This year, my mom started going to the gym for the first time. The new-found interest was in part a social decision. My mom – who is formally known as Cairine Coulis-Brown but will always be Ma to me – has experimented with all sorts of group activities in retirement, everything from dance classes to choir. But the other major factor was making sure that as she aged, she didn’t have to give up the things that mattered to her most.
“Am I still able to do what I could do five years ago? Am I going to be able to stay in my house easily? I like being able to travel easily,” said Ma, who is in her seventies.
During a recent chat, she referenced articles I’d written about slips and falls and muscle mass. The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that falls are the leading cause of hospitalization and death for people aged 65 and older. And according to Osteoporosis Canada, muscle mass decreases approximately 3 to 8 per cent after age 30, with the rate of decline even higher past 60.
Since last spring, she’s been training as part of Bfit at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont. Her program is designed for seniors and focuses on balance, co-ordination and muscle maintenance. It costs just $60 a month.
While mom had been hesitant to start – in her mind, gym training meant sweaty, high-intensity cardio or picking up heavy weights – the structure felt suitably challenging and surprisingly fun. With just a few sessions a month, she’s noticed a big difference.
Kimberley Gammag, director of the master of professional kinesiology program and SeniorFit director at Brock, isn’t surprised.
Health Canada recommends 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity a week for people 65 years and older. But “for someone who isn’t currently active, the most important thing is to get any type and amount of physical activity,” Gammag said. “Something is always better than nothing. And the biggest reductions in mortality risk occur in those who go from not doing any physical activity to doing just a little bit.”
Ma’s exercise journey got me thinking about what working out looks like as we get older, how routines and priorities change, and what advice I could glean from physically fit people past 60. I spoke with a number of notable Canadians looking for answers.
Jane Barratt, 70
Physician and aging expert
Her workout advice: Getting older doesn’t mean giving up on fitness goals
Jane Barratt spent more than 20 years as the secretary-general for the International Federation on Ageing, advocating for the rights of aging populations while working with institutions such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations. According to her, staying mobile is one of the best things we can do for our bodies as we get older.
“Mobility and cognitive function are the keys to a longer life. There’s not a lot of value in having a longer life if you’re in poor health and poor function,” said Barratt, who is based in Toronto. “My whole routine is geared around making sure I’m functionally able now and in 10 years.”
Barratt aims for 10,000 steps a day. She also works out at her local YMCA five days a week, with a focus on resistance training (splitting her workouts between legs, chest, back and arms) and balance exercises. The gym sessions take about 75 minutes each. Her main goal is making sure she can lift her suitcase into an overhead compartment while travelling.
Barratt understands that such an active lifestyle isn’t going to be for everyone – her routine takes time and commitment – but she is keen to point out that getting older doesn’t mean we have to stop chasing goals or pushing our limits.
“I don’t want to let age define me. I’ve got ambitions for my body as well as my work. I still want to find out what my body can do.”
For those who don’t have the time or disposition to emulate Barratt’s habits, she suggests adding some movement to day-to-day life. Gardening counts. So does going for a walk. The trick is to find things that fit your environment and you can do consistently.
Susur Lee, 67
Celebrity chef and restaurateur
His workout advice: Scheduling is a major key to consistency
Susur Lee has earned a reputation as a top chef both in Canada and abroad, helming kitchens such as Toronto’s Lee (and Pearson airport outpost Lee Kitchen) as well as Singapore’s Tunglok Heen. His appearances on Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters introduced him to a generation of foodies, while recent videos with his youngest son, Jet, have gone viral on social media.
Lee believes that making both making schedules – a consistent daily routine with planned travel and workout activities put on the calendar – and remaining active have been crucial to maintaining his success, especially in recent years.
“The restaurant business can be physically demanding. I want to show my team that it can still be done positively. I believe in schedules and try to keep that mindset when moving forward. Eat well. Set your schedule. Schedule your exercises,” he told The Globe.
Lee starts off each morning by walking his dogs. A few times a week, he works with a trainer. But the chef’s main form of exercise is yoga. He practises six days a week, with sessions lasting upwards of 90 minutes. It’s a habit he started a decade ago, after a friend introduced him to the activity.
