Being motivated to live a healthy lifestyle was always her priority. However, she began her fitness journey at a rather unusual age. For Polly, it not only facilitated a better work life but also brought a stronger balance to her mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
“You’re too old for this.”
For people looking to seek anything rare and unusual above the age of 50, this is something very common to hear. It’s generally seen that we put time limits on dreams and age limits on goals. Yet, here’s the story of a woman in her late fifties that stands out amid the crowd — Polly Sidhu, a businesswoman, and a mother of two who is looking forward to participating in fitness competitions at 57. She believes age is no bar when it comes to staying fit and living life to the fullest. “In fact, working out and eating right can reverse your age,” she says.
Hailing from Punjab, India, Polly immigrated to Canada at a very young age after getting married. As a young immigrant, she was first settled in Mackenzie, B.C before making her final move to Vancouver. She brought the first Quiznos Sub to Delta in 1998 and then Fresh Slice Pizza a few years later. A firm believer in quality and service, she has always prioritized these when it came to her career.
But, despite being successful in many arenas, she felt that there was a missing piece to her puzzle. That’s when she decided to turn things around and made exercise, meditation, and other holistic activities an inseparable part of her life. Wanting to do more for herself, she joined the gym last year and started training for upcoming fitness competitions along with making fitness a key goal.
Polly, a hardworking and resilient woman goes by the mantra of never giving up and is always positive no matter how the situation may be. Over the years, she has started to believe that staying fit helps one in reaching their dreams faster. She says, “if your body feels healthy, you can do more and achieve more. That’s one of my core mantras in life.”
“I have always lived a healthy lifestyle, but my career was my key focus for the longest time. I wanted to change that and make myself and my wellbeing a priority instead. I’ve been meditating and practicing yoga from the last few years but I only started going to the gym last year at the age of 56,” she added.
They say no matter what you do, your family always has your back. This perfectly fits her case as Polly’s sister Reena pushed her fitness journey ahead by motivating her to go forward and follow her passion. Her father was always her mentor, and she takes inspiration from his strength and resilience. Polly is full of grit and determination and starts her day on a positive note with yoga exercises. “I make sure that I am not only nourishing my body but also my mind. Meditation helps ground me while exercise and nutrition helps me stay fit. If I can do it at this age, I believe so can others. Age is just a number, and it is just in your mind. You are as young as you feel and I truly feel like I’m 25 years old and ready to compete,” she explained.
She believes that embarking on this new journey and adopting a healthier lifestyle has changed her for good. She not only feels better but believes that it has brought more radiance and confidence to her personality. “Fitness keeps you young and healthy. In many ways, one can reverse their age and the diseases that come with aging.” She wants to inspire others with her fitness journey, especially women who often neglect their health for the sake of their families. She says, “If you don’t feel healthy yourself, then how can you take care of the other important people in your life?”
We need more women like her who are not just doing wonders for themselves but are also inspiring thousands of others around them by defying expectations on every level and living their best life.
Nikita Sharma
