>
A super-fit granny who works abs to stay fit and still wears a bikini, has revealed she’s determined not to become ‘invisible’ as she gets older.
Julie Ford, 69, a part-time PE teacher from Eastbourne, East Sussex, said she is determined to ‘look and feel as good in her seventies as she did in her twenties.
After overcoming breast cancer in her 60s, Julie has also become a fitness entrepreneur by creating a custom running resistance band, and now she wants to encourage other older people to get outside and exercise.
The grandmother said, “My friends jokingly tell me they hate me and ask, ‘Why do you look so good?’
“I don’t know if I’ve just been blessed with healthy aging or if it’s because of being positive, but I think when you feel good, you look good.”
Julie Ford, 69, a part-time gym teacher from Eastbourne, East Sussex, who works abs to keep fit and still wears a bikini, has revealed she is determined not to become ‘invisible’ as she gets older
Julie, who is married to Wimbledon tennis umpire Jerry Armstrong, 67, said: ‘I’ve done the fantastic 50s and the sexy 60s and now I’m planning to do the super fit 70s.
“I tend to cover up my arms and legs now because it’s more sophisticated for my age, but I always make sure I still look sexy with things like frilly crop tops.
“I’ve flaunted my body all my life, not because I’m vain, but because I feel good.”
Julie has loved sports and exercise from an early age and knew from the age of 11 that she wanted to become a PE teacher.
Julie often wears bikinis at the beach and says she still likes to look “sexy” and wear things that “show off her body” because it makes her feel “good”
She went on to study gymnasium at Eastbourne College and in 1976 got her first job as a gym teacher at Tideway School in New Haven.
Five decades later, she still teaches part-time PE to children aged 13-18 at Eastbourne College.
But also outside of school, Julie has always enjoyed participating in and teaching sports.
She said: “Outside of work, I have taught Jane Fonda exercise classes, as well as hockey and netball, and running, cycling and walking.
‘I still run, bike and run, but a few years ago I had to give up netball and hockey because I was busy on the weekends.’
Despite always being fit and healthy, the grandmother had breast cancer in her 60s and received radiation therapy to cure it
Becoming a mother of two didn’t stop her love of fitness, either.
She said: ‘I continued to work as a PE teacher, but outside of school I took strength training and dance lessons.
‘The children joined in or were dragged along to watch the korfball and hockey games with me.’
While Julie loved the buzz of exercise, she also found that it gave her great body confidence.
“I worked hard to be fit and healthy so I could look good,” she said.
“I used to be known as the lady in the village who cycled everywhere with hardly any clothes on because I only wore shorts and a crop top.”
Julie (pictured here in Cornwall) stopped going to the gym after recovering from breast cancer – decided to spend more time outdoors instead
In September 2016, at age 63, Julie was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, but that didn’t stop her.
“It was a routine mammogram appointment and they saw something and called me back,” she said.
“When they said it was stage two breast cancer, I couldn’t believe it because I felt so healthy.”
Julie underwent radiotherapy for a month and said she was lucky to fly through her treatment.
“It’s still hard to believe I ever had cancer because I felt so healthy all the time,” she said.
“I didn’t want to quit my job, so I timed my treatment around the fall break so I could continue.”
Julie revealed that her friends often ask her how she looks so good despite her age – and she appreciates exercise and a positive attitude
Although Julie got through her treatment relatively easily, her attitude towards exercise changed.
She said, “When I went back to the gym, I just thought, ‘I don’t want to be here.’
“Life is too short and I just wanted to be outside and make every day count.”
Julie traded the gym for long walks in the countryside and realized she wanted more – and started experimenting.
She said: ‘I wanted something to keep my upper body strong and toned so I tried to use weights but by the end of the walk I would look like an orangutan because my arms would be so tired from carrying the weights.
Julie, who turns 70 in February, said she wants to feel as good in her 70s as she did in her 20s.
“So I dug in the garage and found some rubber resistance tubes and an old wetsuit and started attaching them to my shoes so I could hold them and cause tension.
‘I went through about 30 different designs over the year until I found the final product.’
Impressed by her creation, which is designed to tone and strengthen the body by combining resistance with movement, Julie launched her versatile walking resistance bands – called Instepp – in March 2018.
Julie said she is determined not to become invisible as she gets older and encourages other oldies to exercise too
Julie said her running resistance bands have kept her in top shape.
“They often say that when you turn 50 you become invisible, but I make sure I’m not,” she said.
With Julie’s 70th approaching in February 2023, she’s making plans to celebrate in style.
“It’s weird to think I’m turning 70 because I don’t feel it at all,” she said.
“We have a friend with a gondola from Venice and I’ve always loved masquerade balls, so maybe we’ll plan a masquerade ball in Stratford-upon-Avon later in the summer.”
Julie has recently become a grandmother for the first time.
She added: ‘My granddaughter, Freyja, is only 13 months at the moment, so she’s not quite around yet.
“But I can’t wait until I can take her on a bike and she can walk or cycle with me.”