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
HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, is a dynamic exercise method that alternates between intense bursts of activity and short periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise.It’s known for its effectiveness in burning calories and improving cardiovascular health in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional workouts. HIIT sessions typically last between 20 to 30 minutes, making them perfect for squeezing into a busy schedule.
Pilates aims to improve general body alignment, increase flexibility, and strengthen the core muscles. People of all fitness levels can benefit from this low-impact training technique, which can be customized to target particular body parts including the legs, back, and belly. Precise movements and regulated breathing techniques are common in Pilates exercises, which enhance mental and physical health. Pilates courses are widely available at gyms and fitness centers. Trained Pilates teachers lead students through a variety of exercises on a mat or with specialized equipment.
Aerial yoga uses silk fabric or a hammock suspended from the ceiling to blend classic yoga positions with aerial acrobatics. This type of training gives you a unique full-body workout while you navigate in the air, improving flexibility, balance, and core strength. From absolute beginners to seasoned practitioners, aerial yoga programs accommodate all ability levels and provide a welcome variation from traditional floor-based yoga practices. It’s a fantastic way to push yourself and experience weightlessness at the same time.
According to Drishti Chhabria, founder, chief experience officer, Orangetheory Fitness India, “Kickboxing is a high-intensity exercise that improves endurance, coordination, and agility by combining martial arts techniques with cardio aspects. Punches, kicks, and knee strikes are performed against a heavy bag or with a partner in this full-body workout, which is a great way to relieve stress. A well-rounded exercise experience is ensured by the inclusion of warm-ups, skill drills, and cool-downs in kickboxing lessons. Kickboxing offers an enjoyable and motivating exercise choice, regardless of your fitness goals: strength training, calorie burning, or learning self-defense skills.”
Brazilian martial art capoeira is a fluid and rhythmic movement technique that incorporates dance, acrobatics, and music. Its fluid kicks, spins, and sweeps set to the rhythm of traditional Brazilian instruments like the berimbau define it. Capoeira develops creativity and a respect for culture in addition to physical conditioning, flexibility, and reflexes. Partner exercises, music lessons, and games (called “jogos”) are common in classes, which foster a lively and supportive environment.
With these five exciting indoor workout options—HIIT workouts, Pilates, aerial yoga, kickboxing, and Capoeira—you can beat the monsoon blues while staying fit and active. Embrace these unconventional fitness activities to maintain your well-being and make the most of the rainy season indoors.
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Not everybody has enough room for a designated gym or studio, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on working out at home. You don’t need a full-size treadmill or a giant exercise bike taking up the limited free space you have to get your heart pumping. There are so many pieces of fitness equipment that you can store under your bed or behind your couch between sessions that’ll still give you a full-body workout. To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of the best compact fitness equipment you can use to get your daily sweat sesh in without cluttering up your space.
According to a recent study published in The Lancet Global Health journal, 57% of women in India were found to be insufficiently physically active, compared to men (42%), in line with trends across the South Asian region while almost 50% of adults in India engaged in insufficient levels of physical activity in 2022. Additionally, an international team of researchers, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), claimed that the South Asian region also ranked the second highest in terms of adults being insufficiently physically active after high-income Asia Pacific region.
If the current trends continue, the study projected that by 2030, 60% of the adults could be insufficiently engaging in physical activity as in India, a little over 22% of the adults engaged in insufficient physical activity in the year 2000 while in 2010, close to 34% of the adults were insufficiently physically active. This raises an urgent wake-up call for India as a 2023 Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal, estimated that 101 million people in India were diabetic in 2021 and about 315 million had hypertension the same year.
Given our deteriorating health graph, it is crucial to start our fitness journey now and adopt actionable steps to get active and begin exercising. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Manish Pendse, Senior Consultant Physician and Diabetologist at Medicover Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, shared, “Poor lifestyles and unhealthy food choices are some of the main reasons behind the major population being unfit. People tend to choose processed, packaged, or junk food instead of eating healthy food. This significantly hampers their health resulting in several health issues like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, digestive problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke and skin problems.”
Dr Manish Pendse asserted, “It becomes essential to indulge in physical activities or exercise, to keep your body fit and away from multiple diseases. Your fitness regime could include low-impact exercises like walking, jogging, meditation and Yoga and intense physical activities like running, cardio, weight lifting, and hitting the gym. Being physically active for at least 30 to 40 minutes daily can stimulate metabolism helping in managing weight.”
The health expert suggested, “Eat well-balanced food that contains equal amounts of essential nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and omega-3 fatty acids. Make healthy food choices that are low in calories, cholesterol, and saturated fats, and contain sugar, and salt in moderation. Keep a daily track of your body weight to see if you are gaining weight or losing weight. This can help you create a tailored plan to maintain your physical and psychological health.”
He cautioned, “Avoid unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol, chewing tobacco, smoking, sitting in one place for prolonged hours without taking adequate breaks and eating at unusual hours. Consult your doctor for expert guidance and tips to maintain fitness in this fast-paced life. Stress also leads to weight gain and gastric problems, It is imperative to de-stress by doing activities that calm you down.”
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