Written by Sandra Lake
I’m a 59-year-old woman living with scoliosis—and I also compete in bodybuilding competitions.
My journey with scoliosis hasn’t followed a traditional path. In fact, I was never formally diagnosed. It was only when my daughter was diagnosed at 13, back in 2004, that I began to look at my own spine differently. She went on to have corrective surgery at 15, and as we started tracing the family history, the pattern became unmistakable: my grandmother, my mother, my aunt, myself, my daughter, my niece. Scoliosis runs through the women in my family—mostly unnoticed, unnamed, and unspoken.
Looking back, I had no significant problems growing up. I was always active and strong, playing full-contact sports like rugby and ju-jitsu without a second thought. But in my 40s, things began to change. I started having problems with my hips and knees, and contact sports became too painful. So I turned to running, thinking it might be gentler. It wasn’t.
As the distances increased, so did the pain—particularly in my lower back, hips, and knees. After completing a half marathon, the pain was so intense I couldn’t climb stairs or even press down on a bike pedal.
I saw an osteopath who bluntly described me as “a structural disaster.” I remember those exact words, even now. They’ve stuck with me all these years. At the time, I was in pain, frustrated, and desperate for answers. But despite such a harsh statement, she never mentioned scoliosis or suggested I see a specialist. There was no diagnosis, no direction—just a label. Her words could have left me feeling broken, but instead, they became a turning point.
I stopped running and started learning. I decided to take control, to understand my body better, and to build it back up in a way that worked for me. I wasn’t aiming for perfection—I just wanted to be strong, functional, and confident in the body I had.
Over time, that moment—harsh as it was—pushed me toward a different kind of strength. It taught me to listen to my body, not punish it. To train with purpose, not just for aesthetics. And above all, to love the body I have—curves and all—and make it the best it can be.
Around that same time, someone took a photo of my back. That image shocked me. The curve in my spine, which I had been vaguely aware of, suddenly became impossible to ignore. I realised then that scoliosis had always been part of me. And now, it was time to understand it better and move forward with intention.
Determined not to give up on fitness, I joined a gym. If I couldn’t run, I’d lift weights. I focused on strength, stability, and balance. In 2013, I left my NHS career as a biomedical scientist and retrained as a personal trainer. I wanted to help other women feel strong and capable in their bodies—especially women over 50, who often feel invisible and unsure where to begin.
To walk the talk, I entered bodybuilding competitions. Not to win trophies, but to understand the transformation process inside and out—physically, mentally, and emotionally—so I could guide clients with real empathy.
Training with scoliosis means constant adaptation. I’ve learned the hard way which exercises don’t work for my spine. No squats with a barbell on my back. No deadlifts. Twisting movements? Absolutely not—it feels like trying to turn a machine with misaligned cogs. Shoulder presses, bench presses, lunges—they all require careful positioning, strict form, and listening to my body every single time. My focus is always on maintaining posture, staying upright, and keeping myself balanced—left and right, front and back.
I do this not just for me, but to show other women over 50 what’s possible.
Life doesn’t stop at 50. Strength doesn’t stop at 50.
We don’t have to be perfect or pain-free—we just need to keep moving forward with the body we’ve got.
Scoliosis is part of my story, but it’s not the whole story. It’s shaped who I am, how I move, and how I coach others—with compassion, realism, and a good amount of determination. I’m proud of this body and all it does for me. And I hope other women reading this will feel proud of theirs too.
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About the Author
Sandra is a personal trainer, wellness coach, and bodybuilding competitor, specialising in helping women over 50 get fitter, stronger, and more confident through tailored exercise and lifestyle support. With a background in biomedical science and a personal journey living with scoliosis, she brings real-life experience, empathy, and expert knowledge to her work.
Sandra is the founder of Over 50 Fit & Fabulous, a lifestyle and fitness community that motivates women to move well, eat well, and feel fabulous—whatever their age or ability.
