Pull-ups, TRX, lunges – grandma yogi spreads gospel of fitness and well-being to young and old
- How many 63-year-olds can do a handstand? Carol Farrington can, thanks to regular gym workouts that keep her fit as someone a third of her age
- Soon the Hongkonger will retire and become a full-time yoga instructor. She is convinced all this exercise keeps her mentally sharp. Experts agree
Carol Farrington, a silver-haired schoolteacher and grandmother, is at the top of her game. On this Saturday afternoon, dressed in a blue-grey top, black pants and purple trainers, she has just finished a workout with Barry Leung, her personal trainer of 11 years.
Many people are surprised to learn that this vigorous yogi is 63 years young. Leung, who puts her through her paces at the Kratos Performance Training Studio in Hong Kong’s Central business district, often tells her she is fitter than many people a third of her age. “He calls me ‘Fit Grandma,’” Farrington chuckles.
Today’s workout involved sets to prepare her to do handstands unassisted. “I was nervous doing it without the wall [today] but he was there holding my legs, then even let go of his hands while I was up there,” she said, surprised at her ability to pull off this feat.
Not all her workouts involve handstands. Sometimes she does lunges, body-weight exercises such as push-ups, rope or step routines, and TRX (suspension weight training). “Doing pull-ups gets rid of the old lady’s flag,” she says, shaking her right arm to demonstrate the firm tone of her under-arm.
Staying active the key to staying alive longer
All the workouts aim to engage her muscles, particularly the core and glutes, and strengthen her balance and coordination. In addition to her gym sessions and yoga, she hikes once a week, and believes these physical activities help her stay mentally sharp.
Farrington is a long-time yoga practitioner, and takes to the mat two or three times a week. Since 2015, she has been hosting after-school yoga for primary-school students once a week. At the Iris: Your Escape wellness festival in Hong Kong in April, she will lead a dance-themed yoga session.
She encourages everyone to stay active regardless of their age. “It’s a responsibility we have to try and keep ourselves as fit as possible, not just for the body but the mind,” she says.
Farrington believes yoga helps slow physical and mental stagnation. “The most challenging for me is remembering the sequences, and that is really good to put that on myself to do,” she adds.
Experts recommend regular physical activity to help preserve cognitive function as one ages. “We know that regular physical exercise not only will help you ward off dementia later in life, it will also reduce your risk of other conditions that can impair your brain health, such as stroke and depression,” said Dr Jonathan Rosand, co-founder and co-director of the Henry and Allison McCance Centre for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, in the United States.
Rosand recommends all patients work on maintaining and improving their strength; their tolerance for aerobic exercise; and their flexibility. Examples include yoga, but also heart-pumping workouts such as walking, running, cycling and swimming. “We work with our patients to exercise at least twice per week, and encourage each patient to develop a routine that suits their tastes,” he adds.
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Farrington is a poster child for Rosand’s recommendations. The grandmother to 11-year-old Megan and 10-year-old Camren has been active throughout her life – from ballet in her youth to being a lifelong hiker. “When Megan was little she used to call me ‘Naughty Nana’ because I walked too fast,” says Farrington.
She turned to yoga 14 years ago, after a skiing incident in which she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee, which required reconstructive surgery. While recovering, she discovered Pranayama yoga and got hooked on the practice. Over the years, her passion for yoga intensified. In 2014, Farrington embarked on a 95-hour children’s teacher training course from Gecko Yoga, by Jenny Smith. She also acquired yin yoga training in London to teach this style to adults.
She completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training course just over a year ago, which required a month of study and yoga classes, including a three-hour yoga sessions daily.
“Everyone was mentally and physically exhausted by the end of it, but actually, physically, I was in a good shape, better than some, and had no injuries from doing it. Not that I am very flexible, but because I was strong, as I had been training with a personal trainer.
“So a mixture of physical activities is a really good approach to keeping fit and being able to take part in things that one normally might not associate with one’s age. To some degree, age is irrelevant.”
At the Iris: Your Escape wellness festival, expect to see this yogi leading a session for children aged five years and above and their families. At last year’s festival, she led a session that helped participants cultivate emotional awareness of themselves and others, and to help children nurture friendships.
“Yoga is to do with getting to know yourself. If you know yourself, you can more easily appreciate and empathise with others,” she said of how the session encouraged participants to slow down, understand and respond to one another.
This year, she is planning a yoga session involving songs and dance. Participants will engage in poses, and follow their breath in synchrony with the music.
It’s important to keep fit so you can enjoy life – you can travel, move around more easily and have more experiences if you can keep moving and keep thinking
She hopes the children will respond to different music and learn to maintain focus. “It’s about noticing your thoughts and focus and discussing that during class so it encourages them to notice what’s going on in their mind,” she explains. If they lose their train of thought or get overwhelmed emotionally, breathing techniques will help them to concentrate.
Next up, she is planning a hiking trip with a colleague to the scenic Zhangjiajie protected zone, in China’s Hunan province, which encompasses Tianmen Mountain, forests, rivers and waterfalls.
“It’s important to keep fit so you can enjoy life – you can travel, move around more easily and have more experiences if you can keep moving and keep thinking,” Farrington says.
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She encourages elderly people in Hong Kong to stay active and retain their independence. “If you can move around and your brain is active, life is more interesting because you can engage in it,” she says.
She is optimistic that a shift is under way, having noticed more elderly people engaging in exercise. For example, seven years ago, she often found she was the oldest student in the yoga classes she took part in. “I see loads [of older people in yoga] now, it’s pretty significant,” she said. “The attitude and ethos is changing.”
For details of the Iris: Your Escape wellness festival on April 27 and 28 at the Central Harbourfront, see irishkg.com.
