by Ray Burke

Created on: September 25, 2008

Keeping fit and Healthy in your 40s:

There is usually that look of surprise on a person's face when I tell them my age. They wonder how I can look so young and handsome (okay I added the last bit), but all I can say is that it's a combination of genes and my own fitness regime. My parents still look quite young for their ages (in their 60s and 70s) and they are relatively active with the usual age-related niggles. I just hope I'm as healthy as them when I reach my senior' years.

But as every aspect of life is a varied permutation of nature and nurture so is staying healthy. My interest in physical fitness started when I moved to Canada from England around age 11. The Phys-ed teacher, Mr. Fox, seemed aged to me, but he was as strong as an ox, able to climb that thick heavy gym rope hand-over-hand. It was the feat of strength all the boys in class aspired to. After that it was the sports teams and I enjoyed several levels of jock-ism throughout high school. This continued when I moved to New York and the high school track team was my highest achievement with my best performances. This was the first phase of my physical fitness journey: the growing up and learning about your body and competition.

The post-high school era was different as I had nothing to do. I wanted to join the military, but was undecided on what to join. I had also discontinued any sports becoming a couch potato and putting on a few pounds. But then I decided to come back home and join the British Army, so I had to get into shape. And here's where the first part of my physical fitness experience helped me. I was able to get back into my own training regime quite quickly and by the time I joined the army, at a relatively old' 22, I was fitter than some of the younger recruits. Again, there was more to learn about my own endurance and performance levels, whether in combat fitness or playing for army sports teams, but physical fitness in the army was also about survival. So my second phase of fitness consisted of the strategic and tactical aspects of physicality.

Such lessons took me into my 30s as the army had taken its toll on me. I had over done it. I thought I was bionic and indestructible, but a hernia, broken bones and pulled muscles (all sports injuries) taught me otherwise. I had to slow down and re-adapt my training programme. At this time I entered university as a mature student. I could have blended in with the students in looks regarding age, if not a year or two older, but I wasn't, so

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