This 78-year-old Singaporean grandma does pull-ups and strength training exercises to stay healthy

"My grandmother can run faster than you!"

If you've gone through National Service, you've probably heard your BMT platoon sergeant say this.

While it's a running joke, we've actually found one Singaporean grandma who is probably physically fitter than most people half her age. 

Meet 78-year-old Charlotte Wong, a fitness enthusiast who went from living a sedentary lifestyle to effortlessly doing weighted pull-ups and more.

She's the mother of Yan Lin, 40, the founder of gym and fitness centre Bespoke Fitness. 

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Yan tracks her mother's progress and achievements on TikTok. 

On March 16, she shared a video featuring her mother, advising others to take up strength training to fight health conditions like osteoporosis and sarcopenia. 

In the clip, Charlotte could be seen doing push-ups, lifting dumbbells and other strength training exercises.  

Speaking with AsiaOne, Yan tells us that her mother only started exercising after retiring at the age of 57. 

"She was sedentary and travelled a lot when she worked in the corporate world and realised that she had to change her lifestyle to be healthy," shared Yan, adding that her mother had high cholesterol and wanted to fix this health issue. 

Yan and her brother, who are both fitness coaches, created a high-intensity workout that they call FitRx. 

She shared that Charlotte does this exercise - which is a mix of strength training and burst cardio - thrice a week. 

Over the years, Charlotte also has learned how to do pull-ups. 

"When she first started training with me four years ago, her modest goal was to be able to do one unassisted sit-up! Pull-ups were never her goal," Yan told us. 

"She almost gave up, thinking she would never be able to do them. It took her four years to do her first pull-up." 

Yan revealed that Charlotte's first pull-up had been an unexpected one. 

"She was waiting for the bus at the gym one day and decided to try a pull-up and surprised herself with one rep," Yan recounted. 

And now, she can do an impressive five pull-ups with her own body weight and two pull-ups with an added 5kg weight. 

Yan also told us that her mother will be contending for top position in the Rejuvenation Olympics, a global online longevity game that ranks participants' pace of ageing. 

"She will fly the Singapore flag." 

Her father's death changed her life 

As for Yan, she only got serious about fitness after her father died at the age of 69 from a heart attack.

"He lived an unhealthy lifestyle and did yo-yo dieting. He was obese," she told us. 

"We know that chronic illnesses are preventable with proper exercise, nutrition and rest, so it's my goal to help people achieve this. Improved health span, not just lifespan." 

A few years later, she and her brother became coaches and together, they set up Bespoke Fitness in 2016. 

Not sure where to start with your personal fitness journey? Yan suggests getting a coach. 

"For people struggling with their fitness journey, I recommend getting a coach to begin with. There is too much misinformation online that is hard to filter through," she said. 

"Also, people are generally lazy and lack discipline, so paying for a coach gives you structure and accountability." 

ALSO READ: This 70-year-old Chinese man's daily exercise regime makes him look half his age

melissateo@asiaone.com