Ann Shah's lithe and toned physique belies her age. "I can only reveal that I'm 65 plus," she chuckles. Before the lockdown was announced, Shah would regularly hit the gym, go on long walks and not miss a day of exercise. The enthusiasm took a beating under isolation when days stretched into weeks and months. Being hunkered down takes a toll, she admits. "Initially, I began to feel sick and looked haggard. I knew I had to push myself out of this misery." With no access to the gym, Shah motivated herself to look up online workout routines, pre-recorded videos or livestreams aimed at replicating the experience of being in a fitness class with a trainer. "When I found out that fitness instructor Avinash Mansukhani, who runs an Instagram account called Fight the Sunrise, has introduced workouts aimed at senior citizens, I followed him. Now, I also follow the virtual workouts by yoga instructor Anshuka Parwani and trainer Yasmin Karachiwala." This has helped her get into a rhythm, she thinks. Shah's at-home sweat set is now complete with milk cartons, water bottles and heavy books that double up as dumbbells. Every morning, she heads up to the terrace with her phone and does her sets.

A survey conducted by Enormous Brands, an independent advertising agency, revealed an increase in adoption of digital technology by the aged during the lockdown. The web-based survey took feedback from 3,737 respondents in cities, including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad. According to the United Nations, the share of older persons (aged 60 or above) in India is projected to increase to nearly 20 per cent of the population by 2050. Sensing the opportunity, HealthifyMe, a health and fitness app, recently launched HealthifyStudio to offer live workout sessions catering to seniors. Similarly, Cure.fit has also created fitness content for the elderly.