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.”
Prabhu started weight training in 2007 and he was soon doing three sessions a week – a practice he still maintains.
Prabhu trains with fitness coach Tarun Shereger to build strength and prevent the onset of injuries through a range of exercises such as dead lifts, hack squats, chin-ups, and shoulder and dumbbell bench presses.
After a year of strength training, he took up running.
“I was reluctant at first. I was close to 60 and thought ‘this is no age to start running’,” Prabhu says. His daughter, a former competitive athlete herself, was insistent.
“At first, I could only run a few hundred metres, but within a few weeks I was able to run five kilometres [three miles] without stopping,” he says. He became hooked on running and registered for his first half marathon in Mumbai.
He joined a group training programme three months before the race. A coach would, three times a week, put them through running drills and stretching exercises and corrected their running form.
Prabhu ran his first half marathon in two hours and 48 minutes at the age of 59.
“I could not believe that I had run 21km without stopping. It made me realise that with consistent effort and focus, anything is possible,” he says.
In 2013, he ran his first marathon in Mumbai in five hours and 25 minutes. After that, he signed up for the New York Marathon and trained with a group called the New York Road Runners.
He crossed the New York Marathon finish line in four hours and 41 minutes – 44 minutes faster than his first marathon time.
Running has changed Prabhu’s perception of ageing – one of his fellow runners in a short race in New York in 2015 was 83 years old. The oldest participant was 94. “It made me realise that age does not matter,” he says.
When training for a half marathon, he logs about 50km a week. This increases to 80km when he is preparing for a full marathon.
Prabhu has faced his share of running challenges, including iliotibial band syndrome – where a tendon called the iliotibial band becomes inflamed from rubbing against the hip or knee bones – and pain in his Achilles tendon. He has had no serious injuries, something he attributes to regular weight training and stretching.
He also, since completing a three-month teacher training course at The Yoga Institute in Mumbai in 2019, practises yoga daily. “Yoga has enabled me to develop endurance and flexibility,” he says.
Back on her own two feet again
In August 2021, Singaporean grandmother Kiron Kukreja had a bad fall and broke her right hip.
“I managed to drag myself to the bedroom and called for help,” says the 89-year-old, who weighs 37 kilograms (82 pounds) and has peripheral vision only. She had hip surgery, followed by two weeks of rehabilitation. The pain was excruciating for her and she was unable to walk.
This was a blow for Kukreja, who previously had an active lifestyle and would walk for an hour daily. A month after surgery, Kukreja’s son suggested that she start strength training and introduced her to Naik.
Naik first guided her through exercises to strengthen the arms and legs, then ones to build core strength and develop the buttock muscles.
Now Kukreja’s routine comprises squats, leg raises and body weight exercises, working with light weights of up to 3kg. Naik also taught her how to get up from the floor to an upright position in the event of another fall, to prevent panic.
The regular exercise has made Kukreja stronger and has increased her stamina, she says. “I began enjoying myself and could train for an hour without stopping.”
The progress motivates her to continue training.
“Initially, even attempting to walk was painful. With regular training, I saw my muscles become stronger and [I] started walking with the help of a walking frame, then within a few weeks with the aid of a stick,” she says. Seven weeks after training began, she was able to walk unassisted.
“Exercising makes me feel happy. After a training session, I feel strong and confident.”
Kukreja’s favourite exercise? Squats – and she does 50 at a time. She has resumed her daily walks, too, clocking 6,000 steps a day.
Kukreja now has a healthy meal plan: a banana shake made with almond milk and walnuts for breakfast; coconut water and a fruit as a midmorning snack; and dinner of lentils, roti and a cooked vegetable.
“I never thought that I would work out with weights, certainly not at my age,” she says. “I am happy that something good came out of my fall. If I can train and stay fit at 89, then anyone can.”
