As the song goes; “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when Im 64′′.

When messers Mcartney and Lennon wrote this song, 64 may well have been considered to be old age, but it certainly wouldn’t be thought of as elderly these days.

In recent times at Bodyline we have seen an increase in 'older clientelle'; I myself train an 84 year old gentleman and one of my colleagues has recently taken on a woman aged 83. Obviously, I wont go into detail here about these clients’ exact levels of health and fitness, but suffice to say that they are actually doing extremely well for people of their age.

In this modern age we are expected to live longer and so being fit and healthy must now be one of the most important things in your life, musn’t it?

Outside of the gym, I have recently come into contact with people who, at various ages around 80, are still remaining active and enjoying the special things that can be done when you have a little more time on your hands. One gentleman who I met recently is celebrating his 80th birthday this year and for the last 40 years has been an avid sailor, which, he is convinced, has kept him fit and well up to his 80th year and will continue to do so over the coming years as well.

So, what is your motivation to exercise right now? It could be to get in shape for a big event or to improve your time in the Ealing Half Marathon or maybe you want to lose a little bit of weight and feel fitter and healthier. All of these reasons are, of course, completely valid but i ask you to think ahead a little more long term!

What will you be doing when you are retired, 70, 80, 90 maybe even 100 years old? If you are active now at say, 40 or 50, then your body has a much better chance of staying strong and well to see you into your later years.

Walking and jogging now will help to keep your bones strong.

Playing a sport like tennis or badminton will help your co-ordination as well as keeping your body fat and weight down.

Pilates or Yoga will give you flexibility throughout your life and help you maintain balance, which means you are less likely to fall over when you are a bit older! From direct family experience I know how debilitating a fall can be for an older person.

Country/seaside walks will maintain your lower limb strength as well as filing your lungs with fresh air

Keep mentally strong as well (maybe a subject for another blog post in detail). Have a positive attitude to your exercise and lifestyle now so that you carry that on throughout your entire life.

So, dont get too hung up on losing a couple of pounds or knocking off a few seconds of your personal best for 10k, just exercise now for the life you will hope to have when your working life is done and you can really enjoy your retirement and spend the kid’s inheritance!

“Choose Life!”

You are now either thinking of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, singing the soundtrack to Trainspotting or, if you are a bit younger than me, you haven’t got a clue what I'm talking about!

Do you have any friends or relatives that are keeping fit and active in later life and maybe even putting you to shame? I would love to hear your stories. so please get in touch via email or comment below this post. Until next time, keep fit and well!