Former footballer Lee Sharpe tells Patricia Westonhow golf, six-a-side football, snowboarding and dancing on ice helps keep his fitness levels up.
Do you still keep very fit?
Well I'd say I'm reasonably fit. When I was doing Dancing on Ice recently I got very fit ice-skating. We spent four hours a day on the ice. Having been a footballer I would have a good base level of fitness anyway.
When I'm not doing something like Dancing on Ice I would normally play golf and six-a-side football and I'd go for a run now and again. I also like snowboarding in winter. It's very hard to get a routine and stick to it though because I'm travelling here, there and everywhere. I could train for three-four days and then I'd be off somewhere for a week.
Are you conscious of your appearance?
Yes, I have to keep an eye on my weight or I'll be nailed in the magazines for putting on a few pounds.
Are you a gym junkie?
I've decided to join a gym again with a mate. I don't mind going to the gym, once you get that initial kick-start it's fine. I'm also going to start playing tennis.
Do you follow a strict diet plan?
No, I'm one of the lucky people who get away with eating whatever I like. I'm very partial to crisps and chocolate and the odd pint now and again!
When I was training as a footballer the fat content of your diet was always checked and we ate a lot of carbohydrates.
Because of that I've probably become more wayward nowadays.
Are you a fan of alternative remedies?
No, I've never been into anything like that.
What supplements do you take?
Just the Nourkrin Man, which is full of vitamins to promote hair growth because there's baldness in my family, my brother has to shave his head because he's bald.
•Patricia Weston's exercise prescription:
If, like Lee, you have a good base level of fitness then re-starting your training regime after you have had a period of lapse will be much easier because your muscles are more responsive. It can also significantly reduce your chances of sustaining an injury.
Here are a few tips on how to achieve that good base level of fitness so you can remain fit for life even in times of training lapse. So get training for life:
Add weights to your workout:Weights not only develop muscular strength, resistance-training increases lean muscle mass and bone mass and reduces body fat.
Increase your stamina:Aerobic capacity or stamina declines with increasing age, but aerobic exercise can counteract this and improve the efficiency of the ageing heart and lungs, thereby increasing your stamina and strength. Ideally you should train aerobically for three-five times a week for 20-60 minutes at a time at 60-90 per cent of your maximum heart rate. Use a handy heart rate monitor to monitor your resting and acting heart rate.
Stay flexible:Unfortunately our flexibility declines with age too because soft tissue gets thicker, loses elasticity and decreases the mobility and range of motion. But this can be overcome with developmental stretches - stretching all the major muscle groups and holding the stretch without bouncing for 40-60 seconds.
Your training for life exercise programme should be progressive, regular, produce overload and push you beyond your body's normal demands, allow adequate rest and be balanced incorporating high and low intensities within each workout.
Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates teacher.