I’d let myself go at 70 but now at 77 wear bikinis and people say my ‘rockin’ body’ is ‘totally iconic’
STAYING fit can feel impossible and most of us have endless excuses for not getting to the gym.
One woman, however, decided to overhaul her body and now is a bikini wearing bodybuilder - despite being in her late seventies.
Whilst most people look forward to a restful retirement, but Joan MacDonald used her new found free time to totally transform her body.
Like many older women, the retiree felt that she'd lost herself after gaining weight in her golden years.
It wasn't just her changing body that bothered her though, as she struggled with high blood pressure, edema and 'extremely painful arthritis' that limited her mobility.
Following a tearful conversation with her daughter Michelle, a fitness influencer, the Canadian was determined to make a change.
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Just after her 70th birthday, she threw herself into the world of weightlifting and started an intense workout regime.
With the help of her daughter, the then 70-something began on changing her relationship with her body and food.
Though progress was slow, Joan began to see a changes and this helped her to stay motivated.
Seven years on, Joan is now an OAP fitness influencer who has graced the cover of magazines and inspired others with her story.
Speaking about her dramatic transformation, the now-77-year-old shared an emotional post about her journey on Instagram.
Proving that age is just a number, she wrote: "A transformation journey can be about so much more than how you look. I'm 7 years in and still learning this."
She added: "For me it is really about letting go of not just the extra weight, but letting go of a way of seeing myself and the world that was really weighing me down."
With posts like this, it's not hard to understand how the influencer has gained over 1.8 million followers on social media.
Her fans aren't just obsessed with her motivational posts though, as the glam granny regularly uploads photos of her enviable bikini body.
As she shows off her toned tum and legs on social media, fans have labelled her body as 'rockin' and called the OAP 'totally iconic'.
Some even claim that she is aging better than her daughter after seeing a recent reel of them at a pageant together.
One fan even gushed: “You are more beautiful than the girl!”
Others have dubbed the gymgoer a ‘goddess’ after she uploaded a video of her training in her bikini.
If that weren’t impressive enough, Joan will uploaded detailed reels of her workout routine with tips and tricks on how to stay trim in your twilight years.
Though she has millions of admirers, Joan seems to care more about empowering others than focusing on her incredible body.
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In a heartfelt Instagram post, she told fans: "My dear friends and followers, dare to believe in yourselves. Dare to take back your health out of love, out of compassion, out of wisdom."
Talk about a wonder woman!
