By Jeevani Pereira

Closing in on 30 years of experience in women’s health and fitness, Ms Hiranthi Attygalle wants to address a group in society that often goes overlooked - older women.

A recent poll showed that Sri Lanka has one of the fastest-growing ageing populations in Asia, with projections indicating that people aged 60 and above could account for around 25 per cent of the population by 2040. 

For this challenge to be met, Ms Attygalle, founder and coach at Dynamicare Ladies Fitness in Kandy, believes society needs to change their view on ageing. 

“Seniors are capable of being fit, healthy and happy, and can continue to be independent well past their 70s,” she emphasised.

A trailblazer in her own right, Ms Attygalle was one of the original people to start a Ladies Gym in Kandy nearly 30 years ago. 

Now in a new chapter at Dynamicare, she is focusing on a more holistic approach for senior ladies, by encouraging and educating them on Wellbeing and providing a space for women to meet, have fun and stay fit at the same time.

Women’s struggles as they age
“Women find a lot of time on their hands after their children leave home or they retire from their profession,” Ms Attygalle said, adding that this settles into loneliness, which leads to an increase in illness and immobility. 

Furthermore, physical changes can cause a lot of problems as well. “Menopause brings with it night sweats, hot flashes, and mood swings. The fat in your body starts shifting to your abdominals, and whatever you do, it seems impossible to get rid of it. 

“Your body begins to slow down, even though the rest of you hasn’t,” she explained, saying that all these add to women’s diminishing confidence and negative perception of themselves.

Reflecting on her own experiences, she said that these sudden changes can make you question your purpose and role in life and make you feel very much alone.

Ageing gracefully
“Therefore, this is an excellent time to stop and re-evaluate and re-discover yourself,” she encouraged. “ Instead of seeing all these changes as the end of your life, it’s actually a wonderful beginning. It finally gives you an opportunity to learn to take care of yourself.”

Ms Attygalle observed that she has seen so many women give up on themselves as they age. “You must push yourself away from the idea that there is ‘Nothing to do’,” she stressed.

“Socialising and communicating are very important, so you can join a society, help with a charity. You can keep active by just going into your garden, taking a 5-minute walk around your house. You can occupy yourself by sewing or crocheting, learning to swim, cooking yourself a proper meal even though cooking for one might seem frustrating at times,” she urged.

Fitness and Wellbeing go hand in hand
Along with social connection and meaningful activities, keeping the body moving is a very important part of wellbeing, she pointed out. “This can help to improve mobility, flexibility and independence. It is never too late to start keeping fit,” she stressed.

She emphasised that getting up out of a chair, reaching for something on a shelf, and walking without fear of falling are things that help seniors maintain their wellbeing and independence.

“Lots of people think that fitness means Zumba, aerobics and exhausting routines. While these can be the foundation for your health in your 20s and 30s, as you reach 40 and above, they sometimes do more harm than good,” she said.

Go with the Flow
Ms Attygalle explained that the human body starts changing each decade after 40. “You find yourself slowing down, and unable to do many things you did at 60 the way you did at 50,” she said.

She added that how you change this from a negative to a positive has a lot to do with acceptance.  

“Understand that things are changing and accept that. Listen to your body! You can adjust your fitness journey accordingly. Change does not mean you have to stop,” she stressed.

She explained that in your 40s and 50s, strength and mobility are very important. Instead of intense Cardio workouts, cardio fitness can be built through lower-impact activities. Lower-impact aerobics, swimming, yoga and brisk walking are some examples. 

For 60+ women, mobility and flexibility are key for maintaining independence and balance. Strength training, moderate cardio and yoga can help with this.

Moving and Motivating
Using Pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, breathwork and stretching are some of the methods that Ms Attygalle uses in her body balance workouts to help ease many clients into their own wellbeing journeys

“Over the years I have seen how keeping fit has helped so many ladies who have come to me, especially when it comes to illnesses,” she said. 

Ms Attygalle added that several diseases that onset with old age can be avoided by the right diet and regular exercise, especially diabetes and high blood pressure.

Motivated by many of these experiences, she began the Wellbeing programme in Kandy and several workshops this year, hoping to encourage more older women to take an active approach to their health. 

She added that while there are many fitness places that cater to countless intense workouts and machine use, she saw a growing need in seniors who find little to inspire them to be healthy and enjoy life.

“If women choose to keep fit and healthy and look to improve their wellbeing as they get older, we will not have an aged, sick society that has given up on themselves,” Ms Attygalle pointed out.

The goal she believes is about helping people age without giving up on themselves. To embrace their changing years, while preserving their quality of life, dignity, purpose, and sense of self for all the years that remain.