Mrya Dennousse, 50, became a grandmother in June. Retirement from the rat race was not part of the plan. If anything, grandmotherhood appears to have given her another reason to keep moving.
“I am not your average grandma, you know. I may be old-school, but I am still very active,” she says with a chuckle.
Turning 50 has made her more intentional about the kind of exercises she does to keep her body in shape, her health and her understanding of ageing.
“A lot has changed,” she says. “In terms of my knowledge, my perspective in life and how I approach things. Now I do things very intentionally as opposed to before.”
That intentionality extends to a part of life that many African women are rarely encouraged to discuss openly: intimacy.
Myra Denousse performs a power sled at Alpha Fitness Gym on September 19, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Dennousse is pushing back against a narrative she believes African society has fed women for generations: that once they hit a certain age, intimacy automatically fades, and their bodies lose appeal.
“We have always been sold this narrative that once a woman gets to 50, her performance drops. I certainly don’t feel that way,” she says.
Dennousse says ageing is not a switch that suddenly turns off a woman’s desire, confidence or sense of self. It doesn’t mean surrendering that part of oneself, something she insists that women as humans should be able to enjoy for as long as they can, even into their older age.
She acknowledges that the female body goes through significant hormonal changes as a woman moves from perimenopause into menopause. Those changes can affect everything from energy levels and sleep to mood and intimacy.
“You age thrice in your life,” she says. “When you hit puberty and adulthood, then around age 45, and after that, when you reach age 60. But when you get to 45, the ageing is accelerated, and that’s what women don’t understand.”
Her point is that the body she had in her 30s and early 40s cannot simply be treated the same way at 50.
“Our bodies undergo a lot of hormonal changes, and this is why many women are led to believe that at a certain age they are no longer at their best,” she says. “Yes, the things you were capable of doing in your 40s, past the age of 45, become increasingly harder. So you have to be more intentional.”
Myra Denousse does a chin up at Alpha Fitness Gym on September 19, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
For Dennousse, understanding how her body has been changing over the years as a woman goes hand in hand with her fitness.
Having been physically active for most of her life, she says turning 50 and becoming a grandmother has prompted her to rethink the way she exercises.
She once trained as many as six days a week, combining strength training with long, intense cardio and conditioning sessions.
These days, she trains four days a week, with another day dedicated to what she calls active recovery, including yoga, stretching and mobility work.
Her focus, she says, is no longer simply on looking fit but also on staying strong. So she now trains for longevity. She is no longer chasing exhaustion or trying to lose weight. Her priorities are strength, muscle mass, and bone density, with the ultimate goal being longevity.
“The body loses muscle quite fast as you age, and this is a concern for me because muscle is the organ of longevity,” she explains. “I want to be able to actively play with my grandchildren in my 80s. I don’t want to get to a point where I will become dependent on people because I got frail as a result of my muscles getting weak.”
Dennousse has also abandoned the routine where more exercise automatically means better results; that is why she has also scaled down the number of workout sessions she has in a week. Instead of spending hours doing numerous sets with light weights, she prefers fewer, heavier, and more deliberate movements.
“As long as I have warmed up, I will go into heavy weights, minimal reps. That’s how I train these days because, as I said, my focus is strength.”
On the bench press, she can now lift two 30kg dumbbells (a total of 60kg), for a limited number of repetitions. When she was younger, she could lift around 50kg (a total of 100kgs) but would push for more repetitions. Now, she would rather lift heavier for six to eight controlled repetitions than chase volume.
“I noticed when I stopped forcing myself with many reps, which was volume, I recover much faster, and that ensures I get quality by maximising the output. When you are younger, volume isn’t really a big deal because your body has the capability of recovering much faster, which isn’t the same case as you age. These days I’ve scaled down. Instead of going and doing six, seven workouts in a session, I pick two. I combine with another two of a different muscle group, and I close the day. One hour, 30 minutes, I am done,” she says.
Myra Denousse does a quad stretch at Alpha Fitness Gym on September 19, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
The irony is that, despite getting older, she believes she is getting stronger.
Dennousse recalls a recent amusing encounter with a younger woman who regularly commented on her workout videos, seemingly comparing her own training with hers.
But when Dennousse revealed her age, the comments stopped.
“I was like, okay, so when you were competing with me, you thought I was your agemate?” she laughs.
Dennousse’s fitness journey began in her 30s, long before she had the knowledge she has today. At one point, she was on her heavier side, weighing 85kg and dealing with health concerns that included high blood pressure, palpitations, and anxiety.
Her doctor warned that if she did not prioritise her health, her body would eventually force her to.
“I had to create time. And I say to many of my peers that it doesn’t have to be in the gym. Just create time to do something for yourself.”
Back then, finding that time meant waking up at 4am to exercise before her children woke up. On some evenings, rather than taking public transport home, she would walk.
“I would walk from Kimbo, where I used to live, to Kahawa, where I ran my business. That is a 14km walk, and in the evening I do the same.”
She has also made a habit of abandoning her car and taking a walk when the distances are shorter than 10km for an engagement or even when going shopping.
“Work is important, but your health should be your priority. Because when it comes second, trust me, one day that body will make demands and you will not like it.”
That message has become even more important to her as she watches the growing interest in fitness among Kenyans.
She believes the Covid-19 pandemic provided something of a reality check, making more people conscious of the importance of health and physical fitness. What initially looked like a fashion trend, complete with gym wear and oversized water bottles, gradually became part of a wider fitness culture.
Myra Denousse performs a kettle bell swing at Alpha Fitness Gym on September 19, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
However, Dennousse’s major concern is where that culture could be heading with the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery in Kenya.
Her objection is not to cosmetic procedures themselves, but to what she believes is a misplaced emphasis on looking youthful while overlooking the body’s physical strength.
“I wish people understood that those surgeries will never fix muscle needs,” she says.
For her, muscle is not simply about having toned arms or looking good in gym clothes. It is the foundation on which she wants to build her later years.
“In my 80s, I don’t want to become dependent on people because I am frail as a result of my weak muscles.”
There is also something else that she has become increasingly sceptical of – extreme dieting. Looking back at photographs from when she weighed about 80kg, she says she now sees a body that carried more fat and less muscle than she understood at the time.
“You can be the same weight, but body composition is different,” she says.
She now appreciates the importance of adequate nutrition and maintaining a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats rather than eliminating entire food groups in the pursuit of weight loss.
“Eating your macros [macronutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and fat] in the right proportion is very key. Even the carbs that many fitness trainers will often tell you to go slow on; in reality, your body needs them for effective functioning, just the same way it needs protein.”
