Nina Cash’s life motto is, “It’s never too late,” and it certainly fared her well when she decided at 57, to enter Sports Illustrated‘s rookie modelling competition.
“I would never have had the courage to enter the competition in my twenties or thirties, but at 57, I felt more confident and comfortable in my own skin and able take the leap and enter,” Nina tells HELLO!.
Nina was named one of the seven winners of the competition, and now calls modelling her ‘encore career’, following a work life that saw her earn a doctorate in educational leadership.
“As a life-long learner, I am enjoying the process of learning about the modelling industry,” Nina says of her latest challenge. “I have met some wonderful, supportive people who have been so encouraging.
“I look at Apo Whang Od, who was on the cover of Philippine Vogue last year at the age of 106, and Iris Apfel, who signed with a modelling agency at 97, and realise there is still a chance for me, in my late fifties, to be on the cover of a fashion magazine.”
“Life experience has definitely helped in building my confidence,” Nina says of where she found the courage to enter the modelling competition.
© Ben Watts /SPORTS ILLUSTRATED“As you grow older, you begin to understand what matters to you and what doesn’t. What matters to me is how I feel about myself at the end of the day. It truly is none of my business what others think of me.”
INSPIRATION: How I beat a midlife confidence crisis at 49
That said, Nina notes that she’s had a huge confidence boost since winning the competition. “I am a minority, 57-year-old, grey haired, disabled (because I have diabetes), retired, senior citizen, who is featured as a 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookie – I can’t believe it!”
Given how incredible she looks, you might expect Nina to have an intense fitness routine, but we’re happy to report her exercise regime is surprisingly relatable.
“I have always been active, but I’m not a gym junkie and I don’t work out every single day,” she explains. “I don’t have a regime, I just move about and exercise in whatever manner I feel like at the time.
© Dana Patrick“It is important for me to be active, whether it be riding my Peloton, walking my dogs or dancing to eighties music in my living room. Movement is very therapeutic for me and fills my emotional bank account.”
READ: I’m more energetic than ever at 61 – here’s how
At 49, Nina was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, explaining: “I am fortunate to not have to take insulin, but am on medication and will probably need to be for the rest of my life.”
To stay healthy, she takes supplements including folic acid, magnesium and vitamin D, but doesn’t follow a strict diet.
“Although I am diabetic, I eat anything I want in moderation,” she shares. “I do not deprive myself of certain foods, but I certainly don’t go crazy and eat a gallon of ice cream.
“I make it a point to never skip breakfast – it’s my fuel for the day. I load up on protein and then throughout the day, I graze on healthy snacks, instead of a full lunch and dinner.
“I try not to eat past 6pm, as I feel so much better in the morning when I wake up, which is around 5am or when my four rescue pups decide to wake me up!”
READ: I’m healthier than ever at 70 – here’s how I stay at my best
As someone brimming with energy and enthusiasm, it’s clear to see Nina is an optimistic person – with so much excitement still to come.
© Dana Patrick“What makes me happiest in my fifties is knowing that my happiest moments have yet to come! Life is good and I am grateful and appreciative of it all,” she tells HELLO!
“My advice for others is very simple: Life is going to pass regardless of what you are doing or not doing, just go for it!”
© GettyHELLO! wanted to create a space dedicated to sharing incredible stories from midlife; somewhere you can find inspiring stories of like-minded women, living their best life beyond 45.
Enter, Second Act…
For too long, we were expected to fade into the background when we hit 45, but we’re here to reframe your Second Act as a celebratory, exciting new chapter with endless possibilities ahead.
From women who embarked on new careers in their fifties, to those who travelled the world alone after their children left home, to women who finally felt confident when they reached their forties, Second Act is devoted to celebrating the incredible stories of midlife, and we’d love to have you along for the journey – because being part of a community makes everything more enjoyable.
Visit HELLO!’s Second Act hub
The New Year is a time when many of us feel motivated to think more about our physical fitness. Lift heavier weights. Run longer distances. Shave a few seconds off that mile time. Whether you’re looking to hit a new PB or simply incorporate more movement into your daily routine, it’s easier to reach your goals if you surround yourself with positive affirmations about staying consistent and practicing discipline.
Lock in by watching these movies and shows that celebrate a good sweat session. You can stream these titles while climbing the Stairmaster, foam rolling after the gym, or enjoying a well-deserved rest day in a cozy, horizontal position. After all, visualization is one way to gear up to get moving — and it can be done from the comfort of your couch.
