Fit At Mid-Life
A Feminist Fitness Journey
Samantha Brennan and Tracy Isaacs
When Samantha Brennan realized that her fiftieth birthday was looming, she decided to do something about it. She announced, on Facebook, that it was her plan to be fitter than she had ever been by the time she hit that milestone birthday. Her friend and colleague, Tracy Isaacs, who was nearly the same age, took the bait and joined Samantha in what they were soon calling the “Fittest by 50 Challenge.”
They agreed to start a blog to mark their progress. They figured that it would keep them honest and that their friends and family would read it to see how they were doing. They never imagined that the blog would soon have hundreds, and then thousands, of readers. They had clearly touched a nerve with their very smart, very funny, and very feminist approach to fitness and aging, and with their posts on the complex relationship women have with both.
Fit At Mid-Life is Samantha and Tracy’s story of their two-year quest, one that helped them put yo-yo dieting, body hatred, and unreachable exercise goals aside in favor of a celebration of physical exercise for fun and pleasure. Along the way they had to grapple with the various myths and challenges that confound so many of us.
The Fittest by 50 Challenge was a success by every measure, and Tracy and Sam’s narrative is entertaining, inspiring, and thought provoking—whether you’re facing 50, contemplating a fitness challenge of your own, or just ready to change the way that you incorporate exercise into your over-scheduled life. Taking a ride, run, or walk with Sam and Tracy will make you think differently about what it means to be fit.
Published by Greystone Books
Praise for Fit At Mid-Life
In this empowering, accessible book, bloggers and Professors Samantha Brennan and Tracy Isaacs offer a new approach to fitness—one that champions strength, health, and personal accomplishment over weight loss and aesthetics.
–Ottawa Life Magazine
Fun and funny…Their enthusiasm for their healthy new lifestyle is infectious.
–Booklist