Wendy Ida can do 37 burpees in one minute.
That’s pretty amazing for anyone — burpees are sent straight from from hell — but it’s especially amazing because Ida is 64.
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The mom and grandma dropped 80 pounds over the years and entered her first bodybuilding competition at age 57. The burgeoning fitness star looks amazing, but more importantly, she wants to be an inspiration “to everyone who says, ‘I’m too old and can’t do it,’” she told Inside Edition.
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“Do a little exercise and work your way up and don’t take no for an answer.”
While most articles on Ida — and on any woman who has transformed their body — focus on looks, that’s far from the most important thing. The most important thing? Feeling good and confident — and earning the health benefits that come from being active.
“I’m 64 and in the best shape of my life,” she told Metro.
So many people incorrectly assume that there’s an age limit for being awesome. Not so… not even a little.
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Take Shirley Webb, for example. The 78-year-old grandmother is also a badass in the gym and regularly deadlifts 225 pounds and holds various records. You’d assume she’s been lifting since birth, but the Illinois woman didn’t even pick up a weight until two years ago.
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“I’ve seen such a remarkable difference in myself,” Webb told Today.com of her lift since adopting iron as a hobby.
And then there’s Patricia, a powerlifter just featured on the popular Instagram account GirlsWhoPowerlift.
“She started lifting about 3 years ago,” reads the caption. “This past Saturday, at her 3rd meet, she placed 1st & Best Lifter in the 2016 Maine State Power Lifting Championship in the Master division. She is 50 years old. She hit a 303lb squat, 170lb bench (press) & 358lb deadlift.”
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These are examples of women who took charge of their lives — and health — and are reaping the benefits. They aren’t doing what others think they should do; they’re doing what they want to do.
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“When I go to the gym and work out, when I leave, I feel so much better than I did when I went in, and I just feel so good. I feel tremendous,” Webb told ESPN of why she continues to work out at 78. “I had one lady come in the gym and say, ‘I saw your video and I decided to come down and join this club.’ That makes me feel good.”
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