Byline: By JENNA SLOANIT'S halfway through 70-year-old Celia Powis's exercise class and she's beltin...

1. Grandmother of all workouts; OUR GIRL, 26, IS PUT
THROUGH HER PACES BY A 70-YEAR-OLD.
Byline: By JENNA SLOAN
IT'S halfway through 70-year-old Celia Powis's exercise class and she's belting out Britney Spears'
Baby One More Time at the top of her voice.
The sprightly fitness instructor may be old enough to be my granny, but while she's just getting
started, I'm on the verge of collapse.
"Have you ever exercised before?" she enquires politely, looking concerned as my face turns a funny
shade of purple and I struggle for breath.
And then she's off, bounding to help another member of the class, yelling, "Raise your elbows,
stretch those calf muscles". I'm left to reflect on how a pensioner 44 years my senior can wipe the
floor with me so easily.
But then Celia is a force to reckoned with outside the gym, too. In a classic David and Goliath battle,
she took on the council bosses who wanted her axed from her job at Worthing Leisure Centre, West
Sussex, for being too old.
A grandmother of four who runs seven high-energy aerobics classes a week, she took them to an
appeal court where they were forced to let her keep her job. At least until she's 72.
"I was very upset when I heard they wanted to get rid of me," says Celia, barely breaking into a
sweat despite doing dozens of press-ups. It's brilliant news that I can carry on."
A size 10 with a 26ins waist, Celia weighs an enviable 8st 2lbs. She has barely changed weight
p90x3 ab ripper in the 30 years she has been a fitness instructor. "I've lost weight as I got older and
my bones got thinner," she says. "But I eat healthily. We have two allotments which give us loads of
veg."
Husband Jack, 68, helps out by loading her sound and fitness equipment into the car before her
classes, which cost pounds 4.40 a time. The couple have been married for 42 years and have three
children. Celia says: "I've been doing my popmobility classes for almost 30 years and I have a
regular group of customers, both ladies and men, who want to keep fit."
The vigorous hour-long routine involves running, star jumps, stretches, and punches, all set to
pumping pop music. "Why should we suffer in silence?" booms Robbie Williams, as Celia effortlessly
launches into an agonising series of stomach crunches.
When Robbie finishes, she dashes off to her mini-disc recorder to pick another song. She has more
than 600 favourite tunes to work out to and has invented routines for them all. Just 20 minutes into
the work-out, I'm exhausted.
However, the ladies around me seem perfectly happy. "I've been coming to Celia's classes four times

2. a week for 31 years," says Linda Besford, 49, from Worthing, Sussex. "I was relieved when they said
she could keep her job. She's fantastic, I don't think she's ever had a day off sick and she gives it 100
per cent."
"OK," calls Celia at the end, "Now show off your muscles," as she displays an impressive six-pack.
My biceps are barely visible to the naked eye.
"I can't wait for tomorrow's class now," she trills.
Me, I'm looking forward to is a nice lie down.
CELIA'S ADVICE
1 STRONG tummy muscles are essential. Start with 10 sit-ups daily. Support your head with your
fingers and keep elbows straight.
2 DO 10 stretches daily. Try touching between your shoulder blades with one hand, and then push
your elbow down with the other.
3 CARDIO exercise is important. A brisk walk for 30 minutes a day will get your heart pumping.
4 YOU won't want to exercise unless you enjoy it, so do it to music or go to a class with a pal.
5 BALANCE always helps. If you can stand on one leg then you can do more moves.
6 BUILD up stamina with regular exercise. Just walking up and down stairs is better than nothing.
7 SUPPLENESS makes it easier to do routines. Sit down to take the weight off your legs then reach
forward towards your toes. Or bend your leg then point your toes upwards to loosen calf muscles.
8 WARM up and down before and after exercise to give muscles a chance to get going shakeology
results and to recover. Walking on the spot is a good idea.
9 WORK to build up your agility and strength. With beginners I do moves on the spot, then we build
up to running and then jumping.
10 GO at your own pace - it's not a competition.
jenna.sloan@mirror.co.uk
CAPTION(S):
RUN-DOWN: Exhausted Jenna and trainer Celia p90x3 Pictures: ROGER ALLEN
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