Breaking a sweat with a 90-year-old fitness buff

by Now or Never host Ify Chiwetelu

I arrived at Winnipeg's Forks Market on a sunny Thursday afternoon in November, not sure what to expect.

I hovered outside the room where an intense exercise class was winding down. I could see sweat-drenched participants forcing their bodies into complicated yoga poses.

I remarked to my workout partner, 90-year-old Frances Polley, that I was grateful our class was geared towards those 55 years of age and older.

"Oh, that yoga class is for 55+ too!" Polley reassured me. I immediately regretted my decision to forego a sports bra.

Exercising with Polley was a necessary reminder to me of the importance of keeping active at every age and stage. Physical fitness isn't something that just happens once you have more time, more money or more elite athletic clothing.

Polley has been active all her life and this has allowed her to maintain independence into her ninth decade. It's incredible to be face-to-face with someone who is living proof of the value of lifelong exercise.

After the hour-long class, during which Polley didn't break a sweat, I might add, she challenged me to see who could hold a plank position the longest.

She won. I was grateful for the lesson.