Nikki Ellis is often mistaken for being in her 30s, and with her toned physique, long blonde hair, and wrinkle-free complexion, it’s not hard to see why.
But this energetic mother of two and personal trainer is three years away from turning 60.
“I feel better at 57 than I did at 27 and I really feel that we can redefine menopause as an absolutely wonderful time in women’s lives – it’s a new beginning, not an end,” the London-based trainer told FEMAIL. Melbourne.
‘Someone once thought I was in my twenties and it’s always very flattering when people think I’m younger than I am.
“But aging is a curious thing because we evaluate age not only by wrinkles, but also by energy and how a person moves.”
Nikki Ellis, from Melbourne, is three years away from turning 60, but many assume she will be in her early 30s.
The 57-year-old has always had a passion for fitness. Nikki told FEMAIL her age-defying secrets and shared how to maintain a youthful complexion (pictured at 30, left, and 57, right).
Nikki pictured with her family
“Looking young means feeling young and staying vibrant and being quick to laugh, have fun and connect with people.”
When she turned 50 she was “ridiculously devastated” and felt sad about getting older.
“I didn’t want to celebrate it. I now celebrate birthdays and truly recognize that growing older is a privilege that not everyone has. Go ahead, I say!’ she said.
‘Now I am 57 years old. I love telling people I’m approaching 60 only to get a real shocked reaction! It’s always nice when people are stunned but of course we all have days when we look better than others.’
When she turned 50 she was “ridiculously devastated” and felt sad about getting older. “I didn’t want to celebrate it. I now celebrate birthdays and truly recognize that growing older is a privilege that not everyone has. Go ahead, I say!’ she said
As a teenager, she struggled with her nutritional habits and her life took a turn in her 20s when she became a personal trainer. She now chooses to lift weights to keep her physique toned.
Nikki has always been interested in health and fitness and began running competitively in elementary school.
His father, an athlete, was a “fantastic” role model for staying fit and active, while his mother suffered from obesity.
“Seeing both sides of the fitness spectrum really shaped me,” she said.
‘When I was a young teenager, my mother passed away and any guidance on nutrition disappeared; With no one to tell me “no”, I loved eating chips, fast food, shakes, and unsurprisingly, my body fat increased (even though it was still exercise).
“I never got over it and was told by a gym instructor that I was clinically obese at age 20. I was horrified, hurt and angry. I promised myself I would never say these words to anyone who came to see me as a personal trainer.
‘When I was 20 I became a personal trainer. I was always good at exercising, but eating was always harder for me despite how much I exercised. I started rowing and ate to fuel my body, eating lots of carbs and lifting weights.’
It wasn’t until after I had my kids that I began to understand the “not-so-secret secrets” to getting in good shape.
Nikki takes a minimum of 10,000 steps a day
More specifically, it advocates “progressive and constant resistance training.” “As we age, we naturally lose muscle (particularly fast-twitch fibers). This loss begins around age 30 and is called sarcopenia,” Nikki explained.
Nikki said one secret to eternal youth is to ditch excessive amounts of cardio and do more weights instead.
More specifically, he advocates “progressive and consistent resistance training,” a structured routine that develops and progresses over time, plus good nutrition with plenty of protein.
“As we age, we naturally lose muscle (particularly fast-twitch fibers). This loss begins at age 30 and is called sarcopenia,” he explained.
‘When we lose muscle we lose strength, power, metabolic health, functionality.
‘Lifting weights progressively helps us combat all this natural loss as well as improving our bone strength, balance, connective tissue strength, brain health and mood.’
Plus, never take less than 10,000 steps a day.
‘I don’t sit for long and I walk 10,000 steps a day. “I’m a physical therapist, so let’s be real: it’s easier for me than for people who spend long hours in the office,” she stated.
She teaches spin classes three times a week and “deliberately keeps the high-intensity intervals hard but short” for herself and her perimenopausal clients.
He also completes four or five weight sessions a week consisting of a three-day split that focuses on “serious lifting” with the goal of “heavy lifting.”
“My goal is to continue to get stronger and hit PBs (personal bests) for as long as possible,” he said.
Training is also periodized throughout each school term so that your body has a recovery period.
Nikki’s exercise routine is impressive and she never takes less than 10,000 steps a day.
Nikki also described herself as a “girly girl” who swears by good skincare to keep her skin beautiful.
Her number one non-negotiable is to wear sunscreen daily and she carries a bottle ‘everywhere’ after a melanoma scare five years ago.
In the morning she cleanses her face before applying glycolic acid and facial oil, vitamin C serum, then sunscreen and a BB cream.
She gets a facial every four weeks, either at home or professionally, and although she receives Botox regularly, she has never touched fillers.
Nikki also described herself as a “girly girl” who swears by skincare to keep her skin beautiful. Her number one non-negotiable is to wear sunscreen daily.
Nikki aims to eat six servings of vegetables, two servings of fruit and at least 100g of protein every day.
Start your day by getting up at 4:40 am and have herbal tea followed by protein water and a latte from 7 am to 7:30 am
For breakfast at 8 in the morning he usually has protein-rich yogurt, nectarine, blueberries, LSA or porridge with cottage cheese.
At 11 a.m. he eats John West tuna with pasta and extra salad, then a couple of Babybel cheeses and a post-workout protein shake at 3 p.m.
Dinner is at 6:00 pm, followed by protein jelly at 7:00 pm and then tea at 9:00 pm before bed.
Throughout the day, she constantly refills her water bottle and one or two coffees a day because she “hates feeling nervous.”
Nikki also educates others about the positive impact fitness and health can have on their mental health.
Above all, she said you have to remember to have fun and take care of your body, because no one else will.
“Wear sunscreen, lift weights, eat optimally 80 percent of the time, get up and move, find your tribe and love them,” he said.