When Hrithik Roshan uploaded a video of his 68-year-old mother Pinkie Roshan doing an intense workout, many took to social media to laud her fitness level. Milind Soman’s 81-year-old mother Usha Soman completed the Sandakphu trek in December 2020, and became the oldest woman in India to perform this feat.
Gone are the days when senior citizens’ exercise meant a stroll in the park, pranayaam and laughter clubs. They are now kicking, lifting weights and running marathons.
“I saw Milind Soman’s mother perform squats and do planks, and thought to myself, I am much younger and I should be able to lift some weights at least,” says 58-year-old Manisha Chauhan, who lives in north Delhi. Manisha, a home manager, has been working out for the past year at a local gym. She says it has been an extremely fulfilling journey towards self-love because lifting weights helps her feel more in sync with her body.
For some, Akshay Kumar’s consistent dedication to fitness through the years is an inspiration. It is not rocket science that film stars, and now influencers, influence many aspects of our life. That reach has increased with social media and WhatsApp forwards. From which soap to buy to where to eat, our choices are heavily influenced by what we see our favourite stars doing. So it does not come as a surprise that a lot of people who have taken up fitness later in their lives have been inspired by celebrities.
Coordinating workouts on WhatsApp groups to organising weekend activities, an older generation of fitness enthusiasts are putting their best foot forward to ensure that they prioritise health in their lives. Many in Delhi are choosing activities that help them not just combat physical illnesses, but also boost their confidence, mental health and reduce stress.
Rajesh Devgan, 54, says, “Most of the time, we dismiss fitness in favour of earning money when we are younger and after a certain age, we spend that same money on paying bills of health ailments. So, isn’t it better to start paying attention to your health, no matter what age you are?”
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The wake-up call
For a lot of older Indians, Covid was the wake-up call. Since people with comorbidities fell prey more easily to the coronavirus, a large section of people were affected by the pandemic in India. Be it weight gain due to lockdown, or recognising that health ailments are always lurking around the corner, many Indians decided to do something about it.
Roohi Sharma, 58, who battles high blood pressure, says, “I started working out at home due to Covid. I understood that it was time to focus on myself, not think about the embarrassment.”
Sharma’s husband, 56-year-old Harminder, a businessman, says he gained a lot of weight during the lockdown. “I want my clothes to fit me again,” he says.
People are now choosing to take time out from their jobs, businesses and daily lives to participate in some form of physical activity. Hemant Arora runs marathons—both half and full—and is part of a group of 40-50-year-olds who regularly cycle and, on weekends, cover more than 50 km. For 46-year-old Arora, who owns a utensil shop, it was a visit to a doctor after reaching 100 kgs and being diagnosed with a spike in his sugar levels that spurred him to action.
“We all have the excuse that we have busy lives and no time to workout. I decided to make time for myself, and I did,” Arora says.
Arora began with working out at a park in Delhi’s Model Town, and now easily competes in marathons because four years after he started, fitness became a part of his life.
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Everything except gym
While gyms are the most popular avenue for getting fit, many are choosing to diversify. Conventional weightlifting does not work out for everyone, especially because of muscle pulls, and many gym-goers complain of being ‘bored’. Be it kickboxing, yoga or even marathons, people are choosing the ‘unusual’ despite the ‘I am too old for this’ barrier.
“I did try gymming for some time, but it did not really work for me. I now really enjoy my kickboxing classes, and I have kept at it for five months now,” Aparna Garg, a 46-year-old mother, says. Whether or not we accept it, gyms can be a daunting place with men flashing abs and biceps and women running on treadmills. Most above 40 often have various health concerns, from back pain to knee ache and weak muscles. As such, it feels daunting to even enter a gym, let alone start working out.
Many start with walking in parks, and then, be it through word of mouth or sometimes their children and friends, decide to opt for other forms of exercise. For 64-year-old Ankita, it was a friend who recommended golf after the former could barely walk due to an issue in her feet. Ankita, who had actively played badminton in her younger days, was not convinced immediately. But after two years of playing, she says she feels much better physically and more confident about herself.
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‘I want my child to be proud of me’
Harpreet Kaur, 60, says he started to work out after she saw that her daughter-in-law and grandson work out regularly together. That spurred Kaur to also occasionally join online yoga classes. Now, she has been regularly doing yoga for six months. Kaur says that it helps her relax, and her grandson’s smile when he sees his ‘adadi’ working out is a big boost to her “grandmotherly ego”.
“He thinks I am cool, and that feels amazing,” she says.
Children can play a big role in pushing people to work out. Ravi Khatri, a fitness trainer at Delhi Combat Club, says, “If kids tell their parents ‘I won’t work out till you do,’ it can be a push for parents to start exercising.”
It is no secret that children mimic/imitate what they see their elders, especially parents, do. Sometimes, it is easier to stick to a fitness routine for children when they see their parents invested in it.
Many parents choose fitness as a way of bonding with their children too.
“Everything from the commute, to taking the kickboxing class together and figuring out a diet are ways of bonding with my son,” says Ankita.
Older people who have started their fitness journey often wish they started earlier. But it is never too late to focus on one’s health. Be it kickboxing, golf, or marathons, most people who started late say unanimously, ‘Age is just a number’.
(Edited by Neera Majumdar)