Sue Barker, 70, keeps fit with cardio, strength training and NEAT exercise – her lifelong fitness formula

Sue Barker may have stepped away from professional tennis in 1985 at the age of 29, but she’s continued to prioritise fitness and movement.

‘During the winter, I try to exercise at least three times a week at the gym, and in the summer I like to get outdoors. I love jogging, cycling and walking my dogs,’ the 1976 French Open champion and former world No. 3 told Express.

She shares her varied routine – which includes cardio, strength training and plenty of everyday movement (also known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT) – with her husband.

‘As a rule, Lance and I do a lot of exercise – we have two dogs to walk [twice a day], we cycle a lot and have a personal trainer we see a couple of times a week,’ the former long-time Wimbledon presenter told Sheerluxe.

‘So, I do keep fit. Lance plays golf and I’m thinking of taking it up, but I’ve been saying that for quite a few years…’

Despite retiring from both tennis and broadcasting, she remains drawn back to the court.

‘Going back to Wimbledon [in 2023] reignited my love for the game, so I’m going to play there on the grass,’ she added.

Movement plays a central role in her approach to healthy ageing and maintaining her independence.

‘It’s vitally important to me that, even later in life, I stay fit and focused,’ she told Express. ‘For me, it’s a question of self-preservation. While I can’t fight time, I can help myself stay fit and focused through good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.’

She also remains keen to embrace new experiences and make the most of the years ahead.

‘I can’t wait to see where my life is going to go from now on. Age is but a number,’ she told Riverstone Living. ‘I want to go out and do all sorts of things – I want to travel, I want to keep living life to the absolute full.’

Her love of staying active started at home.

‘My father was very sporty and played a lot of tennis,’ she told Sheerluxe. ‘He was also a very good golfer and, as a family, we did a lot of active things together like rowing and swimming. My siblings did all sorts of sports too and I learned to play tennis mainly with my sister.’

Playing tennis in an era before modern recovery methods and training techniques helped forge her into a resilient athlete.

‘We didn’t have the facilities and the training and the technique that goes with it now – the stretching, the ice baths,’ the former champion recalled.

‘We wore Green Flash tennis shoes that didn’t have any sponge in them at all, and we were using wooden rackets. Every part of your body ached.’

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