Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: How I Train When Life Doesn’t Care About My Schedule

 

Some people plan their workouts. I plan my emergencies.

I live with a medically fragile family member who can collapse without warning. He’s on oxygen 24/7. He has episodes where he stops breathing. I am the one who brings him back.

This means I don’t get uninterrupted time. I don’t get predictable days. I don’t get to say, “I’ll be at the gym at 10.”

I get windows. Moments. Opportunities.

And I’ve learned to train inside those.

Here’s what that looks like:

1. I take the cardio when I can get it

If I can drop into Nena’s class, I do. If I can’t, I don’t punish myself. I do incline walking instead — even 10 minutes counts.

2. I shrink the expectation

A gym visit doesn’t have to be an hour. It can be 12 minutes. It can be one machine. It can be “I showed up.”

3. I train at home when the world won’t cooperate

Weights, calisthenics, marching in place, simple cardio — whatever fits the moment.

4. I don’t wait for perfect conditions

Perfect doesn’t exist in my life. Possible does.

5. I refuse to feel guilty

Caregiving is physical. Caregiving is emotional. Caregiving is exhausting. And caregiving is movement.

I train because I need to stay strong enough to keep doing what I do. But I train inside the reality I live in — not the fantasy schedule the fitness world assumes everyone has.

This is Grandma Ninja training: Adaptable. Flexible. Unpredictable. Persistent. And always, always moving forward.


Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian grandmother who dared to dream big—by training for American Ninja Warrior. Teaming up with her coach and trainer, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch.

Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor.

Grandma shares what she’s learning; her coach explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age.

Part training manual, part motivational memoir, Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is packed with practical tips for readers over 50 who want to improve their fitness, health, and confidence. You’ll also get insider insights into the world of American Ninja Warrior, strategies for balancing real life with ambitious goals, and hard-won wisdom about success, failure, and the joy of simply showing up.




To read more precerpts from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary, click HERE.




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