A 73-year-old fitness influencer shares her self-care tips for isolation, from stretching to establishing a daily routine

• Joan MacDonald is a 73-year-old fitness influencer from Ontario, Canada.
• Three years ago, she started her fitness journey, and has since lost more than 60 pounds.
• She shares her fitness, health, and wellness tips on her Instagram account, @trainwithjoan, which has more than 729,000 followers.
• MacDonald told Insider that isolating at her home hasn't been easy but she's been sticking to a self-care routine that includes meditation every day.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Joan MacDonald has been on her fitness journey for over three years, and has found that changes to her diet and exercise have made huge improvements in her health.

The 73-year-old fitness influencer has also started a self-care routine, which not only benefits her physically, but mentally as well.

MacDonald, who shares her self-care tips on her Instagram account, told Insider how she's staying mentally well during this time at home.

Well, here we are in lockdown and like many of you, I used to see a chiropractor and a massage therapist on a regular basis. I have some scoliosis and other issues that I get taken care of weekly. Of course that hasn’t been happening for over a month here in Ontario due to Covid. So, all the little niggles that I usually get addressed professionally have slowly been piling up and this past week was the straw that broke this camel’s back. Though I haven’t been doing any lower body training for a week, now even bending over or reaching in the cupboards causes pain in my right glute, and my shoulder is now really hurting. I am going to have a virtual appointment with my chiropractor this week, and I’m curious how that will work. Does anyone have experience with that? I suspect my pelvis is out of whack and my periformis has knotted up, but I’ll let my chiropractor tell me whats going on. In the meantime Michelle has me doing some simple stretches for a tight periformis, and I’m doing some foam rolling, massage ball and icing and taking ibuprofen. . Now more than ever my nutrition must be on point, and I’m taking this as a sign to know the difference between pushing through discomfort (good) and pushing through pain (bad). I often think of myself as invincible and this attitude has helped me accomplish great things BUT everything has its time and place. Meditation teaches us awareness, and I’m learning that awareness extends to the body, too. I need to be more vigilant on self care, especially as we are unable to see our health care providers right now or for the foreseeable future. Thank you for the support. I am doing well and will get through this just fine. I’ll see you on another live video soon, as sure as the sun will rise. Be well, be healthy, Love Joan

A post shared by Joan MacDonald (@trainwithjoan) on Apr 25, 2020 at 7:17am PDTApr 25, 2020 at 7:17am PDT

MacDonald has found that sticking to a daily routine helps her mental wellness

To start the day on a good note, she begins with meditation by using the app Headspace. She told Insider that meditation "is a great thing to do that brings greater self awareness."

She added that when it comes to other activities, sticking to a daily schedule also works best.

"I make sure to get to bed on time every night so I can get enough rest. I also have hobbies like gardening that I do that make me feel refreshed and happy," she said.

She also makes sure to stretch and eat well throughout the day

She said that stretching "helps keep me flexible and helps with muscle tightness. I move better when I take the time to stretch and foam roll."

Foam rolling involves rolling a cylindrical tube coated in compressed foam along your body. According to Healthline, "Foam rolling can be beneficial for easing sore muscles and reducing inflammation."

