The family treating healthy aging like a team sport
An 80-year-old woman in Singapore has successfully integrated strength training into her lifestyle after being encouraged by her children. Research supports the benefits of resistance training for older adults to maintain health and muscle mass.
Why it matters
Promoting strength training for the elderly is a vital public health strategy to combat age-related frailty and chronic illness.
Charlotte Lim (right) started strength training at her daughter Yan's (left) gym when she was 72. Amanda Goh/Business Insider Watching Charlotte Lim at work in the gym, it's easy to forget that she's 80. She does a pull-up, chin clearing the bar with ease. She drops to the ground and powers through a set of feet-elevated push-ups . Then, she grabs a dumbbell off the rack, holds it close to her chest, and drops into squat after squat. Lim only started strength training at 72. Before that, exercise meant little more than walking on a treadmill after she retired from a consulting and HR role. "For 15 years I coasted along, but I was looking to be stronger," Lim told Business Insider. Charlotte Lim started training at the gym regularly after her daughter convinced her to.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in