Rod Stewarts personal trainer wades into Tom Jones unusual exercise
Sir Tom Jones, 82, previously revealed the peculiar exercise he uses to keep his two hip replacements in check while performing around the world. Sir Rod Stewart’s own personal trainer, who has worked with the star for over two decades, has now weighed in on how useful “inversion therapy” could be.
Gary, 63, has been the trainer keeping rockstar Sir Rod in tip-top shape for the past 20 years and has twice as much experience in the field as a whole.
Although the self-appointed “gray man” is rarely heard from, he spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk in January ahead of tackling the grueling SAS Fan Dance challenge to raise funds for Myeloma UK.
During the conversation, Gary addressed Sir Tom’s exercise routine while the singer prepared for his second hip replacement.
The Delilah singer has reportedly been told by medical professionals to slow down in his professional career after six decades performing.
However, the star, who has previously likened performing to sex, isn’t showing any signs of following that advice but rather looks to keep his health in check so he is able to continue with live shows.
Late last year, Sir Tom revealed he doesn’t take painkillers but relied largely on inversion therapy before his second hip replacement.
Talking to the Daily Mail in September, the Sexbomb singer joked that he had “tried singing upside down” due to the therapy’s pain-relieving effects “but all the audiences are on the top of their heads”.
Gary explained that inversion therapy uses inversion tables, which flips a person upside down and hangs them by their feet.
He shared: “You do it to help relieve back pain because you put yourself into traction hanging upside down.”
When asked about the potential of the star’s unusual exercise, Gary cautioned: “If that was a typical someone in their eighties and you told them: ‘Yeah hang upside down, it’ll be great…’
“Perhaps that wouldn’t be so good.”
Gary highlighted that this routine is likely “something (Sir Tom) has always done”, and because of that his body is more “acclimated to that kind of thing”.
He added that it’s “certainly beneficial” for the singer to relieve back pain, but would not be recommending it to Sir Rod any time soon.
Gary spoke to Express.co.uk shortly before traveling to Wales to embark on the SAS Fan Dance Challenge; a timed hiking route on Pennyfan Mountain which is usually used as a SAS selection challenge.
The trainer noted the challenge had always been on his to-do list, and when his sister was rediagnosed with cancer he decided to jump at the chance to raise funds.
He explained: “My sister is suffering from myeloma so I thought right I’m going to do this and I’m going to use it as a vehicle to raise money for Myeloma UK.
“I made the decision to do it and thought: it’s going to be very arduous and it’s kind of fitting for the suffering that she’s gone through and is still going through with an incurable cancer.
“It’s also quite an unknown cancer and often gets confused with melanoma, which is a skin cancer but myeloma is a blood cancer in a similar vein to leukaemia.
“It doesn’t get a lot of attention so I thought this would be a great way to raise its profile.
“The funding that I’ve raised for it goes towards research which hopefully one day will find a cure.”
Gary’s sister, Jan Jenner, was diagnosed with smouldering myeloma in 2012, an early form of incurable cancer which usually progresses to active cancer at a slow rate.
Shortly after her diagnosis, Jan received chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, both of which were successful, putting the mum-of-two in remission.
However, after nearly a decade in remission, Jan received news earlier this year that her cancer had returned and she was to undergo a second stem cell transplant.
In late January, Gary and his friend Lee Arrowsmith set off on the Fan Dance route, tackling snow and freezing temperatures and completing the challenge in six hours and 27 minutes.
Gary has raised well over £3,000 for Myeloma UK through the challenge and his Just Giving page is still active here.
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