My daughter told me I should start going to the gym. At 79, I'm in the best shape of my life.

At almost 71, Joan MacDonald was overweight and suffered from high blood pressure and kidney issues. The mom-of-three despaired that she might die soon. Then her daughter, Michelle, a fitness trainer, told her that she needed to start working out. This story is based on a conversation with Joan MacDonald, 79, a former driving examiner of Collingwood, Ontario. It has been edited for length and clarity. January 2017 was a New Year I'll never forget. It was one of the few times that my daughter, Michelle MacDonald, lost her cool with me. She'd moved to Mexico the previous month and was visiting. "I won't get to see you as often as I like," she said. "And, every time I leave, I won't know whether it will be the last time I see you." Then she made another blunt comment that changed my life. "Mom, why don't you go to the gym?" she said. I needed to improve my health I had high blood pressure, kidney problems, and was at least 70 pounds overweight. Approaching my 71st birthday that March, I felt scared and miserable. My doctor had already warned me that, if I didn't make an effort to improve my health, I would end up on dialysis before very long. I was effectively dying. Growing up in Canada , I'd been an active child. I played ball, skated in the winter, and went bowling. I enjoyed doing them because they were fun. But I was by no means an athlete. I got married a month before my 21st birthday and settled into married life while working as a driving examiner. I juggled work with motherhood, raising Michelle and her older and younger brothers. Going to the gym really wasn't a thing back then. None of my married friends worked out, or even thought about doing so. I took medication for high blood pressure I believe that your body changes every seven years or so. I went through variations in terms of shape and size, and enjoyed certain foods, then went off them. I didn't have regular meals, often eating just two meals a day at irregular times. In between, I'd snack. Throughout my 60s, I was in poor health. I'd get bronchitis in the fall and spring - I had weaker lungs after contracting rheumatic fever as a child - and the kidney issues began. The weight had grown to 200 pounds, which was far too heavy for my height of 5 feet 3 inches. And my blood pressure was high ; I was put on medication. I'm lucky because Michelle is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and sports nutrition coach. She saw how unhealthy I'd become and was worried, especially because she'd moved thousands of miles away and couldn't keep an eye on me. Her recommendation struck home. It was enough to jolt me into action. My doctor also encouraged me to lose weight and reduce my blood pressure. I'd half-heartedly attended the gym before, but not consistently....

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