This week a 39-year-old man was running around like a spring chicken on the football field as Argentina chased the game against England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final. That man was Lionel Messi who provided the assists for the two goals Argentina put past England on their way to a second consecutive final. Last week, the 39-year-old Novak Djokovic played yet another grand slam semi-final at Wimbledon. The world’s oldest tennis championship also witnessed a 44-year-old Serena Williams returning to competitive tennis on a wild card. In the United States of America basketball legend Lebron James, at 41, is still in demand in the NBA, the world’s toughest basketball league. Closer home, wicketkeeper-batsman M.S. Dhoni is 45 and still a squad member of the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.
Most of us enter the dad bod and mom bod era upon reaching our mid- to late-30s and beyond. It is the stage in our lives when physical activities and sports take a backseat, fitness suffers, waistline grows and weighing scales creak under our, well, weight. Till as recently as the early 2000s, this stereotype extended to professional sportspersons as well. However, in the post-pandemic world there are more middle-aged professional athletes than ever still playing showing the way to recreational athletes, weekend warriors and those on the fence about adopting an active lifestyle that it is possible to be fit and in good shape despite the advancing years. One of the biggest reasons for middle-aged sports professionals and recreational athletes being fit for longer periods of time is greater general awareness about exercise, nutrition and recovery. Also, sports science and medicine have advanced by leaps and bounds. “Today's athletes (both elite and recreational) have access to better training methods, personalised nutrition, advanced recovery techniques, and injury prevention strategies, all of which help them perform at a high level for longer,” says Dhruva Sivakumar, a fitness expert at Cult Fit.
What changes in the mid-30s?
Generally speaking, unwanted gains in weight and size are the obvious visible signs of entering mid-life. Away from the judgmental eyes of the world, people start experiencing joint aches, hormonal changes and face the prospects of deteriorating health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar levels, hypertension, and sleep issues. There are changes in musculature and mobility too. “By the mid-30s, fast-twitch muscle fibres naturally decline, reducing explosive speed. To survive, sportspersons must adapt. It is vital for longevity: by shifting to roles requiring high tactical intelligence rather than raw sprinting, they reduce high-intensity strain and cut down soft-tissue injury risks,” notes Vaibhav Daga, head of sports science and rehabilitation, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai.
In order to continue setting the high standards athletes are used, they adapt their training, recovery and nutrition as they age. Regular folks who are interested in being active late into their life and ageing well ought to follow the middle-aged stars’ lead. Daga says that older professionals tweak their training by moving away from heavy lifting (like heavy squats) and turn to joint mobility, core stability, and eccentric control to protect ageing tendons. “Their nutrition moves from pure calorie-loading to strict anti-inflammatory diets and gut-health optimisation that help speed up tissue repair. Finally, recovery becomes a massive job. They rely on the latest tech like hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, and strict sleep tracking to naturally boost growth hormones and clear metabolic waste,” adds Daga. New facilities focussed on recovery have popped up across the big cities that have made cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, deep tissue massages and ice baths to the general fitness enthusiasts. As for tracking, there is a glut of trackers at various price points to choose from depending on your budget. However, the accuracy of a lot of trackers is debatable.
Intentional shift in mindset
Beyond the physiological and hormonal changes, those who want to remain active, agile and fit in their late 30s and beyond need a shift in mindset just as elite athletes do. Sportspersons including Dhoni, Williams, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo focus on longevity rather than peak performance. “They train smarter instead of simply training harder. They understand their bodies better, know when to push and when to recover, and use their experience to stay competitive well into their late 30s and early 40s,” explains Sivakumar. Like Messi, a neighbourhood league middle-aged weekend footballer, cricketer or runner needs to know they cannot run around like their younger self so they have to strategise well and use their limited physical energies at the right time for maximum impact.
Former footballer Thierry Henry, 48, of France, Barcelona and Arsenal fame stopped playing long time ago but is still in great shape. In a recent interview he said there is no secret gym formula to his fitness but his discipline keeps him fit. Consistency is the biggest factor in staying fit. Elite athletes stay active almost every day, even if the intensity varies. As they get older, they listen to their bodies, making adjustments when needed instead of pushing through pain or fatigue.
However, regular folks and recreational athletes like most of us do not need to train like a professional athlete to take inspiration from their routine. “The biggest takeaway is to stay consistent. A balanced routine with regular strength training, mobility work, proper warm-up, good nutrition, quality sleep and adequate recovery can significantly improve fitness and support healthy ageing. Just as importantly, choose activities you enjoy, because consistency comes naturally when you look forward to moving,” advises Sivakumar. Healthy ageing is not about doing less, it is about training smart, recovering well and staying active for a long innings. Like Dhoni’s.