Im one of those people who played some form of sport, mainly soccer (or football, depending on where you live) and squash, from the age of five to 52. However, over the last 12 years, due to my right knee giving out, Ive had to find alternative ways to maintain my fitness. Ive tried a variety of therapies for bone-on-bone osteoarthritis including stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, and numerous pharmaceutical and natural therapies. Ive also had multiple injections directly into the joint.

Although many of the above therapies have given me significant relief, over the last three months the pain in my right knee has been unbearable to the point where my quality of life was being affected substantially. At the end of last month, I had a total knee replacement.

The knee still remains quite painful, but the pain is going away by the minute and Im able to be quite mobile on crutches and with physiotherapy. Its important with any joint replacement to do as much prehab and rehab as possible without going overboard. Pain is the bodys way of saying youve had enough.

The reason Im writing this article is that Im well aware that many people in my age group have worn out one or a number of their joints. Orthopaedic surgeons often say you will know when you need your joint replaced and thats when theyre happy to do the procedure. I certainly knew it was time, being unable to walk downstairs without significant discomfort. Not to mention, the thought of walking up three flights of stairs was untenable. It hurt when I rolled over in bed.

From my experience, people shouldnt be playing soccer into their 50s, let alone their 60s. Around 12 years ago I had to resuscitate a 61-year-old man who suffered a cardiac arrest 20 minutes into a soccer match. My knee finally caved in one month after this incident and both examples made me seriously consider my choice of sport. But I loved soccer and squash, including the mateship and the enormous stress relief of purely playing a game with your mates and I still miss both of those activities to this day. However, I now believe that people should stop playing competitive sport after the age of 35. Instead, opt for alternative exercises like light walking or strength-building moves.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesnt take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means its not personalised health advice and shouldnt be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.

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Are competitive sports doing you more harm than good? - Starts at 60