71-Year-Old Stronger Than Ever Shares Workout Tips
At 71, Joan MacDonald is lifting heavier than she ever has before. She says she feels more energetic now than she did in her 50s. That wasn’t always the case.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she became the primary caregiver for her mother, who was in her 90s. MacDonald stopped exercising, barely slept, and drank wine most nights to cope. By the time she turned 68, she had gained weight and lost muscle tone. She didn’t feel like herself.
“I knew that if I wanted to live to my 90s, I needed to get my act together,” she said.
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She joined a 12-week online fitness challenge named after her. It focused on body recomposition through weight training and nutrition guidance. Participants submitted before-and-after photos at the end of the 12 weeks.
MacDonald had some experience lifting weights, but she had never tracked macros before. The program gave her access to five weekly full-body strength workouts, a detailed macro guide, and a meal plan through the Train with Joan app. She mastered the workouts quickly. Counting macros was harder. She was used to eating whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Tracking every bite felt overwhelming at first. But after a few weeks, it became second nature. She learned to read nutrition labels and understand serving sizes. She increased her protein intake and cut back on carbs and fat.
The results went beyond her body. She had more energy, slept better, and felt stronger mentally and physically. Leaving her mother for an hour a day to work out was hard, but she said prioritizing her own wellness made her a better caretaker.
Lifting heavy for bone density
Now, at 71, MacDonald’s workout routine is built around improving her bone density. She lifts heavy weights five days a week — three lower-body days and two upper-body days. She trains in her home gym with free weights, barbells, a multi-use power rack, and resistance bands. Each session includes about eight moves, with four to five sets of eight to 10 reps. Her workouts last about an hour and a half. Typical exercises include deadlifts, hip thrusts, Bulgarian split squats, lat pull-downs, and biceps curls. She follows the principle of progressive overload, gradually increasing intensity over time.
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Most sessions also include plyometric exercises — squat jumps, burpees, and frog jumps — to stimulate new bone tissue formation. MacDonald is at increased risk for osteoporosis as she ages, so she does everything she can to keep her bones strong. She’s not a fan of cardio, but she jumps rope for at least 20 minutes three days a week. She also gets at least 10,000 steps a day and stretches thoroughly before and after every workout.
Three factors that made the difference
MacDonald credits three specific changes for her transformation. First, she cut out alcohol and processed snacks. She used to end every night with wine and snacks. Once she understood nutrition, she stopped drinking entirely and switched to whole foods. After a few weeks, her body craved fresh food and she no longer wanted sugar.
Second, she stopped trying to accomplish her goals alone. She had always prided herself on being independent and turned down help. But the online community in her program changed that. She met some of her best friends through the journey and leans on them for motivation.
“You can be independent and have an incredible support system — they are not mutually exclusive,” she said.
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Third, she fine-tuned her mindset. She spent years putting her own needs on the back burner. Once she recognized that self-care is a prerequisite to showing up for others, her outlook changed. Through journaling and meditating, she has spent the last three years working toward sustainable habits.
“It’s hard work to show up for yourself day in and day out, but that’s where the change actually happens,” she said. “It’s all about choices.”
MacDonald now shares her journey on Instagram and connects with women from around the world. She says getting older is inevitable, but weakness is optional. “I don’t lift for my age — I lift for my life.”
