Speed Up With Age

Hitting 40, Terence Burger knew it was time to rev up his fitness.

- Thaaqib Daniels

1 THE PROBLEM

“After turning 40, I gained a lot of weight.

Usually, I’d shed the extra weight training for the Comrades Marathon. But after hitting the big four-oh I noticed that I wasn’t losing the kilos as quickly as before. Nobody else seemed to notice my weight gain, but I was getting heavier at that starting line every year – and I felt it when I ran.”

THE LESSON:

Leading exercise physiologists have discovered that by age 40, the body’s metabolism slows down by 4%. So don’t train less when you turn 40; train harder!

2 THE CHANGE

“In January last year I got a running injury and I couldn’t train. Eight months after the injury I went from a fit 78kg to a heavy 96kg. I knew I had picked up weight, but I only noticed when I saw a photo that my running partner took of me. I did not like what I saw. I knew I had to lose the weight.”

THE LESSON:

Pay attention to when you’re making progress (and when you’re losing ground). Hold yourself accountable.