It’s never too late to restart a fitness journey. This Japanese series gathers together twenty-five former professional athletes — some of whom had no choice but to walk away from their respective sports, and others who retired on their own terms. They take part in a high-stakes survival competition, and the winner is awarded 30 million yen to kick-start their second-chance career. Among the participants: baseball legend Yoshio Itoi, soccer icon Yoshito Ōkubo, and three-division boxing world champion Hozumi Hasegawa.
The sport of running is hard enough, but tackling a long-distance race without some good sneakers is a whole new kind of challenge. This short documentary introduces Lorena Ramírez, the member of Mexico’s Rarámuri community who earned the world’s attention in 2017 by competing in the Cerro Rojo UltraTrail, an ultramarathon of over 30 miles. She did so while wearing huaraches — traditional Mexican sandals — as well as her trademark long skirt and other customary indigenous garb.
Diana Nyad first gained acclaim in 1975 for swimming around Manhattan in record time. This documentary follows the long-distance swimmer as she pursues a perilous goal — swimming from Cuba to Florida without the use of a protective shark cage — a journey she attempts repeatedly, up until the age of 63. Afterward, queue up Nyad, the dramatic take starring Annette Bening as the athlete and Jodie Foster as her best friend and trainer, Bonnie Stoll.
This search for the ultimate physique in Korea caught the attention of fitness lovers worldwide — for good reason. In this unique tournament, 100 athletes, bodybuilders, and military professionals take part in daunting challenges that test raw strength, speed, endurance, and technique. They face off in various trials until there’s only one competitor left standing. Want even more rivalry? Queue up Physical: Asia, the continent-wide spin-off in which athletes compete in teams representing their countries of origin.
This docuseries closely follows the world’s fastest athletes as they ready their bodies, minds, and spirits to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Created by the same team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive, these episodes zoom in on American sprinters Gabby Thomas, Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, Twanisha ‘TeeTee’ Terry, Kenny Bednarek, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, as well as runners from the UK, Ivory Coast, Italy, Jamaica, and Kenya. Watching these elite runners prove what the human body is capable of is apt inspiration for athletes at any level.
Go behind the scenes of the world’s most thrilling race on two wheels: the Tour de France, the famed road cycling competition that spans approximately 2,200 miles over a period of three weeks. In each of its three seasons, the series embeds with multiple teams as they race while dealing with terrain, injury, and other setbacks. These episodes track the annual men’s competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
After countless hours of training, contestants take on the supersized obstacle course called “The Beast.” Produced by and featuring Sylvester Stallone, the international competition made history when it debuted with six localized versions in various countries, all featuring different competitors, hosts, and languages of origin. (The U.S. edition is hosted by Terry Crews and Charissa Thompson.) Also available to stream: Ultimate Beastmaster Mexico, hosted by Inés Sainz and Luis Ernesto Franco.
If you’re looking for a way to move your body that builds strength, boosts your mobility and improves your mental agility, you need to try Brazilian jiu-jitsu (also known as BJJ).
Many people assume martial arts aren’t for them. I certainly never thought it was something I would enjoy. Working as a fitness writer, I’ve tried countless forms of exercise over the years, but grappling on the floor with a stranger had never appealed to me.
But when I recently tried BJJ, I discovered there’s much more to it. Not only did I learn lots of new skills in one session, it also challenged my strength, fitness and mobility—and I was laughing almost the whole time.
I now believe it’s one of the best ways for people of any age to move, especially if you have longevity in mind.
BJJ is a martial art involving grappling, which often looks like rolling around on the floor with a partner. But it isn’t about sheer force—it involves specific sequences and techniques, like chokes and headlocks, to come out on top.
BJJ can be beneficial at any age.
“One of the best parts of jiu-jitsu, especially at the beginning, is body control and body awareness—you start to become conscious of your weight distribution, like where you’re placing your feet,” says Nia Blackman, a black belt and coach at ARMA, a BJJ gym in Clapham, London.
It’s also great for cognitive function, setting it apart from other forms of exercise. “In combat sports, there’s a lot of decision making,” says Blackman. “Jiu-jitsu really helps with staying calm under pressure, too.”
It’s also a fantastic way to develop your range of motion and flexibility. “It very much ties into mobility because the more mobile you are, the more you can flow,” Blackman explains.
I was lucky enough to have a one-to-one session with Blackman.
I was nervous about training with a black belt—would I get hurt?—but this wasn’t the case at all.
“A lot of people hear jiu-jitsu, think of Marvel film stunt sequences and think I can’t do that,” Blackman told me. “But the beginning of the journey is about learning basic movements rather than full-on sparring.”
