We love smashing stereotypes, especially those that are harmful and keep people from enjoying themselves as much as possible.
Like all the countless myths about why you shouldn’t exercise, especially if you’re over a certain age.
So, we’ve been delighted to see an 81-year-old German grandmother become an international sensation with her exercise enthusiasm.
Erika Rischko calls herself a “fitness junkie,” but she only got started in her 50s, after her kids grew up and left the house. Now, she’s been featured on the USA TV show “Good Morning America” and is racking up thousands of followers and millions of “likes” on TikTok, a new social media platform that definitely skews a lot younger. She’s also big on Instagram.
She started working out because she was lonely as an empty nester. She didn’t even start like it much for a few years, but she kept at it. Now she’s hooked, working out twice a day sometimes and always looking to try something new.
But even Erika stresses that you don’t have to go to her extremes.
“There is no need to,” she says. “And start slowly. Just eat healthily, but do not chastise yourself. Find a sports activity that you enjoy because if you do not enjoy it you will not last," she told GMA. "And if you are not as disciplined as I am, find a workout partner as it is not that easy to cancel on somebody."
Good advice, Erika!