72-year-old's top tips for staying healthy

With many of us making new year resolutions to be healthier, 72-year-old Kevin Fulthorpe has words of advice for people of all ages on how to get fit, keep fit and stay fit. Abbie Wightwick reports

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AT 72, Kevin Fulthorpe trains more than 10 times a week and is fitter than many people more than half his age.

The fitness instructor from Cardiff regrets that arthritis in his knees meant he has recently had to stop running, but has swapped that for other forms of training.

With many of us thinking of post-Christmas health kicks and new year resolutions, Kevin has words of advice for people of all ages on how to get fit, keep fit and stay fit.

"You are never too old to exercise," advises fitness instructor Kevin, who has worked with famous names from boxing legend Frank Bruno to former Wales international footballer Robert Earnshaw.

He says he was inspired to get into fitness by one of Wales' rugby greats who taught him more than half a century ago at school in Cardiff

"We had a good PE teacher at Mostyn High School - Gareth Edwards - he was a student teacher at Uwic [the then University of Wales Institute, Cardiff]1967-1968 when I was about 14. He's the one who started my fitness journey."

Over the decades Kevin has survived a deep vein thrombosis caused by a long-haul flight and bounced back after getting his marching orders on age grounds from the Army a decade ago.

Leaving school, Kevin started working as an apprentice heating engineer but also played rugby for Ely and Glamorgan Wanderers Youth and Caerau Ely, and later trained as a fitness instructor.

An amateur boxer, Kevin took up running relatively late in his 30s, never imagining he'd still be running decades later.

He completed a half marathon in one hour and 27 minutes in 1980 and, two years ago, aged 70, completed a triathlon in Cardiff, taking second place in his age group.