If you happen to rise with the sun in Chennai and step out to spot cyclists, runners, and walkers, somewhere in the crowds, in different parts of the city, you may spot three women over 70 years of age. Vidya Gajapathi Raju Singh could be cycling, Girija Venkatesan could be walking by the beach, and Asha Rajini will most certainly be running at a restrained pace.
These women are among the many senior citizens who are redefining fitness, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to staying active and pursuing a life fuelled by vitality. Their stories of life after retirement offer valuable lessons that we can listen to, learn, and get inspired by.
Ageing and learning
Seventy-three-year old princess of Vijayanagaram, Vidya, has been into various physical fitness activities since the age of five, including running, playing tennis for Stella Maris College and Madras University, horse riding, trekking, and swimming. “As I grew older, I continued most of these activities,” she says, and that was until she realised that she was performing these activities without having the intent of exercising. That realisation pushed her towards endurance training — walking 10 km, swimming 80 laps in an hour and 10 minutes, covering approximately two kilometres twice a week, and cycling on the weekends. “For me, it’s a joy ride. I cycle for 50-60 kilometres,” she says, adding, “It’s high cardio, high endurance, and zero impact training.”
Over the years, Vidya began participating in competitions too. It began about 10 years ago, when one of her friends suggested they make a team and swim in the National Masters Swimming Championships, held in Bhopal that year. “Since then, I’ve only missed (competing) during the pandemic,” she shares. She has also participated in the second Asian Masters Swimming Championship 2026, held between October 4 and 10. “As I’m getting older, I’m getting more competitive. I hate getting silver medals. I only want gold,” she asserts.
Podium memories
For Asha Rajini too, her competing spirit has driven her to podium finishes in most of the competitions she has participated in. “Funnily, during my first run, I finished on the podium. And I didn’t even know what it was. I thought the podium was where you talk into the mic,” she recollects.
An athlete since her school and college days, she eventually saw fitness take a back seat as life and professional commitments took over. But at 62 years of age, post-retirement, she restarted her fitness journey. Along with her friends at the Bessie Dreamers club, part of Dream Runners, she practices Long Slow Distance (LSD) running — something she admits to have learnt much later, after winning a few medals and certificates. Now, at 71, after surviving cancer, Asha wakes up every morning around 5.30 am to run before heading to the gym “to strengthen my legs.”
Securing gold in the 5th edition of Shriram Properties Bengaluru marathon in 2018, representing Tamil Nadu at the National Masters Athletics Championship in 2019, appearing for India at the World Masters Athletics Championships in 2022, and many more participations and wins later, Asha has also learnt to plan her runs in a way that accounts for her diabetes. “During my first half-marathon run, I realised the need to plan my runs. Hence, I started consuming carbs with sugar between every three and four kilometres,” she says.
Careful planning has helped her progress from marathons to hill runs. She has taken on several such runs in Ooty, Javvadhu Hills, Kolli Hills, and Satara, to name a few.
The joy of moving
For interior designer Girija Venkatesan, the motivation to stay fit stems from the idea of “staying independent and stable”. “I am not training just to build muscle. I am training to remain capable, independent, and confident as I grow old. Being over 70 does not mean we must stop challenging ourselves. It means that we should challenge ourselves intelligently, progress at the right pace, and respect our individual needs,” says the 75-year-old who works out six days a week at the gym and heads for a casual walk by the beach on her rest day.
Girija began her fitness journey at the age of 57, firmly believing that “it is never too late to start focusing on physical fitness. It helps you with stability and coordination, in turn making your movement easier.” Her meticulously planned 100-minute workout sessions also include Total Resistance Exercises (TRX), which she describes as a workout where “my body becomes my gym.”
Having been following these sessions regularly, Girija says, “Fitness activities contribute to metabolic health, glucose regulation, and the regulation of inflammation. It brings you closer to your body. You start to understand the signals or the communication it tries to pass on in a better way.” And in that process, “One becomes a lot more agile,” she adds.
All three women alike say that staying active for them is not just about personal milestones, but is also about inspiring others to take that first step. Vidya hopes to see more people from her generation embrace fitness. Asha recommends that everybody, regardless of age, should at least try to step out and walk for an hour. “60 minutes is not more than four per cent of a day. If you give yourself that hour, then your body will enjoy it,” she notes.
So, the next time you spot a group of fitness enthusiasts, join them or atleast start a conversation. Their stories will remind you that every morning offers another chance to begin. After all, it is never too late to get moving, it seems.