Arlyce's story: her first strength training ever, at 70
Arlyce had been plant based for ten years but had never done strength training when she joined Mavy Wellness at 70. With her first coach ever, she built a home training routine, raised her protein and changed how she talks to herself. For her 70th birthday, she hiked 7 miles to the highest point in Minnesota with her family. "I feel so alive today, and I know this is just the start."
Her turning points:
Learning to train. At first every move felt awkward. A few months later she didn't have to think about it.
Becoming someone who exercises. Out running errands, she caught herself thinking she needed to get home to do her workout, and wondered who this person was.
Protein. She didn't like tofu at all. Now she puts it in everything.
Flexibility. She enjoys local food when she travels and goes right back to her routine.
Kinder self talk. Walking into her workout room, her inner voice now says, "Good for you. You're doing this."
Better sleep habits and boundaries with her phone.
What strength means to her: swimming out to a floating platform with no ladder and pulling herself right up.
Her advice: "Everybody needs a coach." And to her younger self: "Don't wait until you're 70. Get going."
Arlyce shared her full story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 462.
What the research says. In a classic 1990 JAMA study, nursing home residents with an average age of 90 nearly tripled their leg strength after eight weeks of strength training. [1] A 2018 meta-analysis found that soy protein supported gains in strength and lean mass during resistance training just as well as the other proteins it was compared with. [2]
Watch on the Forever Fit Podcast: It's Never Too Late: The Plant-Based Routine That Changed Arlyce's Life at 70 (Ep. 462)
"Forever Fit is an inspiring, evidence-based guide to developing a strong body and sustainable lifestyle."
Brenda Davis, RD, Plant-Based Trailblazer, Bestselling Author, on Forever Fit
To start at any age, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Fiatarone MA et al. (1990). High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: effects on skeletal muscle. JAMA 263(22):3029-3034. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2342214/
Messina M, Lynch H, Dickinson JM, Reed KE (2018). No difference between the effects of supplementing with soy protein versus animal protein on gains in muscle mass and strength in response to resistance exercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28(6):674-685. https://repository.essex.ac.uk/22103/
About the author. Maxime Sigouin is the founder of Mavy Wellness (formerly FitVegan Coaching) and the author of Forever Fit, a book endorsed by physicians including Neal D. Barnard, MD, Laurie Marbas, MD, and James F. Loomis, MD. He has coached for more than six and a half years and, with his team, has coached nearly 1,300 adults over 50 on a whole food plant based diet. He hosts the Forever Fit Podcast, with more than 450 episodes.
Last updated: October 19, 2026. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
