'Pull-up grandma', 79, can do 100 pull-ups and barbell squat her own weight: More seniors like her are working out at the gym

Straits Times

12-07-2025

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Dr Charlotte Lim, 79, doing pull-ups with a 5kg weight. She began her strength training journey when she was 72.
SINGAPORE – Dr Charlotte Lim stands at a petite 1.58 m and weighs 49kg, but she pulls her own weight in the gym.
At 79 years old, she can do a 50kg barbell back squat and dead-hang for over 3½ minutes. Her training includes up to 100 pull-ups.
Besides making friends with younger gym users, she has also picked up fitness lingo such as 'jacked', which has been used to describe her well-honed muscles.
'A total stranger came up to me, fist-bumped me and said, 'Well done, gym bro.' That was quite cute,' she says of an encounter in a gym in Perth, Australia, that she used while visiting her sister there.
She never stops working out, even on holiday, rain or shine.
Dr Lim's strength training journey started at age 72. Her children – health and fitness coaches Yan Lin, 42, and Tiat Lim, 53 – invited her to join the gym they run together, Bespoke Fitness, so they could train as a family. It was then at one-north, but has since relocated to a space under Dr Lim's 1,600 sq ft condominium unit in Farrer Road.
Dr Lim, a widow who holds a PhD in anthropology, had exercised on her own since retiring from her job in human resources at age 57. She would run on a treadmill and do light weights, but her training was unfocused, she says.
Dr Charlotte Lim (centre) with her two children Yan Lin (left) and Tiat Lim (right).
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
She was then 'skinny fat', with a body fat percentage of about 29, which is within the average range for women her age. But after starting the gym's FitRX training programme, she could do unassisted sit-ups within a year.
'Before that, I had to anchor my legs down before I could do a sit-up,' says Dr Lim, who turns 80 in December.
It took her four years to do her first chin-up, using an underhand grip that is easier than a pull-up's overhand grip.
Today, her body fat is 15 per cent, according to the InBody machine, which measures body composition. She does FitRX three times a week, with each workout containing calisthenics, strength training and a cardio burst. The programme covers her whole body over a two-week cycle.
On her active rest days, she runs 1.2km around her condo compound and does pull-ups. She has no helper and does the housework herself.
Dr Lim demonstrates her strength and mobility during this interview with her least favourite exercise, a Turkish get-up that uses the whole body in multiple planes. Raising a dumbbell in one hand with one leg bent and the other stretched out, she lifts her body from a lying position to standing, and back down again.
Dr Charlotte Lim demonstrating her strength and mobility with her least favourite exercise, a Turkish get-up.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Her workouts do take more than twice as long as others half her age. Although she star ts a t 7am, it sometimes takes her two hours to finish what younger clients complete in 40 minutes.
But she says: 'I recover from my soreness and aches very fast now.'
Ms Lin says: 'She's never given up on any workout, no matter how long. It's a reflection of the integrity of her character.'
Dr Lim says: 'Whenever I complete a workout, I feel good. Then months or years later, I suddenly realise I can do things I never expected to do, like the chin-up. My biggest achievement is not having to see a doctor for health issues.'
Her cholesterol levels are now optimal and she has managed to prevent sarcopenia, which is age-related muscle loss, says Ms Lin.
Dr Charlotte Lim can do a 50kg barbell back squat, more than her weight of 49kg.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Bespoke Fitness has about 30 clients, over half of whom are 50 years old and up. A three-day trial for first-timers costs $38, and unlimited classes are $259 a month.
On July 12, Dr Lim will run her first race, a 100m dash in the women's masters 75 to 79 age group category in the Singapore Masters Track and Field Association's Track & Field Champions hip.
At home, her family eats a clean homemade diet and cooks with no sugar, oil, additives and processed food. But it is no 'gym bro' food like boiled chicken breasts that sacrifices taste entirely.
Dr Lim shows off a menu that lists local dishes from rendang to chicken curry bee hoon. She also drinks two homemade protein shakes daily.
Out of 21 meals in a week, two are 'cheat' meals where they may visit, say, Crystal Jade restaurants. Chendol is her favourite cheat dessert, which she indulges in three to four times a year.
Dr Lim has also achieved a measure of social media fame since Ms Lin started an Instagram account, @pullup_grandma, about a year ago to chronicle her fitness journey.
It has over 1,830 followers and Dr Lim says she has received 'thousands' of encouraging messages from fans as far away as the US . 'It's like a mission now to show people how to look after your body. You don't have to have a walking stick or be in a wheelchair in the last 10 years of your life,' she says.
Accessible and affordable options for seniors
Like Dr Lim, more active midlifers and seniors are heading to the gym to strength-train, which helps prevent and manage age-related health issues like sarcopenia that could lead to frailty, falls and fractures. It also strengthens their mental health and immunity, among a host of benefits.
Strength training, in other words, increases health span, the period of life in which one is healthy.
