Shona's story: 29 pounds lost and stronger than ever at 63 with gentle strength training
Shona, a Mavy Wellness client, lost about 29 pounds in seven months at 63, going from roughly 180 to 151 pounds and losing five inches from her waist. After years of avoiding exercise because past trainers pushed her too hard, she started with gentle, manageable strength workouts and built up gradually.
Where she started: Shona was retired and mostly sedentary, losing weight slowly by cutting calories, and had no strength training routine.
What changed:
A gentle start. Fewer reps and lighter weights, with exercises swapped when they felt too hard.
Gradual progress. Planks, lunges and heavier weights over time.
Meal prep. Grains and beans cooked ahead to avoid easy snacks and takeout.
Doing it as a couple. Training and cooking alongside her husband, Barry.
Travel strategies. Band workouts and buffet vegetables on three cruises.
Life now: Shona lifts her 130 pound dog into the van, no longer needs afternoon naps, and takes the stairs everywhere. "I feel like I'm a person that exercises." She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast.
What the research says. In a 2017 New England Journal of Medicine trial of 160 adults over 65 who were losing weight, those who did resistance training kept more of their lean muscle than those who only did aerobic exercise. [1] 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. [2]
"Forever Fit gives you everything you need to excel in your athletic endeavors and achieve the best of health simultaneously. Maxime Sigouin packs evidence-based science, integrity, and compassion into this volume."
Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, on Forever Fit
If you've been put off exercise by programs that pushed too hard, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Villareal DT et al. (2017). Aerobic or resistance exercise, or both, in dieting obese older adults. New England Journal of Medicine 376:1943-1955. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28514618/
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/
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 26, 2026. Results vary from person to person. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
