Pensioner does zumba workouts at home and feels 'undefeatable' in pandemic

Pensioner Ila Gangotra, aged 72, has a lung condition, kidney condition and osteoporosis but has kept her spirits up at home during the pandemic with workouts with her daughters as part of Age UK’s ‘undefeatable’ movement.

The 72-year-old has tried to stay active her whole life but because of her health conditions, she’s had to adjust her routine and swap some activities, like running, for less intense options.

Instead she has been lifting tin cans, marching on the spot and Zumba dancing around her home in Marlow.

The pensioner has become the poster girl of the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign, which encourages people with long-term health conditions to keep moving. Expertise is available from 15 health and social care charities including Age UK and MIND, who are backing the campaign.

Mrs Gangotra's daughters also have health conditions but as a family, they are keeping each other’s spirits up and encouraging each other to try new things.

One of the things she’s liked most is the Zumba dance routines she’s been doing with her daughters in the garden.

'On top of the world'

Ila says: “Staying active makes me feel that I’m on top of the world". “I’ve had to change my exercise regimes…according to my medical conditions. For instance, I will do my marching exercises I will do some of the dance movements.

“I’m living with several medical conditions, osteoporosis, which is an invisible condition. The thing that I’ve found challenging is that when things have been out of your own control.

“Managing my conditions, with my relationship with my daughters has become even stronger. We learn about each other’s conditions and we encourage and support each other.

“All three of us have been going into the garden and we’ve been doing dancing and really, really enjoyed it together”.

The ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign brings together charities supporting people with arthritis, MS, Parkinson’s, dementia, cancer, diabetes, asthma, back pain, lung conditions, heart disease, stroke, depression and anxiety.

Backed by the charities’ expertise and National Lottery funding from Sport England, the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign has advice for people with health conditions.

The campaign website states it aims to find ways for people with health conditions to be active that ‘work with each person’s conditions, not against them’.