What do I really eat? I know there must be a lot of confusion still floating around out there about how I lost the weight, and how I’ve been able to build muscle at my age. I’ve seen my photos being used on all kinds of sites selling diets and weight loss programs. Believe it or not, there’s not a heck of a lot I can do about it except keep reporting it as spam, and you can do that too. I think the big take home is that if you are interested in following a diet but you find out they are using stolen photos, you should be a little skeptical. Buyer beware. I’ve created a “highlights” called “FAQS” that outlines what I’ve been doing for the past 3.5 years. Here it is in a nutshell: 1. I plan my meals using an app called @my.macros . I follow a macro-based meal plan given to me by my coach @yourhealthyhedonista . When I follow that plan 100% I always lose some weight and tighten up. When I get lazy, I start gaining weight. I’m still learning how everything works but I do know that when I go by instinct, I seem to always gain weight. With proper meal planning, I get to work in treats like these tacos and still lose weight. 2. I train with weights 5 x week and have been since January 2017. My daughter is a strength and conditioning coach and makes sure I am getting stronger and lifting with good technique. She has taught me the importance of giving it my all, correcting my form, and to be proud of my accomplishments. I never thought I could do a chin up or hip thrust over 200 lbs, but over a long period of time I made it. Time and consistency are keys. 3. I do cardio almost daily. My own mother taught me the importance of a nice walk to keep the blood going and here I am in my seventies loving being active. I don’t do hours of it, but training your heart and lungs is very important to your health, especially if you are combating obesity and heart disease. I was gentle at first, but now that I’m fit, I can do sprints on the rower and the bicycle and I like to get my heart racing. .. I hope that helps some of you who still have questions and if there is anything else you would like to know about please ask and I’ll do my best to answer you. Love Joan

A post shared by Joan MacDonald (@trainwithjoan) on Apr 27, 2020 at 6:15am PDTApr 27, 2020 at 6:15am PDT

MacDonald also makes sure to stick to a healthy diet of vegetables, grains, and proteins. "In terms of nutrition I make sure that I get all my meals in. I also make sure to not over or undereat, it's crucial for my self-care," she said.

As for "cheat meals," MacDonald says she'll treat herself every now and then, but "I don't like calling it a cheat meal because I am not cheating. I also shouldn't feel bad about going to eat something I enjoy for a treat," she said.

Isolation hasn't been easy, but sticking to a self-care routine has helped MacDonald stay strong

I am still learning this one but I’m further along the path than I was three years ago My dears, please use this time wisely. Be attentive to what you read, listen to and practice. There are two wolves living inside of us. One represents fear, anger and cowardice. The other represents courage, love and bravery. All of your actions throughout your day are feeding one of these two wolves. Before I began my transformation journey I was struggling to love myself. I really had fallen down. I was quick to anger, slow to smile, and often depressed. I was still me in there, but it was getting increasingly hard to smile at the world because I had abandoned myself on the inside. Can you relate? These days I control much more how I feed myself, and not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I start my day off with 20 minutes of meditation . It really works to keep me more calm and balanced throughout the day. The more calm I am the better choices I make. I also use the app Elevate. It’s an app that helps improve your thought processes and covers basic skills like math, grammar and memory. And next, I work on Duolingo to improve my Spanish. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to speak it, but practicing it really helps keep my mind a bit more supple, and that’s a big deal as you get older. The next thing I do is have my breakfast and then I do my exercises. This morning routine has served me very well and it has really helped changed my attitude towards self-care. I see and feel just how important it is. If I can get this message over to you guys, I’ll be a happy woman. You must learn to love yourselves, take the best care of yourselves, and be consistent at it. Nobody can do it for you. Don’t wait til you’re my age to learn how to do it. Do it now. Now is the time to invest in self-care. Feed the right wolf inside of you. With love, Joan

A post shared by Joan MacDonald (@trainwithjoan) on Apr 22, 2020 at 5:57am PDTApr 22, 2020 at 5:57am PDT

MacDonald said there are two things she's particularly missing during this time: "I miss the gym and I also miss my daughter Michelle. This has been the longest portion of time I have gone without seeing her."

She stressed the importance of self-care right now: "I believe self-care is important because when self-care isn't present it means you are functioning with no boundaries. Having no boundaries usually leaves you overworked and tired and that's when you are susceptible to do things that you don't want to do [like] overeating."

For more of her self-care and exercise tips, MacDonald is on Instagram as @trainwithjoan.

• Read more:
• A 73-year-old who lost 60 pounds is now a fitness influencer inspiring others to improve their health
• A 73-year-old fitness influencer shares her advice on staying healthy while self-isolating, including sticking to a routine and learning something new every day
• 13 ways to practice self-care when you work from home

Read the original article on Insider