Tennis and keeping fit

Interviewer: Good morning, Phil.

Phil: Morning, Jo.

Interviewer: Erm, what would you like to talk about today?

Phil: Er, I thought I'd just say a little bit about the importance of, erm, trying to keep your body fit when you're getting older. I was, er, I had, my blood pressure was getting higher and the doctor was saying it was getting close to needing medication to improve it. And I said to him, 'I think I'd rather not have the medication but I will try and take more exercise.' So, I had to find some form of exercise which was enjoyable and which would also keep me fitter. So, I chose to take up playing tennis. I, erm, I'm quite good at hitting a ball or catching a ball so that wasn't any problem. And I get very bored if I just go running. But tennis has the advantage that you have a ball to chase around for an hour, you're stopping and starting, and it also has a very good social aspect to it where you join a club and you meet lots of other people who are, a lot of them are the same age as you, and you soon find some friends to play with. And you can go and play a game regularly, and then afterwards have a cup of coffee and a conversation with people. So, it gets you out of the house and meeting other people, and I think it has a whole lot of advantages. And it's certainly worked for me because I started playing regularly about eight or nine years ago and I have never needed to have any medication for my blood pressure. In fact, my blood pressure now is lower and more healthy than it was before I started playing. I really just got rather lazy. I used to take exercise and play, I used to play squash and other games when I was younger but then I got lazy. My knees got a bit creaky and I stopped playing anything until I took up tennis. And I think, really, it's transformed my life. I'm so much fitter than I was eight years ago. I feel healthier for it. I've made a lot of new friends who I have a lot of fun with. And I think it has tremendous benefits.

Interviewer: Great! How old were you, may I ask, when you started playing tennis?

Phil: I think I was in my early sixties. I was between about, I was probably about 63, between 60 and 65. And I'm now 72. And, erm, I have, my tennis in that time has improved a lot. I have a friend who is a retired tennis professional who I play with quite a lot, and he's given me quite a few tips on how to improve my tennis. And now I even occasionally get invited to play by some of the better players in the tennis club, which I think is rather good. It improves my morale as well as my fitness.

Interviewer: Ah, that's great! Thank you very much. 

Phil: You're very welcome.