Super fit gran shows herself at 18 and people are mesmerised by transformation

23 February 2024 , 18:40

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Super fit grandmother and mum-of-five, Jacqueline Hooton, still rocks a bikini in her 60s and wants to empower other women to do the same (Image: instagram.com/hergardengym)

The saying 'age is just a number' definitely applies to this super fit gran who is on a mission to prove you can be beautiful and confident at any age.

Jacqueline Hooton, 61, from West Sussex, can impressively lift double her body weight and plans to live until she is 100. Despite having osteoarthritis, the personal trainer - who gets mistaken for being 20 years younger - is on a mission to prove you can look amazing at any age if you commit to putting the work in.

The online content creator who has over 500,000 followers on Instagram, stunned people recently with a throwback snap from the 80s where she looks unrecognisable. People can't get over how amazing the mum-of-five looks, the Daily Star reports, and say she is living proof that you can be "sexy" at any age and make getting old "so fun".

In both pictures - taken 43 years apart - Jacqueline is wearing a silver, sparkly dress and posing on a stool. You could argue she looks a lot more confident now, but her physique does not look to have aged at all - only now she proudly shows off her grey hair and boasts a beaming smile.

After sharing the image online, Jacqueline said: "From 18 to 61 – 1981 to 2024 – lies the story of my life so far. I've had 5 children, gained 3 grandchildren, run two London marathons, numerous half marathons, and races of varying distances, been a competitive bodybuilder, been strength training for 28 years, engaged in physical activity all my adult life.

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"I’m a personal trainer but I'm not an athlete. I may be average when it comes to physical fitness, but I am outstanding when it comes to consistency. I live as though my body needs to last me another 40 years - yes I’m aiming for."

Jacqueline showed her transformation over 43 years (Instagram/hergardengym)

She added: "You're never too old, and it's never too late to start, so start now (if you haven’t already). It’s less about adding years to your life – but instead - adding life to your years - by increasing health span. Although extending lifespan is often a by-product.

"I’m not talking about simply surviving, and increasing lifespan, I’m talking about health span, because it’s not about how we look, but how we feel and function as we grow older. The challenge is maintaining physical function, strength, cardiovascular health, cognitive function and reducing the risk of accelerated ageing.

"So here starts the 61st chapter. Thanks for being my ride or die teammates. Let’s go!"

Jacqueline loves exercising and can lift double her body weight (hergardengym/Instagram)

The post raked in almost 30,000 likes and raked in hundreds of comments. One individual said: "You are just fantastic and so beautiful in your photos now and then! Thanks for always being this inspiring force for women of all ages!"

"How do you look better 42 years later?," another wrote. "So you've always had killer legs," one other added. "You have grown hotter with age," agreed another.

One other commented: "You are absolutely gorgeous! What an inspiration!"

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Lucy Marshall