Don't Tell Me I Can't… ...Get A Six-Pack In My 40s

When Jemima Slade set out to become the fittest she’d ever been, the results were astounding...

- Alley Einstein, Mishaal Khan

Standing in the shower, I look down at my midriff and admire my rippling abs. It has taken months of hard work, but I’ve loved every second of toning my figure. I can’t help feeling a sense of pride and achievement, especially as I’m a 47-year-old grandmother who has never really been a gym-goer.

I was never overweight growing up, but after having my daughter, Lily, in 1999, my size 10 figure went up to a size 14. Focused on being a mum, I didn’t agonise over the extra pounds I’d gained and just embraced it.

It wasn’t until I was inmy 30s that I decided to do something about my fitness and started running. I’d go for a 20-minute jog most days after my job as a hairstylist at a salon. As the years passed, I gradually lost weight – but, more importantly, I felt fitter.