How Long Can We Play As We Get Older?

“Today’s sports heroes play longer and better than ever before. They benefit not only from the inherent genetic advantage of all great athletes, but also from decades of elite training, cutting-edge treatments and the time and money to enact them.”

Every athlete who does the impossible at an improbable age sends us a message. Whether it’s the idea of anti-aging or simply remaining healthy for longer, many of us expect to play longer as we grow older. As this story from Sports Illustrated explores, helping people be able to play for longer is a multi-billion dollar industry that will continue to grow. So is there a secret to staying healthy enough to enjoy the sports we love as we get older? The closest that science and the writer of the piece seem to get is some relatively obvious advice: Exercise, but not too much. Focus on your core. Listen to your body.

I suppose sometimes it’s the most obvious guidance that is the hardest to remember to follow.