at 76 years old, he amazes with his athletic body

Joan MacDonald is a 76-year-old woman who has become a great example, both for children and adults, since she managed to overcome a great adversity in her life that brought about an important change in her day-to-day life.

Today, MacDonald is quite the fitness influencer and impresses everyone with her toned body. This is her impressive story.

Six years ago, in 2017, Joan MacDonald began to notice how her health was beginning to deteriorate. At that time she was 70 years old and unhappy. She had trouble using the stairs, she had pain in her hands due to her arthritis, edema in her ankles and she had to take blood pressure medication.

Joan was plunged into a deep depression after separating from her husband, after being a couple for several decades. Her state of mind caused her to gain a lot of weight, which also began to deteriorate her health.

Faced with this situation, Joan decided to change the course of her life and got in shape. Now, at 76, she has become quite the influencer and is nicknamed the ‘fitness granny’.

A medical review led her to start taking medication, something that many people accept, taking a pill daily for life. Hypertension, high cholesterol, reflux and arthritis were associated with being overweight and a lack of exercise that she decided to remedy. She began to exercise and began to take care of herself.

Michelle, her eldest daughter and who is a fitness and nutrition specialist, advised her to exercise, because for her, there is no better therapy than this to relieve pain.

Joan followed her daughter’s advice and signed up for the online cardio, yoga, and weight lifting classes that changed her lifestyle 360 ​​degrees.

Added to this, good nutrition made the woman lose 24 kilos in approximately 3 years and not only that, she managed to have a toned body. Her hypertension, arthritis and high cholesterol problems improved considerably.

After her life change, Joan decided to open an Instagram account to tell her story, thus becoming an influencer in the world of fitness.

The “fitness granny” has almost two million followers on said social network and posts photos and videos of her routines, as well as eating tips and motivational phrases.

The woman, born in Ontario, Canada, began lifting weights, eventually supporting more than 100 kilos. She rests twice a week and sleeps 8 hours a day, helping her body to revitalize itself.

“When I started, I never thought I would get this far. I just wanted to get my health back and get off the meds. I hope that everyone continues to choose to grow and dare to dream again,” says MacDonald.

“My mission is to inspire and improve the lives of as many people as possible,” he writes on his Instagram profile, where he is close to reaching 2 million followers.

“I don’t think fitness should be any different in the seventies than in the twenties,” he says in his publications, in which he has shown that “anyone can turn their lives around at any age.”

In an interview for ‘Good Morning America’, on February 15, 2022, the elderly woman told that her training consisted of lifting weights. She also detailed the changes she made to her lifestyle: drinking more water, sleeping 8 hours a day, and a diet where she prioritized macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and protein) in five meals a day.

The ‘fitness granny’ acknowledged that it wasn’t easy at first, but she stood her ground and never gave up. Six years after adopting a healthier lifestyle, Joan stopped taking her blood pressure medication and lost 68 pounds.

“Nothing is magical. It’s an occupation, but it’s a job you can enjoy. In the end, you’ll be stronger and healthier, and that’s all that really matters,” Joan told ‘Good Morning America.’

Since her case went viral, she has become an Instagram sensation. To support other people who want to improve their health, she started a YouTube channel where she shares tips.

In addition, she and her daughter Michelle have launched their fitness app where the public can access fully guided, anywhere workouts, easy recipes, and become part of a positive community that will inspire them to achieve their goals, according to read on their website.

Despite the time elapsed and the incredible progress, Joan remains focused on her goals, continues training with the same motivation, photographing her progress to be able to self-correct if necessary, and sharing all this so that other people who may find themselves in the same situation in which she was, serve as a reference and help.

Joan MacDonald has managed to publish a book, entitled Flex your age, in which she recounts her experience in these six years.

“I’m not the same person I was when I started this journey,” he said. “One of the best things you can do for yourself as you get older is to take care that you maintain your strength. One of the things that can really negatively affect us women as we get older is bone loss and the weakening of our postural muscles. Thus, you will improve your retirement by investing in health”.

Joan has become an inspiration to many people. Her daughter, Michelle, a health and fitness coach, was her personal trainer.

“13 years between these photos and I hope this serves to show you that time can be both your friend and your enemy!” Joan wrote about these images on Instagram.