ursula sinha, keeping fit, sun media (march 9, 2006)

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T H E E D M O N T O N S U N • T hur sd ay , Ma rch 9 , 200670 l i fes ty le

It’s not quite like find-ing the f abled Foun-tain of  Youth, but Ur-

sula Sinha believes herexercise routine and bal-anced diet have helpedher at least slow down theaging process.

The energetic Edmon-tonian, who is inher 60s but didn’t want herexact age published, works up a sweat fourtimes a week at the south-side Club Fit.

Her regimen includes everything f romweekly spinning andpilates classes to lif tingweights – and not the lightest ones on therack, either.

“I challenge myself. I’ll increase theweights gradually,” explains Sinha, whoweighs a fit 115 pounds at five-foot-three.

“I just want to stay healthy. I always saypeopleh ave a responsibility to stay healthy.We have to eat balanced meals and exer-cise.”

A former nurse who now works f ull timeat MacEwan college putting together nursingcourses, Sinha is all too f amiliar with themany illnesses that result f rompoor lifestylechoices. Duringher nursing career, she sawpatients as young as 40-something sufferlifestyle-related heart attacks and strokes.

“It can happen,” she says. “If I ate greasystuff all the time, I’d clog up my arteries andprobably have a stroke.”

It’s a constant reminder that as she growsolder, she must work harder to stave off de-bilitating diseases.

And although she hesitates to publiclycriticize Premier Ralph Klein’s proposedhealth-care reform, S inha admits she’s un-easy about the impact it will have on thestate of medicare. That’s another reasonwhy the fitness fiend isn’t leaving anythingto chance when it comes to her own health.

“I don’t want to have a hip replacement orany of those things,” she says, adding she’snot interested in using the health-care sys-tem at all – other than for routine medicalcheckups. “If I can avoid it, I will.”

So f ar, so good.Thanks also to good genetics, Sinha says

shedoesn’t have any known ailments, hasn’ttaken any sick days off f rom work in nearlysix years and doesn’t require any medica-tion.

It’s enough to keep her f amily physicianvery pleased. “She thinks I’m in greatshape,” boasts Sinha, who is married but

doesn’t have any children.In the gym, Sinha has

been known to amaze pa-trons half her age withsomeof thepoundages shehoists. For example, in thel eg press, o ne o f h erstrongest exercises, Sinhasays she pushes 140pounds.

Not bad for someone who didn’t start se-riously workingout until af ter she turned 60years young. “I feel better now than when Iwas 40,” says Sinha, who h as tried to keeprelatively active throughout her life.

But the German native who immigrated toCanada in1970 says she’s not perfect. Thereare some days when she doesn’t make it tothe gym for her scheduled workout. On thoserare occasions, she makes sure to go for abrisk 40-minute walk around her neigh-bourhood.

Sinha also avoids elevators, opting in-stead for the stairs. And when she takes thebus, she of ten gets off one stop early andwalks the rest of the way to her destination.

However, none of this exercise would mat-ter much if she also didn’t eat well.

“Exercise in combination with nutritiondoes the trick,” she advises.

Sinha, who has never weighed more than135 pounds, says she uses Canada’s FoodGuide as a basis for her six small daily meals– breakf ast, lunch, supper and three snacksat mid-morning, mid-af ternoon and beforebed.

“I don’t eat big meals. You’re never hun-gry and it stimulates your metabolism.”

Although she hasn’t had f ast foodin morethan three years, S inha a dmits to h aving asweet tooth, which she satisfies by treatingherself to cake, chocolate or ice cream – inmoderation.

Andon Saturdays and Sundays, she enjoysa glass of wine with her supper. There’s thatword again – moderation.

Sinha has some sage advice for anyonewho wants to make their golden years shine:Consult your doctor and thenget your buttingear by doing someform of regular exercise,complemented with a balanced diet.

“I don’t think there’s any age when youshould stop exercising,” she says at the gymfollowing a recent workout. “When I retire –if  I ever retire – I’ll probably come hereevery day.”

D o y o u h a v e  a n in s pi r a t ion a l st o ry fo r K eeping  F  i t ? 

E -m a il  Ca ry Ca st a  gn a a t cca st a  gn a@ edm su n.c om.

CARY CASTAGNA

Shaping up in her 60s‘ I feel  b e tt e r no w t h a n  w hen  I w a s 4 0 ,’  s a ys dedi ca t ed  U rsu l a S inh a 

Ursula S inha does a workout at Club F it as part of her diet and fitness routine.

– WALTER TYCHNOWICZ, Sun