Build a better 'old lady body'

My daughter’s ‘little old lady walk’ is not inevitable

My daughter sometimes entertains us by doing a ‘little old lady walk’. When she spots a suitable stick, she brandishes it like a walking stick, hunches over and hobbles along. It’s very funny, and also quite revealing about what society has already taught her - aged six - about what old age looks like. 

Back in May, an Instagram post by fitness coach Elizabeth Davies went viral. I saw it being re-shared by so many women, it was really clear that it had captured a mood.

‘Training for my summer body? Fuck no,’ it said. ‘I’m training for my old lady body. Dense bones. Strong muscles. A healthy heart. Good balance. Functional independence.’

It’s a vibe shift away from the idea of working out to get a hot body (although, clearly, a hot body can be a happy side effect of working out for functional independence).

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