So why hire a pro? We’ve all bought and ignored health club memberships, and done spotty personal training sessions. But I have to tell you, Marie, that after a recent bout of illness, I saw firsthand at 56 how easily and swiftly you can get de-conditioned. I personally went from fast-walking six kilometres a day and a half-hour yoga work-break in the afternoon every day to staring at the wall for 18 hours a day. When I got well again, I could barely walk to the driveway. This stuff is serious.

“Most people have a wish list, to look slimmer, to not have any more pain in their knees,” she says. “But what you really need is to learn how to properly hinge from the hip, to not put more undo strain on your joints. The most important things are hand strength and back posture.”

Walking, says Billowitz is a good fitness goal, but you also have to add in a multidisciplinary approach. You don’t have to have a trainer forever, but it is important to learn age-appropriate goals, and the steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Canada’s health guidelines for over-65s stipulate 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a week. She adds that we also need strength training twice a week for 30 minutes, and stretching most days, on top of cardio. “Think of fitness as your part-time job,” she says. Dedicate an hour each day to pursuing it. 

Balance training is also imperative. First of all, she says, as you age, make sure your eyeglass prescription is correct. And also make sure you have the right shoes. A great source for good shoe advice is Toronto-based osteopath Dr. Liza Egbogah, whose company sells shoes with built-in orthotics for everyday health and comfort (including wearable heels and some really cute sneakers). If you want a referral to a name brand gym shoe with the best support, go for New Balance, according to Dr. Liza (who does not represent the brand, she just picks it as the best choice on the market).

As you age, it is important to start working now on how to get off the floor safely. It is also important to learn how to fall safely, says Billowitz. “Balance also involves stabilizing your core muscles. The analogy is how when a car starts sliding on the road in winter: falls happen so fast, you can teach your body how to react and then understand and have the muscle skills to get back up.”

Billowitz says that the muscles you need strength in are the obliques (the side of your abdominals) to right you, and to roll over. You need strength in your chest to pull up, and knee mobility to lift yourself up and get up. This is why a trainer can help with individual analysis. “A trainer can see whether you really can push yourself up.”

The Vintage Fitness package is $699 and includes a full assessment and a series of personal training sessions. If you don’t take care of this yourself, prophylactically, your kids may step in. “Often the adult children contact us because they are concerned about their parents’ mobility later on in life.” Vintage Fitness also works remotely with patients who are farther flung than their catchment area, and their team speaks nine languages.

Getting fit does not require a lot of equipment, says Billowitz. “We use body weight and resistance, small hand weights, and small, soft Pilates balls. You really don’t need a lot.” They also work with patients with dementia, because an active body helps keep the mind active.

It is never too early to start planning to be fitter for when you are older. I watched my own mother lose mobility – it was hard to witness, and that has been the single greatest impetus for me to work hard at being the fittest I can be. 

There are some great inspirations online: check out the objectively stunning @fiftysister on Instagram for fitness inspo. We also love @fit__momof7, who does one-on-one coaching links and focusses on home training for menopausal women and often features workouts with her 92-year-old mother.

As always, of course, check with your doctor before starting any fitness plan. But Billowitz and her team are a great source for training (and re-conditioning) for older adults.

“I believe in what we do,” she says.

Grandkids on the horizon are a great motivator, but so is just wanting to make sure you can always get up off the floor in the coming decades. My best advice: start now, build it into your week, and you will not have to think about this later.

Always asking questions,

—Leanne Delap