Stefan Terblanche shares some tips on how to keep fit as we get older.
People have always asked me why I train so much, and it’s something I have long stopped asking myself. I was fortunate enough to play professional sports for a good part of my life and enjoyed every moment of it, and even it came with its fair share of disappointments and sacrifices, it did afford me the opportunity to do what I loved.
More importantly, it also allowed me to get to know my body and to get into the habit of looking after it, giving it the best to enable me to succeed when I took to the field for the Sharks or Springboks. And even when cutting out all outside influences and distractions, I still did not get it right every week. There were occasions when my body just did not perform the way I wanted it to.
Life is no different. We need to give our bodies the best possible chance and necessary support to give us what we need from it when we need it most.
Like it or not, as we get older certain things will happen to your body. However, scientific tests and research indicate there are many ways we can slow down the process that’s happening to our ageing bodies. Many of us suddenly decide – for whatever reasons – that we can’t possibly train hard and with intensity as we get older.
Ageing is a “biological” process that can be speeded up or slowed down by multiple-related factors. Read that again and again. This means we can slow down the ageing process through the way we live. We can also speed up the process of ageing by not following simple yet very effective changes to our lifestyle.
Not all of us want to train like professional athletes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t follow advice from professional sportsmen and incorporate it into our fitness regime.
Please don’t deadlift 100kg the next time you train, but rather pay attention to the following to take your training and healthy lifestyle to the next level in order to combat the three primary signs of ageing – declining aerobic capacity, increasing body fat, and the loss of muscle mass.
Weight training: Even for ladies, I would suggest you incorporate resistance training into your schedule. I understand most women don’t want to look like a bodybuilder, and this will never happen. If you are one of the lucky few to build muscle easily – especially as you get older – then thank your lucky stars or your parents for a very unique set of genes.
Train with intensity: Not all of us will train with the same intensity, but we need to add some form of intensity to our training schedule. Rather than doing long slow distances, throw in an interval session where you run for 30 seconds, then walk for 30 seconds. Your heart rate will be elevated but your recovery period will allow for it come down significantly. If you’re used to running long distances, you’ll find this hard but your body will react to it quickly and you’ll be amazed at how fast you get fit.
There is so much more to be said about training as we get older, but the good news is we can improve our overall fitness and general well-being, to thrive and live a pain-free life. We just need to make some small changes to our lifestyle.