'Midlife can be the best time for fitness!'

Want to feel stronger, fitter, healthier and happier for longer? Former Olympic athlete Dame Kelly Holmes shares her tips for keeping fit after 50

- Joanna Ebsworth

2024 might mark the year of the Paris Olympics, but it also heralds a special anniversary for Dame Kelly Holmes. Believe it or not, it's been 20 years since the world witnessed the retired professional athlete's epic double gold victory in the 800m and 1500m at the 2004 Athens games: a feat that forever cemented her place in history books as the oldest woman to win either event, let alone both at the same time - and in the hearts of the British public. And the good news is that Dame Kelly is still going strong today.

'Here I am, two decades after I won my Olympic gold medals at the age of 34, and I'm now running more - and have more endurance - than ever!' exclaims the Nuffield Health ambassador. 'In fact, I swear I haven't been this good a runner since I retired. I do parkruns on a Saturday, along with a long run during the week and some weight training, and I'm more competitive now than anybody in my age group because I don't want anyone to beat me. I'm determined to win a gold medal in something this year, even if it's for a 5K.'

It's inspiring stuff to say the least, but Dame Kelly's ongoing pursuit of health, fitness and longevity hasn't always been plain sailing. The former elite middle-distance runner is the first to admit to her on-and-off battles with injury and mental health since her sporting retirement. And these issues were exacerbated not so long ago by the onset of perimenopause, which left her experiencing so much body pain and fatigue she was quoted in 2023 as saying, 'perimenopause is killing me'.