LOOKING AT LYNDELL JOHNSTON’S ACTIVE FITNESS SCHEDULE – ZUMBA, AQUA AEROBICS, PILATES, WALKING AND BODYBOARDING – YOU’D NEVER IMAGINE THAT SHE’S RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM A MAJOR SHOULDER RECONSTRUCTION. THE GEMLIFE PACIFIC PARADISE RESIDENT IS PROOF THAT KEEPING FIT IS POSSIBLE AFTER AN INJURY SETBACK.
“I’ve always been an active person. When we retired 13 years ago, I wanted to keep fit so I started more exercise and Pilates is my go-to favourite,” she said.
“I take part in the Zumba class at GemLife every week as well as join other people for aqua aerobics classes, then I go bodyboarding with my husband, Ian, three to four times a week. All of which is a wonderful way to keep fit for what I call the long walks.”
Those walks, which Lyndell completes with her childhood best friend, are not just a kilometre or two. We’re talking serious treks here.
“We’re training for the walking tour of the Grampians in February,” said Lyndell.
The full Grampians Peaks trail is a 160km trek from Mt Zero, through Halls Gap and finishing at Dunkeld. And it’s not the first of these hiking adventures Lyndell has been on.
“We’ve been walking all over the world,” she said.
“We’ve walked ‘coast-to-coast’ in England following the Hadrian’s Wall Path (that runs 135km from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway). We’ve also done the Great Ocean Road walk and Camino Ways in Spain and Portugal.”
The Camino Ways are popular pilgrimages starting in either France, Spain or Portugal, walking through the stunning countryside that ends at the magnificent historic Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia. These walks can take anywhere between five to 29 days.
“My husband doesn’t like walking and thinks I’m crazy!” Lyndell laughed.
“But he was a great support crew on the Camino.”
A more recent sporting activity Lyndell has adopted is bodyboarding, an excellent full-body workout which is also a lot of fun. And visits to the ocean three to four times a week is just a breeze when you only live five minutes away from Mudjimba Beach.
“A friend introduced us to it,” she said. “I grew up in western Queensland, so although I regularly swam, I hadn’t done a lot of ocean swimming. I just love it, but only in the warmer months, although my husband will be in the ocean all year round – but that gets a bit too cold for me!”
One activity Lyndell has yet to return to is kayaking.
“I haven’t done that since I had the shoulder reconstruction surgery last year,” she said.
“To be honest, I don’t know how I did it!”
“I kept going to the physio and it didn’t get better. Then I had an MRI and learned I’d done quite a bit of damage. My first consultation was by Zoom because it was just as COVID hit and, of course, elective surgery was cancelled. I suffered for about seven months and because of my mobility issues, I was unable to do much exercise at all for about a year.”
For some people that might be the end of the road, but Lyndell was determined to get back into peak condition. She is proof how important it is to be open to having a go at new things – even if it takes you out of your comfort zone because you never know when you’ll uncover your next new passion.
“After the surgery I did rehabilitation and when the physio cleared me, I went back to my Pilates and didn’t push it. I was incredibly cautious to begin with and didn’t do anything that felt uncomfortable. The secret to a good recovery after injury is, I think, knowing your body.”
It’s so easy to be physically fit when you have a range of facilities right on your doorstep. GemLife Pacific Paradise is ideally located for active over-50s. In addition to the outdoor swimming pool and gym on site, the resort also has tennis and pickleball courts. And it’s just a few minutes away from beaches, golf courses and the Maroochy River Conservation Park, plus a superb country club to come.
“My recommendation to anyone considering a move to a community like GemLife is to do it sooner rather than later – especially when you are energetic because it’s much easier to remain active when you’re living with like-minded people.”
“And that’s one of the things I’m enjoying about living at GemLife – meeting so many fit and active people where we share so many of the same interests. We’ve made many lovely friends here and highly recommend it.”
TOP TIPS FOR GETTING BACK INTO HEALTH AND FITNESS FOLLOWING INJURY
- Chat to your doctor for an exercise plan.
- Slow and steady wins the race – don’t dive back into intensive training straight away.
- Listen to your body and don’t ignore pain.
- Be open to trying new forms of exercise – particularly low impact exercise – and do it regularly.