Meet the 'most beautiful yoga grandma in China': 78-year-old inspires others with fitness routine after beating cancer

As the saying goes, age is just a number and a 78-year-old woman from China perfectly embodies this age-old phrase.

Hailing from Tianjin municipality in northeastern China, Bai Jinqin shares her active lifestyle on Douyin, the China equivalent of TikTok.

With over 100,000 followers and 600,000 likes, Jinqin has left a strong impression on Chinese netizens.

They have even labelled her the "most beautiful yoga grandma in China", reported South China Morning Post.

But she hasn't always led an active life. Jinqin shared how her daily routine in her younger days was mostly sedentary and involved long hours spent sitting down. She also often stayed up late.

Soon, she found herself grappling with several health issues, and was later diagnosed with cancer, reported Ifeng News. 

After undergoing three operations, Jinqin reevaluated her life and decided to make a change to her lifestyle at the age of 60.

She chose to lead a more active life by signing up for a gym membership.

"At the very beginning, my physical ability was poor and I didn’t know anything about workouts," Jinqin was quoted by South China Morning Post as saying. "But I strongly believe that what’s most important is to keep trying."

Her small steps eventually led to big changes.

She started her fitness journey with brisk walking, rope-skipping, and basic callisthenics, all of which are gentle, low-impact exercises.

However, if you take a quick look at her Douyin profile today, you can see that she has progressed to more strenuous exercises, including weight training, battling ropes, and even ballet barre.

The results are evident in her toned physique.

Netizens were truly impressed by the 78-year-old, with comments praising her exceptional fitness.

Many admired her self-discipline as well, with one netizen reportedly stating: "Her spirit and physique can crush even 20-year-old me."

One netizen was curious to know if muscle growth is possible at her age.

To that, Jinqin responded that one can always build muscles as long as they stay consistent, while noting that the growth might be gradual at her age.

ALSO READ: Forever young: 60-year-old Chinese woman looks half her age through 20 years of fitness training

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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