This is a trend driven by Singapore's super-ageing society, changing societal norms about what 'old' people can do, as well as an increase in the gym choices available. One in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above by 2030, compared with one in 10 in 2010.
One of the most well-known local senior gym brands, Gym Tonic, has a waiting list of 2,200 individuals despite minimal marketing. It plans to expand to 10 new sites within the next year, says Mr Gabriel Lim, programme director at Lien Foundation.
The philanthropic organisation initially partnered nursing homes and senior care centres for Gym Tonic's launch in 2015, but shifted its focus to all seniors within the community a year later, with 22 of its 29 sites open to this more active group.
Launched in 2015 by Lien Foundation and its partners, Gym Tonic has a waiting list of 2,200 seniors despite minimal marketing and plans to open 10 new sites within the next year.
PHOTO: LIEN FOUNDATION
They are run by social service agencies and located in A ctive Ageing Centres, community clubs and a social service hub in a shopping centre. Its programme hopes to make strength training mainstream and address age-related muscle loss, a key cause of frailty, Mr Lim says.
It now serves some 5,200 users annually, who range from 55 to 97 years old, with an average age of 71 for women and 73 for men. Nearly 40 participants in its community sites are aged 90 and up.
Members undergo a structured 12-week programme with a pre-assessment, twice-weekly sessions on hydraulic or pneumatic equipment, as well as a post-assessment. Fees vary by centre, typically ranging from $7.50 to $20 a session in 24-session packages. They are kept affordable through its non-profit partners and the foundation's support.
Nearly six in 10 seniors in the community are physically well but inactive, which means they need earlier intervention so they do not increase their frailty risk an d h ealthcare burden, he says, referring to statistics from the Ministry of Health's 2023 Frailty Strategy Policy Report.
'User needs have also evolved. Five years ago, many joined at the urging of their children. Today, more seniors sign up on their own, aware that frailty can be delayed or reversed. National initiatives like Healthier SG and Age Well SG have also brought strength training into sharper public focus,' he says.
'Younger seniors aged 55 to 65 are more health-literate and seek structured, results-driven sessions, while older participants in their 80s often have simpler goals – like staying mobile and independent – and require closer supervision to train safely.'
A Sport Singapore (SportSG) spokesperson says about 14,000 individuals aged 50 and up visited its 28 gyms at least once a week in the first half of 2025. It did not provide comparison figures for previous years.
A one-time entry ticket is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 65 and up, while those aged 55 and above pay $1.50 and adults aged up to 54 pay $2.50.
Its ActiveSG Sport Centres also offer an eight-week Calm (Combat Age-related Loss of Muscle) programme for seniors who are at least 60 years old, where they learn about the importance of building lean muscle for daily activities and use resistance bands, free weights and gym machines to build their strength-training confidence.
To make the programme more accessible, SportSG has taken Calm to 75 Active Ageing Centres as part of its Frailty Prevention Programme so far, and will reach a total of 100 such centres by the end of 2025.
ActiveSG members who are Singaporeans and permanent residents can use their $100 SG60 ActiveSG credits to fully cover Active Health programme fees, including the $60 Calm programme.
Gym is the new coffee shop
Commercial gyms for seniors also have come up with innovative spins for their clients.
Community is at the heart of Aspire55, a 900 sq ft gym in Commonwealth that started in 2014, says co-founder Janice Chia.
It boasts nine state-of-the-art smart strength stations with Wi-Fi-enabled touchscreens from Finnish company Hur, but it is the camaraderie from working out together that keeps its 120 active members coming back .
'Our membership has grown steadily, especially post-pandemic, as more older adults prioritise strength and preventive health,' she says. 'As a social health-focused community, the strength training circuit is designed so members can laugh and chat with one another while working out.'
Ms Janice Chia is the founder of Aspire55.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Aspire55's membership ranges from ages 50 to over 90, but most are between 60 and 80 years old.
They undergo an initial fitness assessment – covering baseline strength, balance, body composition as well as functional tests – and repeat it every six months. Sixty-minute personalised strength training classes are held in small groups.
Prices start at $700 for 10 sessions. Trial passes and social memberships are available, as is ad-hoc personal training.
Aspire55 members are guided by fitness instructors as they undergoing strength training.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Aspire55 also serves another 300 seniors who take part in its a la carte activities, and has a database of over 10,000 seniors who are invited to active ageing events.
The clubhouse has a 100 sq ft balcony where clients can plant vegetables and fruits. Its latest harvest includes blue pea flowers, mint and lemon, Ms Chia says.
'Commitment is sustained through strong community bonds, encouragement from trainers and the social aspect – members look forward to meeting friends during sessions. We also encourage mini potlucks where members spontaneously cook for one another. W e have enjoyed dishes, from freshly baked sourdough bread to nasi ulam to ondeh ondeh,' she adds.
