Don’t Stop Me, Now…
A shy 13-year-old girl, showed promise at tennis and decided to commit her life to the game she loved. With the help of her devoted father, CARMEN PEREA embarked on a journey that spanned decades, but her story isn’t over yet. Carmen tells us in her own words.
The Seniors Are Here And They’re Going To Have You For Breakfast.
After a lifetime in the game and 20 years playing in senior tournaments all over Europe, CARMEN PEREA is still coaching tennis six days a week. She has absolutely no intention of slowing down. She’s part of a trend in the western world where seniors are participating in sport and to a level that is unprecedented. What’s going on?
Although Carmen is an inspiration, she’s not the exception. All over Europe and North America, older people are achieving new athletic heights by taking advantage of an entirely new mindset both among coaches and the medical profession.
Gone are the days of older sports enthusiasts slowing down gracefully. The trend now is to encourage seniors to not only keep active but to up their game. More and more they are competing with each other in track and swim meets or pickleball and softball tournaments. They are using, and pushing their bodies further and further.
In the US, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association, the number of people, 65 years and older going to health clubs has increased more than 30 percent since 2010. A 2020 study from the Journal of Medical Internet Research that used exercise app tracking data for 5,300 people found that exercise habits of young to middle-aged people declined during the pandemic, while the over 65’s increased. You read that right!
“As a society, we need to start believing that aging is an opportunity to be grasped. You can get to your 60s, 70s, 80s and yes, even 90s, while maintaining your functional ability,” says Dan Ritchie, PhD, president of the Functional Aging Institute, USA.
It doesn’t have to be vigorous sports, but any frequent and enduring activity has remarkable health benefits and seniors are using this information to protect themselves against the negative effects of aging. It’s not uncommon in the UK and Europe for doctors to send their older patients off to the gym or their local sports club to get them involved in some form of aerobic exercise.
Racquet sports have always been the king of sports for seniors and many clubs are reaping the benefits of this. Coaches are adapting their teaching to include and encourage this new army of seniors who, like Carmen Perea, have no intention of slowing down and retiring to an armchair, anytime soon.
