This is what I aspire to. A healthy, strong, aesthetic body. In order of priority. When this phrase first came to me I led with ‘strong’ but almost immediately swapped it with ‘healthy’. Health comes first, followed closely by strength with aesthetics trailing behind. But if the first two are right it won’t be that far behind.

For most of us health can be a state of being that we take for granted. We may tell ourselves that our diet, our exercise, is all about health but often it is about how we look. It is only when we start to lose it do we appreciate just how important it is. Life can become very dark when our health fails. And however well we look after ourselves sooner or later we will experience ill health.

My health started to fail at the age of 54. Although it took another two years before I took the symptoms seriously. They were just an inconvenience. When I received the diagnosis I experienced feelings of bereavement. I mourned the loss of my reliable, healthy body.

Since having open heart surgery I’ve focused on staying healthy. I’ve kept my BMI within a normal range, I’ve exercised, I try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night and mindfulness has kept a hold on my anxiety.

Unfortunately, ill-health returned more recently as a consequence of an overactive thyroid but my treatment is going well. I’m feeling good.

But there is more that I can do for my health. Whilst my BMI is within a normal range my body fat percentage is too high. From an Inbody assessment I know that I have an unhealthy amount of visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat wrapped around the organs of the body. It secretes cytokines that increases inflammation in the body. Inflammation probably caused my heart condition and I know from a recent ultrasound that my thyroid gland is inflamed. Reducing this fat has to be a priority if I’m going to improve my health.

My diet is good but could be better. Sugar is my weakness even though I know it can cause inflammation and after a sugar high I nearly always experience an energy sapping slump. I need to wean myself off.

I exercise. A few years ago I trained as a personal trainer and then did an additional qualification in Exercise for the Older Adult. What I took most from my studies was that up until the age of about 80 we can carry on doing everything that people decades younger are doing. We will be slower, we won’t be as strong but unless ill health or injury intervenes nothing should stop us. But we should be doing more to counteract the inevitable deterioration that hits us all in our 4th decade and seems to accelerate after the age of 60. We need to be mindful that the 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise that is often cited is not supported by good research. It is a figure believed to be what people would find acceptable. We should be doing more with an onus on strength training.

I started weight training at the age of 55. I’m stronger now than I was back then even with the two bumps in the road. But progress is slow as I’m training to slow down muscle loss and then reverse it. What I do is functional. A strong body allows me to live the life I want. There is also something empowering with being a strong, older woman.

What I can’t reverse is the reduction in my maximum heart rate. It is what brings the end to the careers of elite athletes. We will get slower. I’ve been exercising properly for about a decade. Before that I use to faff about. During these last few years I have got slower. There are now gym classes that I can’t do as I’m too slow. I’d just hold people up. Although I’m mindful that this is my issue. I’ve no qualms when I’m training with my daughter. I’d give her the finger if she tells me to speed up. But it would be good to have the opportunity to train with my own age cohort.

Exercise becomes more important as we get older. The evidence is irrefutable. It slows down and stalls our physical decline. It keeps our muscles strong which prevents falls. A major cause of disability and even death. It keeps our hearts and minds strong. Unfortunately society often takes a different view. We are told to slow down. That it’s not good for us. As if our bodies are comparable to a machine that will wear our. When the reverse is the case. Motion is lotion. Use it or lose it. How sad for older people. And how expensive for the NHS.

Finally, even as a woman in her seventh decade I want to like what I see in the mirror. I want to have an aesthetic body. I want muscle definition, I want good posture. I want to look good in my clothes. I want to wear a crop top to the gym. Good nutrition, exercise, strength training, rest and recovery can give me this. I won’t stay hidden.

P.S. In the feature photo I’m doing burpees. The king of exercises but the spawn of the devil. In two weeks I’ll be doing 63 of them to celebrate my birthday.