Many people spend their younger years riding the awesome wave of an efficient metabolism. They can eat anything, count leisure activities such as golfing and walks in the park as exercise, and still fit into the clothes they wore in high school. For the vast majority, however, nature has a nasty wake up call in store. Once they hit a certain age, typically around 40 or 50, their metabolism slows down and they start experiencing weight gain and health problems. It’s at that point people typically look back with regret and wish that they’d gotten into fitness when they were younger. Ah, but now it’s too late. Right?

If you have been hiding behind your age as a reason to avoid exercise, that excuse is no longer valid. There are a number of “elderly” people who are in amazing shape, and who are living proof that it’s never too late.

Women 60 (and Older!) Are the New 20

Ruby Carter-Pikes is in her 70s and in good enough shape to take top honors in fitness competitions.
Image by Bodybuilding and Beyond/YouTube

Every fitness, bikini, and bodybuilding competition has a Masters class. It’s the division in which people 40, 45, or 50 and older (depending on the competition) compete. The idea is that a 50-year-old shouldn’t be expected to compete against a 25-year-old, but in 2012, Ruby Carter-Pikes held her own in a fitness competition at age 64, beating out all but one person for the overall title, according to NBC Los Angeles. Then, in 2014 Ruby took first place in the Masters at age 67.

Older than some grandmas, Ernestine Shepherd is the world’s oldest bodybuilder.
Image by Tangra IYI News/YouTube

She isn’t the only older lady who is showing up the young ‘uns, either. Ernestine Shepherd is over 80, and she holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest female bodybuilder. Here is one of the most inspiring parts of Ernie’s story: she didn’t start her road to fitness until she was 56. That’s some potent motivation for women of any age who wish they could look and feel better.

Older Men Got it Goin’ On

Now in his 60’s, Lou Ferrigno is in as good a shape as ever–maybe even better! Image by Gabbot/Flickr

Lou Ferrigno stays busy in the entertainment world, but his high profile would be hard to miss under any circumstances. Because the former bodybuilder still looks so dang great, you have to take a second to do the math, but he is over 60 and still as fit as ever. Ferrigno attributes his amazing physique to working out for over an hour six days a week, but that is under ideal circumstances. Lou told Men’s Fitness that he was only able to work out one day a week during the time he spent filming Celebrity Apprentice. Yet he succeeded in maintaining his fitness level during that time by making the most of that one day and eating healthy every day, even taking his own meals to the set.

And it’s not just celebrities who can get and stay fit into their golden years. This past year, Brian Bingham placed first in the Masters over 50 division of the 2017 NPC Holiday Classic—and it was a full class competition against several other older, extremely muscular gentlemen.

So Here’s the Deal…

Agreed. Not everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but that’s kind of the point. The handful of women and men listed here put a lot into maintaining competition-level fitness and physiques. Considering that one of them was able to do it working out just one day a week, think of how easily you could achieve your modest goal of losing a few pounds of fat or gaining some muscle mass. The key is to really, really want to do it. If your heart isn’t in it, you won’t succeed, and you’ll be back at square one making the same resolution again in January 2017.

You don’t have to becomde a bodybuilder. Run, lift weights, bike–doing the type of physical activity you enjoy will help you meet your weight loss and fitness goals.

If it’s not just talk and you truly do want to get fit, make one final resolution to do it…and then DO IT! You will see results with just a few minor adjustments to your schedule and your habits. Decide you will work out 3 – 4 days a week and then DO IT. Commit to making healthier food choices most of the time and then DO IT. Get more sleep. Drink more water and fewer sodas and, yes, even cut back on the alcohol. You don’t have to give up your favorite things if you can maintain enough control to enjoy them in moderation. Above all, be realistic and give yourself time to start seeing progress before you become frustrated and fall back into the old patterns that got you to where you are now. There really is no finish line. You will just keep getting better and better and next year you will be able to make a different kind of resolution because you will look and feel 250 percent better than you do now.