How I Got My 70-Year-Old Mom Working Out

I had been evacuated from my overseas assignment during Covid and was at home living with my parents for a few weeks… Gyms and studios around the country were doing yoga and workouts over Zoom, so I purchased some at-home equipment like a larger yoga mat, a wall-ball and a couple of dumbbells. I rolled out the yoga mat with my Mom in the home office — it was super squishy stepping on it, and she said "oh this is a comfortable mat!" I said "Go ahead and lie down, try it out!" She said, "If I lie down on the floor, I won't be able to get up."

I thought to myself this is a problem… She's nearing 70, my Dad will start traveling again for work eventually, if she falls again (broke her arm having slipped a couple of years back, but Dad happened to be home), this is how people in older age face serious aftermath from an accident if they can't reach a phone to call for help. And staying active also helps with stability and injury prevention — all compelling arguments to motivate her to start working out.

I knew it would be difficult though; behavior change is a tricky thing, especially with my Mom. And trying to convince her of something when you're not there in-person is hard. I knew she likes doing things with the family, but Dad is into swimming and she isn't… So I asked if she wanted to try any of the Zoom workouts my sister started during Covid (and I would join too from afar, it would be a family event!). "No, I'm really busy with my piano students, it's just not the right time."

Ok, I'll find the right time to bring this up again later. Fast forward several months on another visit home when the CrossFit gyms were open again. I knew I had to find the right setting, and the right coach for my Mom. I asked if she would come to a free community workout with me at the gym I drop into, where I knew the head coach already. She said yes! My Mom liked the gym, the coach was attentive and knew how to scale the moves for her, buuuut she was intimidated by the rest of us in the class. She said she might consider keeping up with it if she could do private training. We found a winner! The coach also does 1-on-1 training, and they found a day and time that worked in my Mom's schedule. She has kept this up now for two years! She's gone from doing 10 lb single-arm dumbbell snatches to 20-lb, and she's 70 years old!

Staying active and keeping moving is an important part of physical and mental health, especially as we age. My Mom's story came down to an analysis of barriers and how to overcome them — whether it's about finding something you like doing, accommodating a busy schedule, or what you're looking for in community. Here at Trident, we work with you to find the right equation for you. Beyond our daily CrossFit group workouts, we have a women's only group every Saturday morning focused on building strength; we have a "Dad Strong" group (also called "Dad Bod Strong" 😊) that works out as a community of busy fathers every Tuesday and Thursday evening; our packages include open gym time if you're into solo workouts; and our world-class coaches offer 1-on-1 training too. We will take a look with you at the barriers you may be facing to staying active and tackle them with you, so come talk to us!

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