Among the top finalists this year is Sonia, an International Coordinator at Lund University and a member of the LU Global Trekkers team. With a strong belief in physical activity as a cornerstone of healthy aging and quality of life, Sonia’s journey illustrates how motivation, consistency, and curiosity about well-being can transform exercise from a short-term challenge into a lasting lifestyle. In the interview below, she shares her experience of the challenge, her personal fitness philosophy, and thoughtful advice for the wider EUGLOH community.
Keep EUGLOH Moving! – Walking Challenge (2nd Edition) Participant Spotlight: Lund
Can you briefly introduce yourself, your role (student or staff), your university, and your team in the challenge?
I am a 62-year-old grandmother of five, who works as an International Coordinator at Lund University for over 13 years, and joined the challenge as a part of the LU Global Trekkers team.
How did it feel to complete the challenge and become one of the top finalists?
I was happy to take part in this challenge, delighted to be part of the leading group, and I would love to have the opportunity to meet other participants to learn more about the reasons why they give an important place to physical exercise in their daily routine.
Did the challenge motivate you to exercise more than usual, or do you already maintain a regular activity routine?
Since the beginning of the year, when I fully grasped the importance of regular and consistent physical activity, combined with a low-carbohydrate diet, and their benefits for health span and longevity, I committed to making it my new way of living. It has become much more than just a healthy lifestyle choice; it is an integral part of my existence, because the positive changes I have seen in my health, mood, and body composition in such a short time are remarkable, and it would be unwise to give them up.
What types of activities do you enjoy most, and how do they help you stay active?
Resistance training, combined with Pilates and yoga, is the highlight of my current routine. I now want to invest more in increasing the aerobic portion of my training and improving my VO2 max.
What tips or advice would you give to the EUGLOH community to stay active and motivated in future challenges?
If I had the opportunity, I would broaden the scope of the question beyond future challenges such as the one we have faced, to bring it to a new way of life in which consistent physical exercise would be one of the pillars.
If someone needs solid, rational motivation to get started, I suggest they look into the latest cutting-edge studies that unanimously demonstrate how regular physical activity reduces all-cause mortality and improves healthy life expectancy.
If the person simply needs a little nudge, I offer a simple thought experiment by asking the question: how would you like to live the last decade of your life? I doubt the answer would be "living with reduced mobility, cognitive impairment, sadness, and loneliness", but rather the opposite: "being active, cognitively alert, joyful, and part of a community". The common thread to achieving it is regular physical exercise, which, in various ways, brings all these elements together.
P.S. : The photo was taken in 2023, during the crossing of a shallow but fast-flowing river in Kyrgyzstan, at the time when I celebrated my 60th birthday, but before the start of my exercise routine. 🤣