50 half marathons since he started at 58, a strength training newbie who’s 88 – how to age well
- Venkatesh Prabhu took his daughter’s advice to start running when he retired; now 73, he has run 50 half marathons and six marathons and is keen to do more
- Singaporean grandmother Kiron Kukreja, 88, could no longer walk after she fell and broke her hip, until she met Prabhu’s daughter and started strength training
Think you are too old or that it is too late to take charge of your fitness? You need to meet this engineer who started running at the age of 58 and has completed marathons around the world, and this grandmother who started strength training at the age of 88.
When engineer Venkatesh Prabhu retired 15 years ago, his daughter Bhakti Naik – a physiotherapist and nutritionist – encouraged him to start moving and get fit. He took up strength training and running.
Now 73, Prabhu has run 50 half-marathons and six marathons. Running has transformed him, boosting his fitness level and changing his perception about ageing.
Naik, the founder of wellness centre Ikigai Health in Singapore, wanted her father to be physically and mentally healthy.
As people age, they must work on maintaining physical strength as they start to lose bone density, joint mobility and muscle mass, she says.
“It is equally important for them to have internal strength and confidence, which comes from being fit.”
