{"id":481,"date":"2026-04-03T10:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T10:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/?p=481"},"modified":"2026-04-03T10:24:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T10:24:00","slug":"a-74-year-old-indian-mothers-secret-to-staying-healthy-and-fit-actual-strength-training-not-light-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/?p=481","title":{"rendered":"A 74-year-old Indian mother&#8217;s secret to staying healthy and fit: actual strength training, not light exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"storyParagraphFigure\">\n<p class=\"content\"><span class=\"highlight\">In an age when most fitness influencers are in their 20s, Bhuvana, 74, proves that the &#8220;golden age&#8221; can be the most powerful era ever.<\/span> After battling chronic health issues for 50 years, Bhuvana&#8217;s transformation through continuous weight lifting gained attention online and offered a blueprint for aging with autonomy.<strong> Also read | <\/strong><strong>A 62-year-old grandmother shares her secret to staying healthy. &#8220;Exercising doesn&#8217;t make you look younger than your actual age, but&#8230;&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"artImage leadImage\">\n<div class=\" \"><picture class=\"leadImageClass\"><source media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/ht-img\/img\/2026\/04\/03\/550x309\/MixCollage-03-Apr-2026-02-54-PM-2189_1775208730306_1775208758756.jpg\" alt=\"Bhuvana, 74, exemplifies strength training's importance for seniors, aligning with WHO guidelines. (Instagram\/ the_8thelement)\"\/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"\">Bhuvana, 74, exemplifies the importance of strength training for the elderly, in line with WHO guidelines. (Instagram\/the_8theelement)<span\/><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"content \"><span class=\"highlight\">The journey was chronicled by her daughter Srividya, a menopause, nutrition and lifestyle coach and founder of Eighth Elements, &#8220;committed to helping women thrive at every stage of life.&#8221; After my father passed away, I was worried about my mother&#8217;s health.<\/span>e began sharing her progress on Instagram as a way to encourage women of all ages and backgrounds to prioritize their health.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content \">\n<h2>Transformed over decades<\/h2>\n<p>For most of her adult life, Bhuvana has battled the physical strain of aging and circulatory problems. &#8220;After suffering from varicose veins for 50 years, my Amma (mother) started strength training at the age of 73,&#8221; Srividya shared in an Instagram post on March 25, 2026. &#8220;She&#8217;s not walking. It&#8217;s not a light exercise. It&#8217;s real muscle work. Over time, her pain lessened. Her legs felt stronger. She felt more confident,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"content \">The results were more than anecdotal. <span class=\"highlight\">According to her daughter, Bhuvana has lost 10 kilograms and has seen a big change. &#8220;I&#8217;m eating a little better, going to bed on time, and dealing with stress differently. I&#8217;m just taking better overall care of myself.&#8221;<\/span> Nothing extreme. It&#8217;s just consistent. \u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"content \">\n<h2>Inside the workout: consistency over intensity<\/h2>\n<p>Earlier, on July 30, 2024, Srividya had said in an Instagram post that Bhuvana&#8217;s routine is built on the foundation of &#8220;shaping her environment&#8221;. <span class=\"highlight\">To combat friction when starting a workout, she places her weight next to the bathroom sink as a visual cue to exercise first thing in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"content \">The daily routine includes strength training, intensive exercise to increase muscle mass and bone density. She also vows to walk twice a day for 40 to 45 minutes each. If it rains or it&#8217;s too hot, Bhuvana changes her walking routine to indoors, Srividya said. Despite a history of fluid retention and poor circulation, her mother&#8217;s determination remained steadfast, she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"content \">Srividya explained, &#8220;Even though she has varicose veins and suffers from water retention, doctors have encouraged her to stay active. Even on imperfect days, she shows up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"content \">\n<h2>Science of senior physical fitness<\/h2>\n<p>Bhuvana&#8217;s success is consistent with global health recommendations that emphasize that strength training is not an option but a must for older adults. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults aged 65 years and older include a variety of multicomponent physical activities of moderate or higher intensity, with an emphasis on functional balance and strength training, at least 3 days per week to strengthen functional capacity and prevent falls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"content \">Similarly, a report from the Mayo Clinic highlights that strength training is essential for:<\/p>\n<p class=\"content \">\u29bf Maintaining muscle mass: Sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) can lead to frailty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"content \">\u29bf Bone density: Important for postmenopausal women to prevent osteoporosis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"content \">\u29bf Metabolic Health: Weightlifting boosts your metabolism and helps reduce visceral fat in your belly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content \">\n<h2>Message to the next generation<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"highlight\">The goal of Bhuvana&#8217;s journey is to redefine what it means to grow old in a society where older people are expected to lead sedentary lives.<\/span> <span class=\"highlight\">&#8220;Aging gracefully, without aches and pains, and achieving a better quality of life without having to rely on children are top goals for every woman I talk to,&#8221; Srividya said in an Instagram post.<\/span> She also said, &#8220;If you&#8217;re in your 40s or 50s and you feel like your body is changing, it&#8217;s not too late. If she can start at 73, you&#8217;re not too late.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"content \"><i>Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified or endorses this claim.<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"content \"><i>This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>#74yearold #Indian #mothers #secret #staying #healthy #fit #actual #strength #training #light #exercise<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an age when most fitness influencers are in their 20s, Bhuvana, 74, proves that the &#8220;golden age&#8221; can be the most powerful era ever. After battling chronic health issues for 50 years, Bhuvana&#8217;s transformation through continuous weight lifting gained attention online and offered a blueprint for aging with autonomy. Also read | A 62-year-old &#8230; <a title=\"A 74-year-old Indian mother&#8217;s secret to staying healthy and fit: actual strength training, not light exercise\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/?p=481\" aria-label=\"Read more about A 74-year-old Indian mother&#8217;s secret to staying healthy and fit: actual strength training, not light exercise\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[483,1],"tags":[530,528,537,526,541,536,524,535,531,540,527,532,529,525,533,534,538,523,539],"class_list":["post-481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness","category-general","tag-74yearold","tag-a-74-year-old-indian-moms-secret-to-staying-fit-real-weightlifting-training","tag-actual","tag-bone-density","tag-exercise","tag-fit","tag-fitness-for-the-elderly","tag-healthy","tag-indian","tag-light","tag-metabolic-health","tag-mothers","tag-not-light-exercise-fitness-diet","tag-preservation-of-muscle-mass","tag-secret","tag-staying","tag-strength","tag-strength-training","tag-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}