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Fitness after 40: Four Kenyans redefine their limits for 2026
From left to right: Esther Shisoka, Marlon Lugadiru, Maria Kivaa and Kenneth Waichigo, whose fitness goals for 2026 focus on longevity, strength, recovery and balance.
With just days left before a new year, the country’s fitness buzz is already warming up.
For many middle-aged Kenyans, especially those in cities, January brings a familiar ritual: returning to the gym, dusting off old trainers, and promising that this time, they will stick to their New Year resolutions.
Every new year comes with its own Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Gyms overflow with people eager to atone for December’s indulgences, while others arrive fuelled by fresh resolve to finally get in shape. It is little wonder January is the busiest month on the fitness calendar.
For gym owners, this annual rush is peak season. Memberships spike as former clients return and newcomers stream in, all seeking a reset.
But for many Kenyans in their 40s and beyond, the conversation around fitness is quietly shifting. It is no longer about quick fixes or chasing a certain look. Instead, it is about longevity, mobility and learning how to move in ways that respect a changing body. Strength, balance, functionality and consistency matter more than dramatic transformations.
For those who spoke to BD Life while reflecting on their 2025 fitness wins and stumbles, the new year feels less like a frantic restart and more like a checkpoint—an opportunity to refine what worked and drop what did not.
Esther Shisoka, 62
2026 goal: Lifting heavy after surgery
Esther’s resilience is striking. Throughout the year, she showed up for workouts while managing a persistent back injury—one that at times left her barely able to walk. The pain began three years ago and gradually worsened.
For years, she ignored it, hoping it would resolve itself. But as it began to affect her ability to lift weights, she sought answers.
Esther Shisoka poses during a workout session at Alpha Fit Gym on Kiambu Road on November 13, 2025.
Photo credit: Sinda Matiko | Nation Media Group
An MRI scan late last year revealed that one of her spinal discs had slipped, pressing against her sciatic nerve and sending pain from her lower back through her hip and down her leg.
“Some days can be really painful,” she says.
After months of adjusting her workouts and enduring the discomfort, Esther realised she could not keep pushing through.
Surgery is now her only option after physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments failed to help.
“I’m scheduled for surgery in January, and I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t keep living like this. I want my old life back,” she says.
Her goals for 2026 are clear.
“After the operation, I want to challenge my body again. I want to lift heavier, push my limits, and even shed a few kilos. I miss the stamina and endurance I used to have.”
Her doctor says that, given her consistently active lifestyle, she could return to workouts as soon as a month after surgery.
“The injury slowed my progress and capped my targets. 2026 is the year to change that as I target to lose about 5–10 kilos.”
At first glance, Marlon could pass for someone decades younger. The father of three, an IT specialist, has sculpted a muscular physique over more than 30 years of training.
“I have walked into places, and people mistake me for a 30 or 35-year-old. It's always beautiful to hear such comments, it makes you realise and appreciate just how much your effort is paying dividends,” he chuckles.
In 2025, he exceeded his fitness goals.
Marlon Lugadiru, 50, performs a biceps curl at the Workhouse gym in Nairobi on July 18, 2024.
Photo credit: Sinda Matiko | Nation Media Group
“This year, my goal was to add three kilos of pure muscle, but I added four, in that regard I surpassed my goal. In terms of my physical look, I have lost a considerable amount of fat weight but I still look bigger, and that's because of the muscle growth. By the end of 2024 I weighed 80 kilos. Now I am 86 kilos, that is the muscle mass, bone density and water,” he explains.
According to Healthline, gaining one kilo of muscle typically takes one to two months for beginners, while experienced lifters may take longer.
In 2026, Marlon plans to add another three kilos of muscle.
“Although I am currently lean, my goal for next year is to get even more shredded. I target to take out a kilo and a half to achieve that. I would love to add three more kilos of muscle, then after that work on leaning to achieve the body muscle definition.”
His plan is already mapped out.
“For the first four months, I will be bulking, which means having surplus calorie intake. The next phase will then be working on my muscle definition.”
He plans to train five times a week, with high-intensity workouts and short breaks, and to run three to five kilometres twice a week.
Maria took part in the Dubai 30×30 Fitness Challenge in November, joining more than 300,000 participants in the five- and 10-kilometre Dubai Run.
“This wasn't always me. A year and a half ago, before Dubai, I was someone else. I ate everything. Didn't move much, and was overweight. My body kept score,” she said.
Her motivation runs deep.
Maria Kivaa, a Kenyan residing in Dubai after finishing the 10KM Dubai Run to mark the end of Dubai 30 X 30 Fitness Challenge 2025 on November 23.
Photo credit: Sinda Matiko I Nation Media Group
“12 years ago, I lost my first baby to pre-eclampsia. That experience changed everything… I run for my body, for my mental health, for my soul. I run because I would never want to have such an experience again.”
Since moving to Dubai, Maria has lost 20 kilos, dropping from 90 to 70.
“I shift to strength training during the summer. You learn quickly here, weight and heat don't negotiate. At this moment, I feel I am in good shape, but I guess I will be more content if I can lose an extra 10 kilos.”
Kenneth has never given up his love for beer, even after being diagnosed with diabetes at 41.
“I will not lie to you, I love my beer… For me, the most important thing is the balance.”
After years of unhealthy habits, he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
“The doctor was shocked that I hadn’t yet suffered a stroke… It's the possibility of stroke that had me scared, and I knew I had to change my way of life.”
He replaced sugar, soda and nyama choma with running. Within six months, he lost 47 kilos.
Kenneth Waichigo runs during his daily training routine at Impala Grounds on April 5, 2025.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“I panicked when my medication ran out… However, I kept running… Gradually, the doctor reduced the dosage, and with time, my body began rejecting the medication, and so I stopped.”
Today, Kenneth runs marathons and ultramarathons, logging about 3,800 kilometres a year.
“I usually close the year with about 3,800 km logged. The goal is to push that number even further, probably to 4,500 km.”
Despite it all, beer remains on the menu—balanced by relentless movement.
