I Worked Out For 40 Years and This is What I Learned

Consistency over time reaps rewards

Start young

Lay the foundation of your fitness early. Make the most of your natural hormones kicking around. Learn weight training, don’t be afraid to run and learn how to cook basic healthy food. There is never a bad time to start making changes and looking after yourself, but the earlier you start, the more benefits you will see.

In the 86th minute, the ball dropped over my shoulder, the giant central defender mistimed his challenge, I skipped over the oncoming leg and connected with the ball on the half volley my right foot. The sound was three-way all at the same time, fizz, thud, Zipp.

A goal to savour, we (Southport) had won the Northern England Cup final 1–0. I had run the show and controlled the game with industry and skill being my trademark. Sitting in our dressing room with the trophy, the opposition coach came in to congratulate me.

“You’ll go all the way to the top if you lose a bit of weight.”

I was 15 and had never been told that before, or considered my weight to be anything of concern. However, in my bedroom later that day I examined the rolls of flesh on my abdomen. I was sitting, but even so, it was uncomfortable to look at.

I immediately marched around to the council estate close by. I knew a hard knock from school who apparently had a gym in his bedroom. He was fierce, a karate black belt and always fighting in and out of school. I paused several times out of nerves, before knocking on his door.

He opened the door, towering above me.

“What the fuck do you want?”

I thought about running away but held my nerve. “I want to work out.” “Come in, I’ll show you around.” I was struck by his genuine concern and helpful demeanour. He had a bench, a barbell, leg extension machine, dumbbells, and a chinning bar. A bamboo mat rolled up on the wall was his bed. “OK, come back tomorrow at 6.00 pm.”

I nodded and held out my hand to thank him, he almost crushed my hand but his fierce stare had a hint of a smile. And that was it. A moment of bravery that began this life-affirming discipline. Working out would, and still has, never let me down. A beautiful constant throughout a sometimes turbulent journey.

All summer long, I worked out 4 x per week, avidly following the hard nut and his friend. I remember aching so much my arms wouldn’t straighten for weeks. I consciously ate more protein and was told to stop eating sweets, biscuits and potatoes. Within 3 months, I’d transformed myself.

That summer I laid the foundation of my body shape, understood the importance of being strong and learning self-discipline. Of course, looking good was important but as I learned over the years, that’s all in the head.

Don’t make excuses

The decades slip by quickly. Before you know it, your kids are grown up and the job doesn’t motivate you as it did 10 years ago. So, make time to look after yourself now. Your health is the most important thing you can apply your time to.

In my mid 20's, my football career had ended. I had had to leave home at 16 and fend for myself. However, the Vulcan Gym gave me the routine and discipline I needed. Home of proprietor, Mr Olympia competitor, Tony Sullivan, a quiet man with dark circular glasses, he invited me in with massive opened arms.

It was the 80’s and Arnold Schwarzenegger was in his pomp, he and other bodybuilders had emerged to create a new culture. On reflection, what the Vulcan showed me is that you don’t need a spangled, shiny perfect gym. It’s simply progressive resistance. There were pulley systems with no numbers, discs that were just heavy and a small transistor radio in the corner of the room. No mirrors, no showers, no vests, no selfies just a happy, supportive and focused community. All in amazing shape.

Find balance

It’s easy to get caught up with intense workdays and crazy family life, but a balance must be found. Your health is your priority and devoting just 20 minutes a day will make a huge difference. Whether you work out at the gym, stretch, run or do a session at home, 20 minutes is a realistic time to make a difference to your health and not feel intimidating.

My mid 20 takes me to Eilat at the southern top of Israel. It had been a career-oriented few years, in which I had experienced a lapse in training. Luckily, in Eilat, I shared a room with a young lad from Yorkshire who “pumped iron” (in his words). 33 years later we are still friends.

A combination of gym, cycling, football, tennis and great food pushed me to another level. It was sunny everyday and life was good. It felt like I had laid another layer of my fitness foundation.

On to London — dance music, clubbing and festivals became my favourite pastimes. Yet in amongst all the peer pressure to do drugs, stay out late and have one more shot of vodka, I somehow kept it together. Although not using the gym regularly, I managed to run most days.

I tried to kid myself that eating pretty much whatever, not using the gym and drinking alcohol would be balanced by running and cycling. It didn’t. You’re bulletproof in your 20’s, the hormones of youth still with you, endless energy, endless hope and ambition. It’s a time to factor in good habits.

Be a jack of all, master of none

Adopt a holistic approach and be a jack of all wellness elements. There is a definite advantage to being an all-rounder. Weight training, cardio, yoga, core strength and mindfulness are all equal. Weight training into your 80’s should be your aspiration, and so should yoga, meditation and cycling.

I found a small gym in Belsize Park. Apparently Mohammed Ali trained there before the Henry Cooper fight. The trainer always had his head in a textbook. He was studying to be a personal trainer. It was the mid-late 90’s and personal trainers were for the rich and famous. I took the course details and within 2 years had pivoted my career.

Being a PT meant I was in the gym every day. I was also cycling everywhere and now super fit. There is something powerful about your 30’s — the need to get focused, to stop fucking about and get your shit together.

The grief of losing both parents took me on a life-changing journey to the softer side of working out. A spiritual awakening with meditation at its heart told me there is more to working out than running and lifting weights. It also reinforced my feeling that training never lets you down.

Leaving the bulletproof 20’s behind and truly understanding one's limitations and capabilities, encourages a more rounded approach to wellness. And there is a clear relationship between the physical and the emotional.

Simplify life

Staying fit and healthy past your 50th birthday is not that complicated a process. Eating naturally occurring food as the main part of your diet will offset weight gain and maintain a positive disposition. Plus, making time every day to do something to balance the sedentary lifestyle we have evolved into is essential.

By my 40’s, the importance of working out regularly was now in my DNA. Many years of fine-tuning my baseline habits to reflect positively, were now reaping their rewards. The clear and obvious natural slowing down of metabolism off-set by smaller meals, intense workouts, meditation and good sleep ensured I maintained excellent fitness.

Life always throws things at us. It’s how we respond that matters. I believe your 40’s to ’50s is the most critical decade. It will set the precedent for the second half of your life. And as those who are 50-plus know, the mind is ever young, while the body can be left behind.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way. There is nothing stopping anyone from being strong, lean and flexible well into their 90's. It’s just a matter of adapting and being bothered.

Maintaining your physical and mental health is your responsibility. It’s a choice you make every day. You are surrounded by more ways of learning and implementing health than ever before in history. There’s no excuse.

Set challenges for yourself to keep motivated. Whether, it’s quitting smoking, running a marathon, doing a triathlon, stopping drinking, joining a gym or completing a 10-day silent retreat, setting goals is an essential part of your wellness journey.

And find community and support from others. All of life’s physical and emotional challenges are more successful when you have the support of someone or a group of like-minded people. So, find your community, find your training buddy and never stop looking after yourself.