Other popular activities include dance evenings, fitness ball drumming, cheerleading, camps and karaoke sessions.
Underserved market
Seniors are a sorely underserved market Ms Chia wants to tap.
Ageing is a US$4.56 trillion (S$5.84 trillion) market opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region in 2025, with Singapore's market potential estimated to be at US$72.4 billion, says Ms Chia. She is also the founder of Ageing Asia, an ageing-focused consultancy that is behind the 16-year-old annual World Ageing Asia Festival.
In June 2025 , Aspire55's community brand, Singapore Seniors, became the active ageing operator for Commune@Henderson, Singapore's first intergenerational co-living space that houses seniors as well as foreign students. It was developed by TSTAP, a joint venture between dormitory operator TS Group and co-living provider The Assembly Place.
Under Commune's community ambassador time-share model, seniors organise and teach activities such as painting and gardening in exchange for access to a personalised circuit strength gym programme similar to Aspire55's version . Students living there also help to teach the older adults tech-related classes, among other activities.
Ms Chia hopes to replicate the concept of an intergenerational gym in private condominiums here, which often see their gyms empty during office hours.
While condos usually have seasonal programmes for residents, she wants to create regular opportunities for young and old to interact meaningfully.
'This is a cost-efficient, scalable way to bring our model closer to homes,' she says.
At Vigeo Personal Training's 1,900 sq ft gym in YWCA Fort Canning, members do not have to wait for their turn at a weight machine or search for missing dumbbells.
Its 'gym within a gym' concept has pods containing the equipment they need for their workout, almost like a business-class version of the usual gym set-up.
Mr Benson Poh, director of Vigeo Personal Training, helping Ms Julia Tey during a training session. It has a 'gym within a gym' concept, with pods that contain all the equipment members need.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
And unlike gyms which have a wall of mirrors, the ones here are strategically placed as semi-private partitions along the middle of the gym to make shy clients feel more at ease.
Most of Vigeo's clients are above 50 years old and many have medical conditions such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, diabetes and general muscle weakness, says its director Benson Poh, who started the business six years ago. He declined to reveal his membership figures.
It offers semi-private personal training, in which a coach takes care of two to four clients in a session and each can access his or her customised workout using a tablet at his or her pod. Fees start at $105 a session and members are encouraged to attend twice weekly.
'Gyms have always been about aesthetics, but we are trying to improve quality of life and help people stay healthy into their 60s, 70s and beyond,' Mr Poh says.
That also means challenging stereotypes of what kinds of exercise seniors can do, while being mindful of their injuries and health issues.
'If you treat old people like old people, they will be old people. A lot of times, senior training is about taking it slow because you're very frail. But we want to challenge them to the best of their abilities,' he adds.
One of the most heart-warming cases he has handled was a woman in her 70s who wept with joy after she was strong enough to get up from the floor, something she had not been able to do since knee replacement surgery.
Part-time teacher Julia Tey, 50, signed up at Vigeo in November 2023 when she began gaining weight in perimenopause despite running and doing yoga stretches regularly.
After strength training for a while, she realised she had to buy clothes in a bigger size as her muscles developed, but it triggered a 'mindset shift' from the perception that women must be stick-thin like K-drama actresses.
'Since gym training, I run better and feel independent and strong, physically and mentally. My back doesn't hurt when I try to carry something,' she says. 'I shamelessly feel like I'm 30 again.'
Physiotherapy practice Thrive Healthcare launched its Legends programme in 2019 because it saw a gap in the market.
The programme helps older adults with diverse medical conditions develop functional fitness, strength and conditioning, says physiotherapist Lenis Phoa.
It has around 100 active members ranging from 50 to 91 years old, who can choose from its schedule of eight one-hour classes. Most attend once or twice weekly.
Prospective members must attend a trial class at $35 to see if they are suitable. Packages start at $225 for five sessions and there is a couple package for spouses as well.
Ms Phoa says the programme initially focused on safety and engagement for a diverse group of clients, but has since evolved to include a data-driven approach to track improvement, fitness and health education, as well as community building.
One success story is Madam Cheok Soh Cheng, 74, who suffers from multiple health conditions. After joining the programme in July 2024, she has improved her health and gained energy and confidence, so much so that she is looking forward to taking part in the gym's in-house competition in Augu st.
Madam Cheok Soh Cheng, 74, who suffers from multiple health conditions, has improved her health and gained energy and confidence after joining Thrive Healthcare's Legends programme for seniors.
PHOTO: THRIVE HEALTHCARE
Mr Li m from Lien Foundation says private gyms such as these serve a different segment of the silver market. He hopes all future Active Ageing Centres will include a dedicated seniors' gym.
'Their rise signals a positive shift towards ageing well – offering safe, peer-supported spaces for seniors to begin strength training. It is a fast-growing space.
'As seen in Finland and Japan, more players can drive innovation and help make strength training a norm for seniors, not the exception.'