Nikki Ellis is often mistaken for being in her early 30s, and with her toned physique, long blonde hair, and wrinkle-free skin, it’s not hard to see why.
However, the energetic mother of two and personal trainer will actually be celebrating her 60th birthday in just three years.
“I truly feel that I feel better at 57 than I did at 27 and that it reaffirms that menopause is an absolutely wonderful time in a woman’s life. It’s not an end, it’s a new beginning,” Melbourne the based coach told FEMAIL.
“I’ve had people think I’m in my late 20s, but I’m always very happy when people think I’m younger than I actually am.
“But aging is a funny thing, because we assess our age not just by wrinkles, but by our energy and the way we move.”
Melbourne native Nikki Ellis will be 60 in three years, but many people think she’s in her early 30s.
The 57-year-old has always been passionate about fitness. Nicky revealed his age-defying secrets to FEMAIL and shared how he maintains youthful skin (pictured at 30, left, 57, right)
Nikki takes a photo with her family
“Looking young means feeling young, staying vibrant, ready to laugh, have fun, and connect with people.”
When she turned 50, she felt “ridiculously devastated” and sad that she was getting older.
“I didn’t want to celebrate. Now, as I celebrate my birthday, I truly recognize that growing older is a privilege that not everyone has. Please bring it on!” she said.
“Now I’m 57, but I love telling people I’m almost 60 to get a truly shocked reaction!” It’s always nice when people are surprised, but… Of course, some days we look better than others. ”
When she turned 50, she felt “ridiculously devastated” and sad that she was getting older. “I didn’t want to celebrate. Now, as I celebrate my birthday, I truly recognize that growing older is a privilege that not everyone has. Please bring it on!” she said
As a teenager, she struggled with her nutritional habits, but her life changed when she became a personal trainer at the age of 20.Now she vows to weight train to maintain her toned physique
Nikki has always been interested in health and fitness and started competing in elementary school.
Her athlete father was a “great” role model for staying healthy and active, but her mother struggled with obesity.
“Seeing both sides of fitness really shaped me,” she said.
“When I was a young teenager, my mother passed away and there was no nutritional guidance. I loved eating chips, fast food and milkshakes because no one told me no. And naturally, my body fat kept gaining more and more (even though I was still alive and exercising).
“I never recovered and at the age of 20 my gym instructor told me I was clinically obese. I was scared, hurt and angry. People who come to see me as a personal trainer I swore to myself that I would never say such words to anyone.”
“I became a personal trainer in my 20s. I’ve always been good at fitness, but no matter how much I worked out, it was always hard to eat. I started rowing, giving my body energy. I ate a lot of carbohydrates and lifted weights.”
It was after having my child that she began to understand the “not-so-secret secret” to staying in great shape.
Nikki walks at least 10,000 steps every day
More specifically, she swears by “consistent, progressive resistance training.” “As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass (especially fast-twitch fibers). This loss starts at age 30 and is called sarcopenia,” Nikki explained.
Nicky said one of the secrets to eternal youth is to stop doing too much cardio and instead increase weight training.
More specifically, she swears by “consistent and progressive resistance training,” a structured routine that builds and progresses over time, and proper nutrition, including plenty of protein.
“As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass (especially fast-twitch fibers), and this loss starts at age 30 and is called sarcopenia,” she explained.
“When you lose muscle, you lose strength, power, metabolic health, and functionality.
“Lifting weights in a progressive manner can help combat this natural loss, as well as improve bone strength, balance, connective tissue strength, brain health, and mood.”
She also never walks less than 10,000 steps a day.
“I don’t sit for long periods of time and walk 10,000 steps every day. I’m a PT, so to be honest, it’s easier for me than someone who works long hours in an office,” she said. Ta.
She teaches spin classes three times a week and “intentionally keeps the high-intensity intervals hard and short” for herself and her perimenopausal clients.
She also completes four to five weight sessions a week, split into three days focused on “serious lifting,” with the goal of “lifting heavy.”
“My goal is to get stronger for as long as possible and continue to improve my PB (personal best),” she said.
Training is done regularly every semester, so her body has a recovery period.
Nikki’s workout routine is impressive, never dropping below 10,000 steps each day.
Nikki also describes herself as a “girly girl” and takes good care of her skin to maintain beautiful skin.
Her number one non-negotiable is to wear sunscreen every day, and after a melanoma scare five years ago, she carries a bottle “everywhere”.
In the morning, she cleanses her face, then applies glycolic acid and facial oil, vitamin C serum, and sunscreen and BB cream.
She gets facials every four weeks, either at home or with a professional, and gets Botox regularly, but she’s never had fillers.
Nicki also describes herself as a “girly girl” and vows to take good care of her skin to maintain her gorgeous skin.Her number one non-negotiable is to wear sunscreen every day.
Nikki aims to eat 6 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of fruit, and at least 100 g of protein each day.
She starts her day by waking up at 4:40 a.m. and drinks herbal tea, protein water, and latte from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
For breakfast at 8 a.m., I often have a high-protein yogurt, nectarine, blueberry, LSA, or cottage cheese porridge.
At 11 a.m., she eats a John West tuna dish with pasta and an extra salad, then some baby bell cheese, and at 3 p.m. she drinks a post-workout protein shake.
I have dinner at 6pm, protein jelly at 7pm, and tea at 9pm before bed.
She always refills her water bottle and one or two cups of coffee a day throughout the day because she “hates jumping up.”
Nikki also educates others about the positive impact that fitness and wellness have on mental health.
Above all, she said, remember to have fun and take care of your body. Because no one else will.
“Wear sunscreen, do weight training, eat at optimal times 80 percent of the time, get up and move, find your tribe and love it,” she said.
