The one lesson I’ve learned from life: Belinda Carlisle says don’t run – you’ll pay the price later

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The one lesson I’ve learned from life: Belinda Carlisle says don’t run — you’ll pay the price later

  • Belinda Carlisle who lives in Thailand, found fame as lead singer of The Go-Go’s
  • The 62-year-old admits she took her health for granted when she was younger
  • She now has a torn meniscus in one knee, and the other knee is pretty fragile

By Julie Ann Trainor For Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

Singer Belinda Carlisle, 62, rose to fame as lead singer of The Go-Go’s and is best known for her solo 1980s hit Heaven Is A Place On Earth. She lives in Thailand with her film producer husband Morgan Mason, 65. They’ve been married for almost 35 years and have one son together, James Duke Mason, 28.

My mum always told me two things — to stay out of the sun, and not to run because it would damage my knees. I thought she was just being annoying, but I really should have listened to her because I’m now suffering the consequences of the latter.

I took my health for granted when I was younger, and it’s only when I got older and saw my relatives start to die that I felt differently towards mortality. I’m now 62 and I’ve had friends get sick or pass away from cancer. It’s made me realise just how precious life is.

Belinda Carlisle, 62, (pictured) who lives in Thailand, says she took her health for granted when she was younger and now requires treatment on her knees

I used to run all the time and I loved it. I completed a half-marathon, and would do 5ks and 10ks for years. But I now have a torn meniscus in one knee due to wear and tear, and the other knee is pretty fragile. The rush you get from marathons is amazing but they are so bad for you.

I started having stem-cell therapy and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment [which involves injections of a concentration of a patient’s own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints] five years ago. My body responds well to it. If I really need to have knee-replacement surgery then I’ll do it, but I feel the longer I leave it, the better technology gets.

I’ve been living in Thailand for the last five years, and prior to that I resided in the South of France for a quarter of a century. On the beach I always wear a burkini (it’s like a wetsuit that covers my arms and legs), a hat and plenty of sunscreen — I look much better without a tan anyway. So at least I heeded my mother’s advice on that front.

The Go-Go’s documentary is out now via digital download and is available on DVD from February 26. The band’s God Bless The Go-Go’s album will be reissued in May with two bonus tracks.