The wonderful thing about social networks is that you can come across some really nice stories. Like the profile of this sports coach…not like the others! Joan MacDonald, a Canadian grandmother, is a true fitness star who inspires hundreds of thousands of users on Instagram, where her videos are quickly going viral. Her particularity? She started working out at the age of 71! Four years later, she’s in great shape and gives valuable advice to her 1.5 million followers.
Just five years ago, this retiree was suffering from several health problems and was taking a lot of medication. Motivated by her daughter, she refused to retire. Courageous and determined, she threw herself into sport. A real turning point in the life of this woman who will even become a sports influencer to inspire other seniors. A look back at the inspiring journey of this woman with a temperament of steel.
Joan MacDonald is now 75 years old and lives in Ontario, Canada. Exactly five years ago, sitting in her doctor’s office, the news about her health was not good. In fact, it was quite alarming. Her condition was deteriorating rapidly: at that time, she was obese. She weighed almost 90 kg and suffered from many ailments (chronic high blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney failure, acid reflux, arthritis, recurrent fatigue…). Her ankles were regularly swollen and she had great difficulty climbing stairs. To compensate for all her health problems, she had been taking all kinds of medications for years. After talking to the doctor, Joan’s daughter Michelle broke down in tears and told her mother that her health was deteriorating and that she would have to double her medication if she did not change her lifestyle.
It was like an electroshock. Faced with her daughter’s distress and fully aware of her descent into hell, she made the biggest decision of her life: to radically change her lifestyle. Armed with an incredible will, the septuagenarian revolutionized her daily life.
First steps in the gym
So Joan decided to leave her comfort zone and try to find a healthier life. “I was tired of being sick and tired all the time,” she says. The challenge is certainly scary, but she has an iron will and she says she is ready to go beyond her limits. She learns to use an iPhone, buys a kitchen scale (to control her calories), a tape measure and goes to Mexico where her daughter lives. Her daughter runs a gym there. It is there that her mother will start the adventure with a tailor-made program. On the menu: introduction to fitness and balanced diet. Of course, the start was very tedious. “On several occasions, I considered throwing in the towel. But Michelle and her husband prevented me from doing so. And I am very happy, because without that, I would not be where I am today”, she confided. she confided. Motivated by her loved ones and her own determination, she refused to give up and her hard work gradually began to bear fruit. Quickly, thanks to her intensive training and her well-studied diet program, she loses kilos and her physical shape is felt.
More sport, less medication!
As the months go by, the scales tip in her favor. The weight loss is motivating her to push herself further. Joan can see that her exercise is having a real impact on her health. Even her medication list began to shrink. Five years later, the miracle happened: she lost 30 kg! “It’s not magic, it’s work. But a work that it is possible to appreciate”, underlines the influencer. Not only is her weight loss staggering, but Joan is proud to have eradicated her medications from her home. Her doctor was pleasantly surprised to see that she no longer had high blood pressure, that her cholesterol level had dropped significantly and that she was no longer a victim of acid reflux.
Despite the passage of years and the passage of time, Joan has truly found her rejuvenation. She feels younger and fitter than ever! So much so that she regularly posts videos of her workouts on the networks to motivate all those who want to feel better about themselves. A real life lesson that everyone should learn from. One thing is sure, Joan assures anyone who will listen that she would never want to go back to her old way of life. On the contrary, she is multiplying her challenges today and aspires to lift heavier and heavier weights.
A well-muscled physical routine
“I like this routine because it gives me goals to reach,” says the 75-year-old retiree. I like this routine because it gives me goals to reach,” says the 75-year-old retiree who works out at the gym five days a week, juggling endurance, strength training and cardio. Her weekly routine includes two sessions for the legs, two others for the upper body and one session for the buttocks. She also practices yoga. On the diet side, she eats 5 meals a day and takes regular vitamin supplements. “I used to be able to skip one or two meals during the day and I often snacked,” she says. Yes, but that was before…
If the journey of the septuagenarian has inspired and seduced Internet users, it is because Joan proves that there is no age to take charge of your life. That age is really just a number and that it’s never too late to adjust your lifestyle. She has chosen to set an example by sharing her daily life with her subscribers. The most important thing is to have the right motivation, determination, regularity and the unconditional support of her loved ones. The rest will come with time.
