Men at forties: Viagra, weights and nyama choma just don’t mix

                                                      Photo: Courtesy

I read this post by my friend Tony Mochama, who interestingly believes that I should add the letter ‘e’  to my name to make it complete. He says my parents got my name wrong!

The post read: “My best friend’s 30-year-old partner passed away last Saturday morning after an epic gym session (that had been preceded by a long, dawn marathon run in preparation for the First Lady’s Beyond Zero marathon on March 8, 2015. Now she is beyond infinity, and we are left diminished. But all you morning gym rats, exercise with some moderation... never mind the determination of the New Year’s resolution to lose those bundles of jogging fats.”

Tony is a poet, which is why I forgive him in case he comes across as poking fun at a grave matter. Still, I can’t agree more with him.

Research has found out that those engaged in marathon are more prone to heart attack. It must also never escape us that at a certain age, it becomes difficult for one to push their bodies in the same manner they used to do in their younger days.

Many who knew me as a serious bodybuilder back in the day, get surprised at my physique today. ‘What is wrong?’ is the question they inevitably ask. You see, I am much slimmer now. I understand their concern, given that I used to weigh 120 kilos in my peak years. Those were the days when I would down six meals in a day and hit the gym every morning at 6.30am.

Things however started changing as I approached ‘Bamba Forty.’ I knew I had to slow down, especially after my doctor told me I would have to undergo heap replacement if I didn’t go slowly on my gym activities. There was this sharp pain around my heap that had just refused to ease off.

My drinking too had to change as well, and I no longer gobbled copious amounts of liquor like I used to, given I could not burn all that calories at my age.

As a young man, I ate a lot of meat and carbs. I hardly touch these now since age is fast catching up with me. It’s tempting yes, but you have to control yourself.

I have read of men dying because of an overdose of Viagra. Those versed with matters pharmaceutical will tell you that the erectile function of the Viagra drug was in fact discovered by mistake as the drug was actually intended for blood pressure related ailments. So, with my background in pharmacy, it disturbs me when I hear of young men using Viagra in an attempt to please their young girlfriends.

You wonder how much of the drug they will need when they hit ‘Bamba Forty.’ It’s even worse for old men who overdose just to be seen as a simba by young women. In the process, many die of heart-related problems because they failed to do things with moderation.

They forget that the days of going out for a whole night are now behind them. I would advise these old men to be thankful for those few minutes they manage.

As my Swahili friends put it, if your great grandfathers could not exhaust fun, whom do you think you are to try and fit all the fun in your life?

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that exercising is bad. Just do it with moderation, or else you will be the fittest person in the cemetery.