A message to my 80-year-old clients (and anyone else who cares to listen)

Lately, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with older women about their health and fitness goals. Unsurprisingly, many want to feel stronger, improve balance, and stay independent.

What I wasn’t expecting, though, was how many still feel negatively about their bodies—and how often weight loss remains a focus. Some even have a specific number in mind, believing they’ll finally be satisfied when they reach it.

I understand that research links high levels of visceral fat and obesity with poorer health outcomes, shorter life expectancy, and increased risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, certain cancers, and musculoskeletal issues.

But weight is such a blunt instrument. When it comes to individual health, there are far better indicators of wellbeing than the number on a scale.

As a health coach and trainer, I work hard to centre my message around optimising health. I completely understand the desire to feel good in your own skin—but my focus is always on health, function, and performance rather than aesthetics.

And to be honest—I get it. I’ve had my own struggles with body image and disordered eating, and I still catch myself holding unrealistic expectations. For a long time, I assumed that as I got older, these thoughts would simply fade—that ageing would somehow bring perspective and acceptance.

But I’ve realised that assumption was ageist in its own way. It’s not age that changes how we see ourselves—it’s intention. If I want to hold a kinder, more accepting view of my body in my later years, I have to consciously cultivate it now.

That realisation has made these conversations with my 80-year-old clients even more meaningful. It’s a reminder that this work—caring for ourselves without judgment—is lifelong.

Your body is extraordinary

My wish is that you recognise how incredible your body is—the same body that has carried you through your many years of living.

It’s the body that danced the night away when you were a teenager.
That let you travel the world.
The body that walked you down the aisle.
That carried your children.
That helped you achieve so much in your work and community.

I want you to exercise so you can hold on to every bit of muscle and bone you can—because those things are vital to your health, longevity, and quality of life.

I want you to eat well—with enough nourishing, satisfying food—so you have the energy to do the things you love, and so you can keep contributing all that you still have to give to this world.