This Woman Lost Weight & Became a Fitness Guru in Her 70s – She Gives 5 Tips to Change Your Life
Nearly ten years ago, Joan MacDonald faced declining health and a future dependent on medication — until she made a life-changing decision. Now nearing 80, she is stronger than ever and inspires millions to take charge of their health with five important tips.
At 70 years old, Joan MacDonald found herself in a position that many older adults can relate to — struggling with health issues and relying on medication to manage them.
Living in Ontario, Canada, she had accepted that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and acid reflux were just part of aging. However, her daughter, Michelle, saw things differently.
During a visit just before Christmas in 2016, Michelle noticed her mother was out of breath just from climbing the stairs. “I was really huffing and puffing climbing up and down the stairs,” Joan recalled.
Concerned for her mother’s future, Michelle, a fitness coach, confronted her about the reality of her situation. “Michelle just told me point-blank, ‘You don’t have to get old like everyone else does,'” Joan said. That simple statement planted a seed of change.
Joan had been moderately active, occasionally going bowling, but frequent falls and a knee replacement in 2014 made movement more difficult.
Although she had watched Michelle compete in figure competitions and train others in fitness, she had never seriously considered exercising.
But that day, the fear of facing the same health struggles she had witnessed in her mother made her realize it was time for a change.
“My daughter got really, really concerned. She thought that if she wanted me around, she’d better intervene,” she said. In January 2017, just a few weeks after her conversation with Michelle, Joan joined a transformation group led by her daughter.
While the other women in the group were significantly younger, she was determined to make progress. She started by following Michelle’s custom workout plans and printing out PDFs of exercises before eventually upgrading to an iPad to stream instructional videos online.
“My acid reflux was horrible. I was choking all the time. I felt just awful,” Joan admitted. “I could have stopped right then, but I didn’t. I wanted something better.”
Over time, her consistency paid off. By October 2018, she was off all medications, had joined a local gym, and was receiving compliments on her developing strength and toned physique.
At first, she had been apprehensive about working out in a gym, but she quickly realized that most people were too focused on their own routines to judge others.
“I think a lot of people don’t want to start because they’re afraid they’re going to be under the microscope,” Joan said. “But, truly, everyone is too worried about their own agenda.”
Through dedicated effort, she improved not only her strength but also her overall well-being. By 2022, at nearly 76 years old, she had lost 60 pounds and could bench press 80 pounds.
