How to maintain a healthy body after the 'BIG 4-0'     

We all get older different rates, and you'll know your body better than anyone else, so this page is designed as a guide to best practise and to help you on your journey to improved fitness - but, as I'm sure you've heard before: you should always consult your doctor if you're in doubt (not Google - defintely not Google!)



Let's start with the questions we get asked the most:


1.I’ve not played since I was much thinner/younger/more flexible. What if I get out of breath?


Feeling short of breath is perfectly normal when playing basketball. As we enter the prime of life, no MBA40 player is in the shape they once were. Almost all of us hadn’t picked up a ball since our school days so every MBA40 session is designed for bodies returning to exercise. As well as gradual warm-ups and warm-downs, we play in very short sessions that provide the opportunity for everyone to catch their breath.


2. What can I do to stop aching the following day?


Our players report that properly warming up and warming down are highly effective measures to minimise the next-day ache. The stretches are also an effective antidote.


3. How long until I feel as fit as I did when I was younger? How often will I need to train to improve my fitness?


Although our days of dunking may be long gone (or, more likely, only ever existed in our imagination), fitness returns surprisingly quickly, especially since we only play in short bursts. Players who were blowing a gasket after 4 minutes of play a couple of months ago are now able to rotate in and out throughout a one-hour session. Every session feels easier than the last.


4. What happens if I take a few weeks off?


As forty-somethings, we all lead busy lives so most of us involuntarily take a few weeks off from time to time. With a cautious start the first week back, you’ll find your fitness levels will have remained close to where they were. After three weeks, looking after yourself between sessions, you’ll be back to almost full sharpness.


5. When should I stop?


If anything hurts, stop. There isn’t a body at MBA40 that isn’t carrying a niggle, we’re all grown-ups and what we may have lost iin speed we hope we’ve made up in wisdom. There’s always another week.



Ever wondered how much ground you cover or how much effort you're really putting in during a session of MBA40? Here are the stats - you'll be surprised...!



It's good to come to terms with the fact that you're not 21 anymore....

It won’t have escaped your notice that our bodies have more miles on the clock … but no one has told our brains. Our brains still use the automatic pilot ‘muscle memory’ we built up in our youth to trigger instructions for how our bodies should run, jump, throw and reach. If you've played sport recently, you'll probably have discovered that it's not be easy to reproduce those actions that felt effortless in our youth.  


Read more....



Simple steps to maintaining a healthy (basketball) body after 40

For a few minutes before each MBA40 session we’ll be increasing the size of the cheque our bodies can cash by warming up to prepare our muscles, tendons and joints for the stresses they experience during basketball that they may not experience during the rest of the week.





Why cycling is a basketball players best friend

It seems that a bunch of NBA stars swear by cycling as part of their fitness programme. Read all about it here...



How to (help) avoid pulled muscles: a guide to warming up & down


Rule number 1 of stretching club is... don't overdo it - it's not a competition. Some people are more flexible by nature (and by girth...) so if you start to feel any pain, stop, and slowly return to a relaxed position. 


Click here to see some of the stretches that we use at MBA40


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