🟧 Midweek After 60 Conversation
After last week’s conversation about the importance of strength training as we age, a lot of you got in touch.
The consensus was clear: what if you simply don’t fancy lifting weights or pulling on resistance bands?
Many of you argued that pursuits like cycling, swimming, walking and running ought to count just as much.
Why force ourselves into workouts we dread when there are so many ways of staying active after 60.
It opened up a brilliant discussion.
Between debates on whether our calf muscles really are our “second heart”, how much protein we actually need in our sixties, and claims that leg strength or a daily bowl of berries hold the key to longevity, the sheer volume of health advice can feel overwhelming.
Growing up, we were spoiled. We had the family butcher and the family greengrocer right on our doorstep, so good food was simple and real.
Which brings me to a title I acquired recently…
The Blueberry Man
My great-nephew called me “The Blueberry Man” the other day.
I couldn’t even argue with him. My fridge looks like a berry farm, and I haven’t missed a daily bowl in years. But it got me thinking: is an obsession with blueberries actually justified, or is it just clever health marketing?
As it turns out, the kid was onto something.
If you had to put all your money on one fruit, blueberries make a pretty convincing case. They’re packed with anthocyanins, the natural compounds that give them their deep blue colour and are associated with heart and brain health. They’re also naturally high in fibre and relatively low in sugar.
So yes, being The Blueberry Man is a title I’ll happily wear.
But nourishing your body is only half the battle.
You’ve still got to keep the machine moving.
A “Good Walk Spoiled”?
That brings me back to the exercise debate and another ongoing disagreement in our house.
My wife firmly maintains that golf is simply a long-winded excuse to get to the nineteenth hole.
I disagree.
Looking back over the years, some of the best business relationships I’ve ever built, started over a coffee or a pint after eighteen holes.
In my mind, the nineteenth hole has probably been the most important hole of my golfing career.
As for the game itself, naysayers call it lazy. I’ll defend it all day long.
Walking several miles, negotiating uneven ground and repeatedly rotating your body through the golf swing is far more demanding than many people realise.
Everyone finds their own way to stay active.
My brother has become a real fan of Tai Chi and loves the control, balance and movement it brings.
I’ve recently been invited to join the local walking football team, although I’m not sure it’s really me.
I still dream of tearing down the wing for Southampton like my childhood hero Mick Channon—my knees, unfortunately, have a rather different opinion.
Which brings me to the garden with my grandson.
From Mick Channon to Bukayo Saka
When we’re kicking a ball around, my grandson is completely convinced he has the skill and swagger of Bukayo Saka.
Meanwhile, the second my foot touches the ball, I’m instantly transported back to my own childhood. Before I know it, I’m charging around like an absolute idiot, windmilling my arm in the air in full Mick Channon celebration mode.
To anyone watching, it probably looks ridiculous.
Two generations.
Two different footballing heroes.
One tiny patch of grass.
But my heart rate is up, my legs are working, my calf muscles are pumping and—most importantly—I’m smiling the entire time.
The Big “BUT”
If you dig through the mountain of research on healthy ageing, the message is remarkably consistent.
Any movement is good movement.
Whether it’s swimming, cycling, golf, Tai Chi, gardening, walking the dog or a chaotic kickabout with your grandchildren, your body doesn’t care what you call it.
It simply responds to movement.
But there is one massive caveat.
The big BUT.
You have to enjoy it.
If you force yourself into a gym because you think you should, there’s every chance you’ll give up after a few weeks.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking forward to meeting friends for a round of golf, getting out on your bike, walking the coast with your partner or making your grandson laugh with a hopeless Mick Channon impression, it doesn’t feel like exercise.
It just feels like life.
That’s why I’m becoming less interested in asking people, “What’s the best exercise?”
I think the better question is:
“What’s the activity you’ll still be happily doing in ten years’ time?”
Because that’s probably the one that will do you the most good.
So eat your blueberries, support your local greengrocer if you’re lucky enough to still have one, keep moving, and don’t take yourself too seriously while you’re doing it.
I’d genuinely love to know. What’s your favourite way of staying active that never feels like a chore? Are you Team Golf, Team Walking, Team Gardening… or something completely different?
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