A gym-obsessed grandmother who isn’t short for male attention thanks to her super toned body has shared top tips for staying fit this Christmas – including swapping cakes for turkey and a post-roast-dinner power walk.
Lesley Maxwell, 63, from Melbourne, Australia, works as a full-time personal trainer and has an army of fans on Instagram, where she shares photos and videos of her shredded look and workout routines.
The size 8 grandmother works out five times a week and has almost 30 local and national titles under her belt, winning her first show at the age of 49.
Lesley also often hits the gym with fitness fanatic granddaughter Tia, 20, with people having previously said the pair look more like “sisters”.
Ahead of the festive season, she has revealed common diet pitfalls and what to avoid if you want to keep trim for 2022.
Her top tips? Eat more protein, ditch the wine and sugary drinks and avoid overeating.
“My tips for eating over the Christmas period would be to eat more turkey rather than cakes,” Lesley told Jam Press.
“One is protein, while the other breaks down into sugar.
“I would say go easy on the soft drinks and wine too, as these are ’empty calories’ and usually get stored as soft body fat.
“There’s no need to eat everything offered to you.
“If you’ve finished your meal and [are] offered more food, simply wait a minute.
“The feeling of overeating usually goes away.
“Another would be to go for a power walk after Christmas dinner.
“Power walking effectively can work every muscle in your legs and glutes, plus great for your core muscles too.
“Take large strides and squeeze your butt at the top of the movement.
“Burn those extra calories away while walking with family or friends.
“Anyone can easily do these diet tips.”
Try to get a proper workout in between festive events too, to offset the additional food and booze.
“For those wanting to keep fit during Christmas my top tips would be to train with a friend or family member,” said Lesley, who recently uploaded a ‘Grandmother v Granddaughter’ fitness video of her and Tia.
“After that, add a high-intensity workout into your weekly training schedule and make training fun!”
Lesley began her body transformation journey 14 years ago after using fitness to cope with her divorce.
She often gets approached by younger men but believes age is just a number, saying that all her partners have been younger than her – including her ex-husband, who she had a 13-year age gap with.
The 64-year-old believes biological age and chronological age are two different things, and that you can be as “old or young as you like” depending on how you take care of your body with healthy eating and exercise.
She gets a lot of attention from men at the gym and online, but says her looks often intimidates them.
The fit grandma added: “The guys are from about 18, which is really funny.
“I take everything as a compliment, it’s really great that they even follow me.
“Of course I appreciate the male followers and men definitely add spice to life… I don’t think this changes whatever age we are.”
LESLEY’S FESTIVE WORKOUT (NO GYM REQUIRED)
Pick three from each category:
LOWER BODY
3 x 10 squats
3 x 10 hip bridges (place exercise band above your knees)
3 x 15 crab walks each side (place exercise band above your knees)
3 x 10 Frog squats (bodyweight)
3 x 15 side kicks
3 x 10 Lunges (each side)
UPPER BODY
3 x 10 incline push ups
3 x 10 Face Pulls (using exercise band)
3 x 10 rows (using exercise band)
3 x 10 Single arm rows (using exercise band)
3 x 10 upright rows (using exercise band)
3 x 10 triceps pushdown (exercise band)
3 x 10 bicep curls
ABS
Toe taps
Heel taps
Ab bicycle
