81-year-old becomes a fitness influencer – and we’re here for it!

You’re only as old as you think you are and if there is anyone that can help you believe that you are capable of anything its Erika Rischko – an 81-year-old woman from Langenfeld in Germany whose fitness videos have TikTok users around the world buzzing.

Erica has always been big on fitness and as the TikTok craze continues to rise, she started sharing her fitness tips and has been called “fitness goals” by users on the app.

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Like most of us, Erica fell in love with the social media platform back in April last year as the world went into lockdown. She started sharing some of her exercise videos, which include her doing a range of cardio exercises like push ups, planks, wall-sits, mountain climbers and hip dips, and quickly became one of the most relatable women on the app.

Today, Erica also posts her fitness and workout videos on her Instagram page to reach an even wider audience and loves giving her followers some handy fitness tips and exercises to keep them fit during the pandemic.

Erica admits that she is a ‘late bloomer’ when it comes to fitness but is proud of how fit and healthy she remains at 81 – inspiring countless of younger people in the process. “I am really honoured and humbled that younger people are being inspired by me,” she says. “If I can change the stereotype of old people being boring or not being active just a bit, that makes me very happy.”

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She adds that she never exercised regularly until she was in her 50s when her daughter  signed her up to the local gym. “As both kids were out of the house for the first time, I was lonely,” she says. “The first five years I was not ‘addicted’. Then, I slowly started to do more and even joined some three to four-hour spinning classes and rowing competitions.”

Erica adds that she has convinced her husband to join her on her fitness journey. "My husband, who is also 81-years-old, goes to the gym with me during the week in the morning, but we do not train together," she says. “I usually ride a bike to and from the gym so my husband doesn't have to wait for me. During the week, I also work out three to four times in the evening for an hour."

Many have reached out to get advice on how to start working on your body at an older age. "I think my advice is fairly simple: Do not do anything extreme - there is no need to -- and start slowly," she says. "Just eat healthy, but do not chastise yourself. And figure out what works for you. Find a sports activity that you enjoy because if you do not enjoy it you will not last, and if you are not as disciplined as I am, find a workout partner as it is not that easy to cancel on somebody."

Erica has inspired many on social media. “Love her! The smile throughout gets me the most. Who cares if the weights are fake. The wall-sit alone isn’t easy!” one user said. Another added “Challenge your body before it challenges you. Go go go grandma!”

Image courtesy: Instagram