Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: I Don't Look the Part, and I Don't Care
Not all grandmas have extra spending money—or extra time, energy, or opportunities to earn more. So when it comes to gym gear, I keep it simple: my everyday shorts, long pants, pullover tops, or t-shirts. Nothing fancy. No label-heavy leggings. And definitely no matching sports bras in high-tech fabrics. My everyday clothes work just fine, and more important, they cost me nothing. Do I look like a misfit next to the younger women in coordinated, brand-name ensembles? Probably. But I’m not there for a fashion show. I’m there to train. And what I’ve noticed is... I’m often stronger than many of the gym-goers who look the part. Considerably so, in fact. At 75, I was leg pressing 360 pounds. (I’ve since dropped to 200—at my physiotherapist sister’s urging, just to be kind to my knees.) Meanwhile, the stylish crowd next to me is huffing and puffing at 40 or 60 pounds. The same goes for upper body and core machines. Or take the treadmill: I can run at 5.6 or 6.0 (briefly, sure), and ...