on treks in 1985. Later she pursued a mountaineering course from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and post her retirement she has been conducting trekking expeditions. “In my last expedition, I took a group of women to the Valley of Flowers. It was in August 2019,” she says.
So what keeps these seniors motivated?
“Life doesn’t come to an end after retirement. So continue your life just as before, especially your exercises,” says Hanotti. “One should aim to be not just spiritually charged or emotionally balanced, but also, physically fit and mentally alert,” adds Paswan.