When journalist Clare Johnston’s parents Rhoda and Michael reached their 80s, they began to feel weaker and less mobile. Rather than accept decline as inevitable, Clare set out to prove that it’s never too late to rebuild strength and independence.
Rebuilding Mum & Dad is a new series now airing on Movement Living that follows their remarkable transformation as the family began their strength training journey with Coach Chris Reis. Incredibly, Rhoda went from having to use a walker at 81 to being able to walk independently—a powerful reminder of how strength can truly rebuild freedom at any age.
This is a story of overcoming fear, regaining confidence, and not sugar-coating the reality of getting fit and strong later in life. Just start from where you are!
What were the tipping point moments or factors for you that got you into fitness training last year?
Rhoda: I had been feeling very down about my stooped posture and my inability to walk without an aid. The severity of which was becoming quite debilitating. This deterioration had been going on over several years, so when my daughter showed me a video of a 90+ year old lady with osteopenia (which I also have) having great success in the gym I was immediately interested and signed up for a coaching session with Chris who has a track record of curing elderly people.
What has that process been like training with your mom and what the trigger was to make a change?
Clare: My mum was becoming frail at 82. We felt her balance was also beginning to go a little and she couldn’t hold her back up when she walked which meant her mobility was very challenged. My dad had a hernia operation early in 2024 and was told by his doctor that was due to muscle loss. The process has been made so much easier by having an experienced coach who also happens to be a physical therapist so all we have to do is follow the program.
We have fun and working out together means we always have to show up. I don’t think I would have progressed as well on my own.
What’s something you can do now that a few years ago you thought you might never do again?
Rhoda: I can walk without any aids for over 6 minutes—I could only do that for 30 seconds at the start of the year. I can open jars and cans with little difficulty. My posture is more upright generally and I can stand upright when I wash my hair in the shower which I couldn’t before. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference.
“… It became clear to me that muscle is absolutely pivotal to life quality and lifespan. Seeing this in action with my mum has not only been awe-inspiring, it made me want to find ways to encourage as many people as I possibly can to do the same.”
On an everyday, practical level, how do you stay motivated or actually get a workout done (even when you don’t feel like it)?
Rhoda: My dream is to walk with a straight back and no aids for longer periods of time. This is my main motivation to keep going. Also I see regular improvements and am on my way to reaching my goal rather than seeing myself declining. I also train with my husband Michael and my daughter Clare which is a big help and we have lots of fun.
What are the essential exercises you and your parents do together to promote longevity and independence?
Clare: We follow 4 core movements: the squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift—which together work every major muscle group
Not only is strength training harder work in your 80s, but recovery takes a bit longer than it used to. How do you recover and take care of your body?
Rhoda: We progress so cautiously with our program—adding only 1kg a week, sometimes half a kilo (around 1lb)—that I never actually feel sore afterwards. We are tired after workouts though so we often fall asleep in front of the TV!
How has your mom’s experience changed your perspective on aging?
Clare: By interviewing experts and also people who had transformed their strength and health as they aged, it became clear to me that muscle is absolutely pivotal to life quality and lifespan. Seeing this in action with my mum has not only been awe-inspiring, it made me want to find ways to encourage as many people as I possibly can to do the same.
“Working out with my parents has not only been transformative for them but for me too. I wouldn’t have done it alone.”
What is your encouragement for women in their 60s, 70s, 80s who think it is “too late” to get healthier, stronger, and more active again?
Rhoda: I would encourage anyone to embark on this program of training at any age. I had an MRI Scan in 2017 when I was 74 which showed I only had 20% muscle left in my lower back. I only wish I had started weight lifting then. They told me that with that degree of muscle wastage it would take a long time to recover.
How has this new strength training lifestyle felt for you in your 50s, and had you always been interested in fitness?
Clare: To have become someone who encourages others to exercise and build strength is so ironic because I was never a person who was interested in fitness—in fact, in my medical records a doctor actually wrote the words: ‘avoids even trivial exercise’! I think I must have joked that I was allergic to exercise and they took it literally, but you get the point!
By 50, although lean because I eat pretty well, I was experiencing lower back pain and was developing problems with my knees and found it hard to knee because they were so painful.
Building muscle has increased my flexibility, and my back and knees are so much better because they’re so much stronger. But the big thing it’s given me is confidence and power. I love the feeling of charging up a hill because I feel the power in my legs kicking in. I have confidence too that I can lift bags and boxes without injuring myself so it has really taken at least 10 years off my physicality.
Working out with my parents has not only been transformative for them but for me too. I wouldn’t have done it alone. I would have found plenty of reasons to miss sessions, whereas when we train as a group there is no way I can’t show up.
What is 1 big goal that you’re working towards now?
Rhoda: I am aiming to be able to walk upright for 15 minutes unaided by summer 2026.
Besides the movement part of your health routines, how are you prioritizing your wellness right now at 82?
Rhoda: My husband is a very good cook and we have always eaten freshly made meals and have made a habit of sitting down at the table to eat, never in front of the TV. We also take NMN, TMG, collagen, and magnesium supplements. For the past forty years of our lives we have done some sort of exercise—rowing machine, treadmill, climber etc.
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We believe that wellness is all about 3 key pillars–movement, food, and connection. How do you incorporate these three things into your life right now?
Clare: I have a dog, so come rain or shine we walk (at pace) for at least 45 minutes every day and then of course the key component beyond daily walking is strength training. Together with my parents we lift twice a week for 90 minutes each session. It’s been life changing for all of us.
I would say for the past decade I’ve eaten pretty well. I have a sweet tooth so I’m not a complete saint, but I eat a Mediterranean diet and I actually just prefer the taste of natural foods. More recently I’ve been upping protein in my diet and that has helped my energy levels a lot.
As a content creator I mainly work alone at home and connection was something that was beginning to suffer. I have my husband and two sons, and my parents live right next door so I am never alone for long but I have become much more committed to meeting with friends. In fact, I have a little group of friends called the ‘Magic Mondays’. As you might have guessed, we meet on Mondays. Initially it was to support a friend through a hard time, and then we all realized how much each of us was benefitting from meeting up weekly.