In fact, Blackman started the session by teaching me some solo exercises, including how to fall to the floor and get back up.
“The biggest thing, especially when you start jiu-jitsu is learning how to fall, how to break your fall and how to get up safely,” says Blackman.
We then went through sequences together, starting in a closed guard position with Blackman sitting on her knees and me lying on my back with my legs around her waist. From there, she taught me how to maneuver both our bodies in order to tackle her or get her into a hold.
Writer Alice Porter being taught a sequence by Blackman (Image credit: ARMA)
The session challenged my mobility and strength as much as a typical strength workout. Instead of using weights as resistance, I was using another person. It required more mental energy too, making BJJ a great way to keep your brain active as much as your body.
I also had more fun than I’ve had exercising in years. “It’s kind of like letting out your inner child,” Blackman told me. I 100% agree.
You don’t need a partner to start practicing BJJ. If you’re interested, but don’t have anywhere nearby to practice, or want to prep at home, Blackman has shared three BJJ-inspired moves to help you work on mobility and skills.
“There are a lot of basic moves that you don’t do in everyday life that you’ll have to learn before you start actually doing jiu-jitsu,” says Blackman.
Getting off the floor efficiently isn’t just key to this sport—it’s useful for everyday life too. The technical stand-up is how you do it in jiu-jitsu.
A hip escape is a defensive move in jiu-jitsu. “In jiu-jitsu as a whole, you want to create angles,” Blackman says. “If you want to escape from under someone, then hip escapes are really helpful.”
Hip mobility is essential to jiu-jitsu and working them through this range of motion will help with a variety of moves. You might have come across this move before.
It’s important to have goals in mind as you set out on your fitness journey, whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle or train for a race.skynesher/Supplied
January is notoriously the busiest time of year at the gym. A survey from Ipsos reported that a third of Canadians made exercise-based resolutions for the new year, with many folks working out for the first time or returning to fitness after some time away. If you’re new to exercise, the gym can feel like an intimidating place. But it doesn’t need to be. Below we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you get started.
For success at the gym, it’s crucial to have a plan. Before you start, it’s important to identify your goals. Are you looking to get stronger? Training for a race or competition? Do you want to improve body composition? While almost any consistent exercise is going to improve your overall health, specific results require specific training.
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Those completely new to working out may want to invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer. A reputable trainer will be able to put together a plan based on your preferences and skill level, while walking you through the proper form for each exercise. If cost is an issue, many gyms offer a free intro training session as a sign-up perk. There are also hundreds of different workout programs you can find online and video tutorials outlining proper form.
If you’re intimidated to exercise on your own, a fitness class allows you to follow along with an instructor while getting some quick pointers on how to properly perform the workout. Many gyms offer discounted or free classes to first-time visitors.
When you’re motivated by a new year’s resolution, it’s tempting to pencil in long gym sessions multiple times a week. But that kind of regime is rarely sustainable. If you’d like to make exercising a habit beyond January – and you’ll need to for any kind of lasting results – it’s best to think about what you can do in the long term.
“You can either do an hour of weightlifting a few days a week, and actually do it, or you have these imaginary 10-hour training sessions you’ll never actually have time for,” said Dan John, strength coach and author. “I try to focus on [programs that are] doable, repeatable and reasonable.”
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Similarly, trying to immediately push beyond your physical limitations is a great way to get injured. For weightlifting, it’s important to consider proper warm-ups, active mobility exercises and learning the right techniques before trying to lift anything too heavy. For cardio, Canada Running Series offers a Couch to 5K plan that eases newcomers into jogging by starting small and gradually increasing the length/difficulty of each run.
The gym is a shared public space. Everyone there is trying to get in a good workout. That’s harder to do when people are having phone conversations, listening to videos without using headphones and refusing to wipe down their equipment after use.
In March, fitness trainer Paul Landini wrote an article explaining some unofficial rules to follow when going to the gym, including being mindful of other people’s space and making sure you’re not monopolizing equipment during busy hours.
Changes in body composition, strength and overall health take time. They also need upkeep over the long term. Building a consistent fitness habit is something that will help with all those goals. One of the best ways to do that is finding something at the gym you genuinely enjoy doing. That can be working out with a friend to add a social aspect to exercise and accountability to show up. It can entail learning a new fitness-adjacent skill such as boxing or training for a competition like Hyrox. It can be rooted in the sense of accomplishment that comes with getting stronger. Whatever the reason, finding the joy in exercise is going to be key if you want to move beyond short-term motivation.
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