When Life Rewrites Your Workout Plan

I was training clients in the gym a couple of days ago when a familiar face walked through the door. A older woman ( and I say that respectfully as I’m in no position to be ageist at this stage of life) I knew from the big box gym I used to work at before I opened my own space .

She smiled and asked if I remembered her. Of course I did. Her face radiated warmth and character, the kind of expression that tells you someone has lived fully and collected plenty of stories along the way.

She had heard about my gym and came with a favour. A group of her friends had been training with the same PT for years. He was off overseas for an extended and well-earned break. Would I train them short term?

I’m a “yes” person. So I nodded instinctively, chatted with their trainer, briefed my PT, and got ready to welcome the group.

You know that saying?

“Man plans, and God laughs.”

We had a plan. Dumbbell chest presses, kettlebell deadlifts, a clear structure. But the universe had other ideas.

In walked a cast of characters. One arrived in full makeup and jewels. Another looked like she’d stepped out of an Athleta catalogue. There was chatter. A lot of chatter. More talking than listening. The movements were, let’s say, interpretive.

Before we even said “let’s warm up,” the dumbbells were forgotten and we were reaching for mats and resistance bands.

The spreadsheets went out the window. We were pulling exercises from the filing cabinets in our brains, improvising on the fly.

In that moment, I felt like a duck on a busy pond. Calm and composed on the surface. Paddling like mad underneath.

But here’s the thing. As I looked around, something struck me. These women weren’t just filling time while their trainer was away. They valued this. They chose to pivot rather than pause. They knew they wouldn’t keep themselves accountable without support, so they found another way to stay consistent.

They weren’t there to follow a program to the letter. They were there to keep moving so they could keep moving.

And that’s when I realised I needed to loosen my grip. Let go of the spreadsheet. Let go of the expectation that every session needed to match the plan. My job is not to tick off a checklist. It’s to help people stay strong, mobile and active in the long game of life.

These fabulous women were the perfect reminder of what really works. Show up for yourself. Move your body in every direction it was designed for. Lift things that feel good to lift. Laugh loudly. Chat endlessly. Keep showing up. Do that, and you’ll glide through your later years with strength, confidence and just a touch of ‘Wonder Woman’ trust that your body is still capable of amazing things .