Hi Friends,
I’m Renu Bakshi, the guy behind Just Fitness Hub (JFH). I had lost considerable muscle mass when I was getting old, and I’m well aware of the pain and anxiety that it brings. Here is my story about old age fitness and how I recovered and gained muscle mass!
My Fitness Story – Old Age Fitness
I can still remember it, as vividly as yesterday. It was the eve of my 62nd birthday. I stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. I took off my shirt, looked in the mirror, and noticed that my skin was sagging around my upper arms and even on my face. I tried to convince myself that I was still a fit guy, which I had always thought I was.
Somehow, I had been able to skate by on this delusion for many years. But the denial had finally caught up to me. I saw my true reflection, and I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. I was in the worst shape of my life. I had lost a lot of my muscle mass, and I looked sick and haggard.
It’s a typical story. First, it’s the stressful job, family responsibilities, and settling the kids. Your time is no longer your own, and so you get unfit and unhealthy. My health was deteriorating, especially, after I retired. I was depressed, my blood pressure remained elevated, and my health was deteriorating day by day.
On that fateful day of clarity, I visited my doctor. I sat with him for almost two hours, and he lectured me on how lifestyle can affect one’s life. I made a decision to change my lifestyle at that very moment. Not a vague, wishy-washy notion that I should “get in shape”, but a firm determination “to eat better” and “start exercising” to enhance my wellness and get fit.
In my case, it began with getting up at 5 am and going out for an early morning walk and exercising in the park around my neighborhood. Initially, I was doing it for one hour. The immediate results were slow, but I continued in my endeavor. Gradually, my energy level was recovering.
I researched & experimented a lot. After six months I was passing by a gym near to my house, and a sudden thought struck my mind – hey, why not join the gym! I stepped into the gym, talked to the gym owner, and took membership. He gave me a discount of 10%, as I was a senior citizen, retired, and without any regular source of income. The next day, I was in the gym at dot 5 am – and my journey started with a bang, leading to a gradual building up of muscle mass and fitness.
The results were hardly overnight. But two years later, I had gained a respectable amount of muscle mass, I was the most fit I had ever been in my life. The trainers and other people coming to the gym respected me and were at times awed to see my dedication at this age. Many young people training in the gym said that they get inspired on seeing my consistency and stamina.
At 68, I am completely fit. Quite an extreme contrast from that day I looked in the mirror. I’m not advocating that everyone should test himself or herself so severely. But my point is that change starts with a decision followed by baby steps along a new, consistent trajectory that, over time, can lead to dramatic results. If I could experience such a vast transformation in my own life, I know with certainty that everybody has within himself/herself the power to enact his own well-balanced transformation.
Side by side, my extensive research continued about workouts and nutrition. After having done extensive research and gathering expert’s opinions, and my own experience, I had gained so much knowledge that I started this Just Fitness Hub blog to share no non-sense, actionable tips and guides – covering everything necessary to lead a healthy, active, and fit life in old age.
I’m here to say that it doesn’t have to be that way. I don’t care how busy you are. I don’t care how old you are, how many kids you have, or how little time you think you have. The power rests within yourself to enact any change in your life you desire. And I can say this because I have seen it happen in myself and countless others.
Let’s join together to shift the world’s perspective on long-term health and wellness. No matter how old, overweight, or weak, and out of shape you are, you have the power to transform yourself into a healthy and fit person. Positive change is always within your grasp, and today still remains the first day of the rest of your life. Make it count!
Note: At the age of 67 & 68 (last year), I passed three certifications from ISSA, USA, all with flying colors – “Personal Fitness Trainer”, “Nutrition Health Coach” and “Specialist Exercise Therapy”.
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