What does it mean to age gracefully? If you ask us, beauty flows from good health—no matter what your age.

No one epitomizes the glory of getting older better than Ernestine Shepherd, the world’s oldest female bodybuilder and star of our short documentary. At 77, Shepherd redefines what it means to be ripped. We saw it firsthand, in fact: A quick unzip of her workout vest revealed a row of abs any 20-year-old would envy.

Being buff is a fairly recent development for Ernestine. “I was a total couch potato until age 56,” she says. But after trying aerobics, then weight training, then bodybuilding, she’s anything but. Ernestine runs 10 miles every morning, eats a ton of healthy food, and inspires her whole Baltimore community to get fit during the packed fitness classes she teaches.

Good Morning America

ABC News /Health