I’m a 60-year-old trainer – I still wear bikinis & shorts, unfollow me if you don’t like it, I’ve got no time for trolls
A PERSONAL trainer doesn’t think age should be reduced to stereotypes, clothing choices, and diet.
The 60-year-old believes that anyone at any age can wear bikinis and shorts, as long as it’s weather-appropriate, of course.
Jacqueline Hooton from West Sussex doesn’t subscribe to “anti-aging” philosophies or gimmicks.
Instead, the trainer believes in healthy aging with fitness and promoting a sustainable lifestyle.
“I help women in their 50s and 60s get strong, fit, and healthy, to enjoy optimal aging,” she wrote in her Instagram bio.
Hooton has inspired over 480,000 followers to challenge their stigmas on aging.
“I’m here to challenge the negative narrative on age, and promote the benefits of physical activity to support healthier aging,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Hooton explained that for her, youthfulness was not about “looking younger,” but rather, how good you “feel and function.”
Despite never having been much of a fitness junkie, Hooton has slowly but surely worked at weight training and is now even stronger than she was at 18.
“I’m significantly stronger at 60 than I ever was at 18 after 25 years of strength training,” she wrote.
“I couldn’t run 5k at 18 but I could run a marathon tomorrow at 60 if I needed to thanks to decades of running experience including marathons.”
Outside of fitness, Jacqueline also believes that moderation is key to a healthy lifestyle, including diet and mindset.
In a post, the trainer cheekily summarized her philosophy, providing viewers with a “2024 edit of reasons to unfollow” her.
She explained that she rarely does burpees, is against “What I eat in a day” posts, has grey hair and doesn’t care, and regularly eats cookies, chocolate, and avocados.
On top of that, she wears whatever she wants, when she wants.
“I wear shorts and bikinis but also beanies and thermal underwear,” she said.
“It’s called dressing for the weather.”
Most importantly, she urged viewers to ditch unhealthy fitness culture and stick to what works for them.
“I don’t share client transformation photos because these can perpetuate weight stigma and diet culture and fail to recognize healthy at any size,” she said.
“I believe fitness mantras like ‘Strong not skinny’ or ‘No pain no gain’ are unhelpful so I don’t use them.”
People thanked her for providing a refreshing take on health and aging.
“I love that, above all, you recognize that we are all individuals- because ‘comparisonitis’ is unhealthy and unhelpful,” said one commenter.
“I love the omission of ‘what I eat in a day posts’ they personally stress me out and inspire unhealthy comparisons,” agreed another.
“Your content is immensely helpful, brave, and open-minded!! Thank you,” said a third.