“I used to practice martial arts. [Yoga] was exactly the kind of warm-up we did, so getting into the movement felt natural. Spirituality is also a very important part of it. With what we do in the restaurant business, it can be a lot of pressure. It’s very important to stay calm. Staff see that calmness and can follow your direction,” Lee said. “Yoga is really giving me a lot of longevity with what I do.”
Prepping both the body and the mind is necessary to make sure he’s present and prepared for the stress of the kitchen. It also lets him set a good example for many of the younger staff working under him. “I believe that being a leader, you have to have the aura of leadership,” Lee said. “I really love what I do and am striving for inspiration and mentorship to my team.”
Molly Johnson, 67
Award-winning singer and performer
Her workout advice: Getting fit doesn’t have to involve going to a gym
Molly Johnson is one of Canada’s most celebrated jazz singers, lauded with a Governor-General’s Award and two Junos among many other accolades. She trained at the Canada’s National Ballet School in her youth, but today describes herself as “not a gym person.”
“After being a ballerina for many years, I felt like I spent enough time sweating. Then I had kids and that’s a workout in itself,” Johnson said. “But when I got my first solo show at Massey Hall, I realized I just needed to get my endurance up. … It wasn’t about weight. It’s about endurance and strength, so I’m not toppling over in those shoes.”
Prepping for the 2021 Toronto concert, the singer wanted a workout she could do quickly, without needing a lot of equipment or even to leave her house. What she found was a series of 22-minute workouts from dancer and comedian Anjelica Scannura. The online videos are a throwback to 1980s exercise routines, complete with bodysuits and legwarmers. Each one incorporates a variety of light dumbbells, aerobics and balance exercises.
Johnson instantly took to the kitschy, fun vibe. Best of all, the workouts felt accessible for any level of fitness. “This doesn’t have to be something that you’re suffering for and, like, you don’t have to go lift crazy weights.”
She would do a routine in her spare bedroom, often in her pyjamas. “I was able to finish the workout before 9. By the time 9:30 rolls around, I’ve worked out, I’ve had a shower and I’m good to go. It made it easy to stick with.”
The benefits from the consistency were enough for her to keep up with the workouts even after the performance. “I don’t have back issues any more. I used to have sciatica, even a bit of arthritis in one of my hands. It flared up when I wasn’t able to do those workouts for a week or so,” she said. “I would have loved to have started this a bit younger. But it doesn’t matter when you start, you just need to do something that’s manageable and doable.”
Peter Sellers, 69
Author and bookshop owner
His workout advice: A good fitness routine can help prevent injuries
Earlier this year, Peter Sellers had a hip replacement. The procedure gave Sellers a new-found appreciation for mobility and exercise.
While in recent years he’d been less consistent with working out, the Toronto-based author and bookstore owner had built a solid foundation of movement, taking up karate in his 40s. In his 50s, he found a gym with semi-private personal training sessions. The workouts were both fun and challenging, with emphasis on strength and mobility. He learned proper form for squats and deadlifts and how to push limits without hurting himself.
Without his background in movement patterns such as the hip hinge, the surgery could have had a much more negative impact on his day-to-day – at least in the short term.
“Even though I hadn’t really worked out regularly for more than a year, doctors said compared to a lot of people who were coming in for hip surgery, I was in really good shape,” Sellers said. “In rehab there were very basic exercises we’d been asked to do. Apparently some people struggled to do them. Luckily, I didn’t have much trouble as it was similar to work I’d been doing in the gym.”
While Sellers is still in the physio stage of recovery, he’s hoping to get to the gym more regularly once he’s able. He’ll return to some of the strength programs he’d worked through with his trainers and modify the activities to fit his current fitness level. He plans to attend with a pal, both for the social aspects and accountability.
The surgery also gave him a moment to consider how he’d approach things if he were to do everything again.
“Honestly, I wish I’d started karate earlier. I wish I’d deadlifted earlier. I wish I pushed myself more. I’m lucky I found my trainers when I did and happy I can do what I do. I’m looking forward to what these new routines will look like. But I wish I’d started it all sooner.”
