One of the oldest muscle women in the world, Dr. Josefina Monasterio, 73, is glad she didn’t think twice before starting bodybuilding at the age of 59.
Born in a life of poverty in the village of Punta de Mata, Venezuela, she moved to Florida, USA in 1975 with nothing but a dream and a determination to prevail.
The former teacher, competitive athlete, personal development educator, yoga instructor and now an author of multiple books says, “if at 59 I had thought I was too old to start something new, I would have missed the last 12 years of fun and success.”
After only five months of rigorous training she entered her first competition. And since then she has been training daily and winning consecutive championships.
Returning from the 2017 NPC Southern States Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, she said, “I took second place this year, and I´m not used to that. I’m used to winning!” She was inducted in their Hall Of Fame in 2005 and for three consecutive years from 2014.
She said, “Coming in second this year just encourages me to improve and get better. I must fight the belief system that implies that as you age you get worse.”
Her Schedule
Daily, she dedicates a significant time towards herself. “The aging process can be slowed down by taking care of mind, body and spirit,” she says. She wakes at 3am, reads the Bible, meditates and prays. By 4:30 am she walks three miles and runs another three. Following this, she does yoga, swims at the beach till the sun rises.
Next, she writes a journal entry, works on her other writing projects till 10 am. She then enters gym for at least two hours, depending on the day of the week, she trains different muscle groups. She says, “My workout is sacred, non-negotiable. I keep a very tight schedule so I don´t lose track of time.”
She uses her afternoons for goal-setting, reading and running home errands. She mentions, “I keep my life simple. I don´t drink or smoke, I don´t stress, I eat a balanced diet and by 8 p.m. lights are out.”
Her energy is contagious; both her daughters now take care of their bodies and minds. “They´re very proud of me now and brag about me. If you give them a good foundation as a parent, know that they will always come back to their roots. I tried to remind myself of that during the difficult teen years.”
Whenever she is offered senior discount at stores, she confesses that she has never accepted it. “If I concede, then it means I believe in that system. It´s like being a traitor! I pay my full amount, and continue to live the way I want to, regardless of my age,” she says.
She keeps her followers motivated and on-track
Dr. Josefina has appeared on several television shows such as the local, Empowerment with Dr. Josefina. She further speaks at seminars and shares her story of fitness on her two Youtube Channels, Drjosefina and Josefina Monasterio.
At age 71 she wrote and published her first book, ‘Grandiosa A Cualquier Edad: a living example that it really is never too late to do something for the first time. Her passion is to reach out to individuals who wish to better themselves and their lives. She channels this through her books and counselling sessions she offers.
When someone says to her, “I want to be like you when I grow up,” she asks, “Why not before? You need to be disciplined, like me. Some mornings I don´t want to get up. But then I think of the consequences that would have in the long run and that gets me right out of bed”
“I can´t do this alone,” she says, wishing more Latinas to break age stereotypes, “I would love more people to take ownership of their body, mind and spirit. If you exercise and take care of yourself you can look and feel better than someone twice as young. My bone density and muscle mass are better now than a few years ago. And it´s because I work at it.”
Dr. Josefina has been determined since her childhood days; during this time she used to perform gymnastics. She took this interest forward, gaining a degree in physical education, a Master’s in Education and a PhD in Adult personal Development. She had been teaching for 16 years. She hopes to inspire and encourage people of all stages of life to begin achieving their goals, break personal barriers to become the best possible self a person can be. She has published books like, Vibrant at Any Age, which documents her achievements, how she got there and encourages readers to achieve greater heights using her insights, as she has. She said, “I reinvent myself every ten years, and so I started my 60s as a bodybuilder and now I begin my 70s as a writer. I don´t impose limitations on myself. People limit themselves by age, nationality, gender, it’s very frustrating. Age is a mindset. We should never get carried away by fear. The aging process can be slowed by taking care of the mind, body and spirit.“
