{"id":3149,"date":"2025-05-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=3149"},"modified":"2025-05-21T21:34:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T21:34:25","slug":"im-74-but-feel-40-because-of-my-once-a-week-expense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/17\/im-74-but-feel-40-because-of-my-once-a-week-expense\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m 74 but feel 40 because of my once-a-week expense"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
A year ago, I started working out with a personal trainer (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Standing in front of the full length mirror at the gym, I flexed a bicep to admire my muscle definition, then snapped a photo on my phone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Looking good!\u2019 I said to myself.<\/p>\n

A year ago, I started working out with a personal trainer<\/a> and the results were obvious. The reflection in the mirror was fit and strong, with a narrow waist.<\/p>\n

Striking a pose for the camera in the gym is pretty standard behaviour these days, you might think.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m no Gen Z influencer<\/a>. I\u2019m actually a septuagenarian \u2013 a person who was born in the age of typewriters, not smartphones.<\/p>\n

This year I celebrated my 74th birthday<\/a>, but I feel more like I\u2019m 40.<\/p>\n

In fact, I\u2019m in the best shape of my life. And I\u2019m here to tell you that it\u2019s never too late to make changes.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
I feel more like I\u2019m 40 (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If I can do it in my early 70s, then you can do it too.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t always felt so body confident<\/a>. As a busy working mum I had the same hang-ups as so many other women.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t like the way I looked, hiding my figure beneath baggy Laura Ashley dresses. I hated eating in front of people, fearing they\u2019d judge me.<\/p>\n

In my forties I fell into the trap of trying to do it all. I juggled raising my daughter Laura, now 43, with a career in NHS clinical leadership that left me feeling stressed and depleted.<\/p>\n

By 50 I\u2019d reached breaking point<\/a>. I wasn\u2019t very good at asking for help \u2013 instead I\u2019d sit in my car, listening to classical music and having a good cry. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
I juggled raising my daughter Laura with a career in the NHS (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was a good friend who eventually convinced me to see my GP. We were in the pub after work one day, nursing large glasses of wine, and I felt like I needed to share how I was feeling. <\/p>\n

She was very understanding, which helped me to stop judging myself, and she gave me the confidence to seek help. <\/p>\n

I ended up breaking down in the doctor\u2019s surgery, but thankfully my GP was extremely sympathetic and I was signed off work <\/a>with stress-related depression.<\/p>\n

I went swimming and walked a lot. After six weeks, I thought I felt a little better, so I went back to work \u2013 only to end up off again two years later. The situation hadn\u2019t changed and the dark feelings were coming back. <\/p>\n

That was my lightbulb moment. I handed in my notice.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
My approach to my health was also shifting (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I did a lot of soul searching. My burnout had set me on a completely different path. <\/p>\n

Around this time, my approach to my health was also shifting. So many women hit 50 and think that\u2019s it, they\u2019re done, but for me it felt like a new beginning.<\/p>\n

I enrolled in a gym and learned how to use the machines, as I\u2019d heard resistance training<\/a> can help protect against frailty and falls as we age.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
I needed to keep myself well to manage the long-distance flights (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the next few years I went to the gym roughly twice a week. Sometimes I didn\u2019t want to go \u2013 but at the end of every session I always felt better.<\/p>\n

Becoming a grandma in 2011, when Laura had my gorgeous grandson, Jacob, spurred me on even more. They live in the US and I knew I needed to keep myself well to manage the long-distance flights. Jetlag is no fun if you\u2019re not fighting fit.<\/p>\n

I wrote and self-published a book in 2011 called Journey to Chocolate about my quest for a more balanced and satisfying life. People go through life on autopilot \u2013 I wanted to reach out and give them a shake.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
My husband, Iain, was totally on board (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I started eating \u2018clean\u2019 with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, avoiding processed food<\/a> and not drinking alcohol from Monday to Thursday. The changes to my diet made me feel more energetic and alert; I slept better, and managing my weight was much easier. <\/p>\n

My husband, Iain, was totally on board. He started eating in a similar way and began feeling better, too, and I found that I was meeting and making friends with younger women <\/strong>who shared my enthusiasm for life. <\/p>\n

In spring 2020, as the Covid pandemic hit and the world went into lockdown, I became sick of hearing the over-50s described as \u2018vulnerable\u2019. I\u2019d recently celebrated my 70th birthday and I felt anything but. In fact, I felt I\u2019d had the best years of my life since turning 50.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
In October 2022, I signed <\/strong>up with a personal trainer (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
I surprised myself with how much I liked it (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But staying well as you age does take work, so in October 2022, I signed <\/strong>up with a personal trainer, Janine Worthington.<\/p>\n

I met her through a women’s networking event and initially assumed she was quite young but when I saw her in person at a Macmillan Coffee Morning, I realised she was a mid-lifer who just looked really healthy.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019d love to have a session or two with you,\u2019 I admitted. If she could look so good then why couldn\u2019t I?<\/p>\n

During our first session in her garage gym she had me doing squats, lunges and lifting weights. Despite being hard work I surprised myself with how much I liked it.<\/p>\n

It was different to how I normally worked out: we were chatting at the same time, so it was more enjoyable, and she helped me get the best out of each exercise, so I was learning as well. <\/p>\n

I discovered I responded well to being pushed during our one-to-one sessions, and Janine focused on what I could do, rather than my age. <\/p>\n

\u2018I can\u2019t believe this is actually fun!\u2019 I laughed.<\/p>\n

Now I work out with Janine once a week, do regular pilates<\/a> sessions with my teacher Beverley Densham and go for daily walks with Iain. <\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been married 45 years and we\u2019re still going strong.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Ann:\t<\/div>
We\u2019ve been married 45 years and we\u2019re still going strong (Picture: Ann Girling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I run a Facebook Group called The Unlikely Guru, <\/strong>to bring together other like-minded folk who want to enjoy their lives as they age.<\/p>\n

I call myself the \u2018unlikely\u2019 Guru because if you\u2019d told the 40-year-old me that I\u2019d be a fitness influencer in my 70s, I\u2019d have burst out laughing.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019m determined to lead an \u2018ageing well\u2019 movement.<\/p>\n

\n
Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">What are your secrets to ‘ageing well’? Share your tips below<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>My message is simple: it doesn\u2019t matter how old you are \u2013 don\u2019t give up and don\u2019t settle. With a few simple tweaks, such as prioritising exercise, a good diet, lots of sleep, lowering stress and having a sense of purpose, it\u2019s never too late to improve your vitality.<\/p>\n<p><em>As told to Jade Beecroft<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article was originally published April 28, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:jess.austin@metro.co.uk\">jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A year ago, I started working out with a personal trainer (Picture: Ann Girling) Standing in front of the full length mirror at the gym, I flexed a bicep to admire my muscle definition, then snapped a photo on my phone. \u2018Looking good!\u2019 I said to myself. A year ago, I started working out with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3149"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3149"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3161,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3149\/revisions\/3161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}