Ever wondered how your favorite celebrities have sailed into their 50s and beyond, seemingly without aging a day? Well, look no further than the magic of exercise. A steady fitness routine not only helps build your strength, fight off disease and make your clothes fit a lot better – it also seems to shave years off your age – regardless of how many birthdays you’ve actually celebrated!
Of course, there’s no way you can ever change your chronological age, but exercise can certainly improve your health to the point where you look and feel younger than you are.
But how exactly did the celebs do it? We found out – here’s the health secrets of the fit and 50+.
George Clooney
George Clooney stays young and fit at 52 by keeping variety in his fitness routine. He runs daily, performs pull-ups, completes ‘butt-busting’ circuits, and loves bikram yoga. He also plays basketball regularly with other Hollywood actors, including Toby McGuire, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as citing jazz-ercise and dance as his secrets to staying in shape.
Pierce Brosnan
The Irish actor, 61, who played 007 agent James Bond for seven years, is in great shape and was recently spotted performing a series of free exercises on the beach during his vacation in Hawaii. When at home, Pierce maintains his physique with a series of push ups and suitcase crunches during grueling early morning fitness sessions.
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant, 54, works out with a Swedish model (and does Pilates) to keep him looking young. He also runs daily and has previously cited kickboxing and swimming as his favorite ways to stay fit.
Denzel Washington
Denzel, 60, works out with trainer Terry Claybon 5 days a week, using a boxing workout to burn body fat and maintain lean muscle mass. In addition to these rigorous cardio workouts, the actor also hits the weights regularly and runs 5 days a week.
Harrison Ford
At 66, Harrison Ford is still a hugely convincing action hero. When preparing for his role in Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Harrison was put through six weeks of circuit training designed to drastically increase his muscle bulk – involving push-ups, pull-ups, squats with overhead presses and crunches with a medicine ball.
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel, 66, recently switched to a vegan diet and began working out daily, rapidly losing 40 pounds. He joins a long list of celebrity vegans, including former U.S. president Bill Clinton, TV personality Al Sharpton, and actors Michelle Pfeiffer and Jared Leto, who have all credited the plant-based diet for giving them more energy, helping them lose weight and stay youthful-looking.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks, 58, was inspired to try cutting out all sugar after seeing how great fellow actor Alec Baldwin looked after going on a similar diet. Since he has cut sweet snacks out of his diet, Hanks has reported looking better and feeling much healthier.
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis, 60, works out with celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, who is a proponent of peripheral heart training. The Die Hard star works with Peterson to alternate upper and lower body exercises so his heart is forced to shunt blood around – this keeps muscle groups balanced, creates stronger movements and burns body fat. Other benefits of peripheral heart training include improved circulation, better skin tone, stronger bone density and more energy.
No matter what your fitness style, you can keep track of your fitness goals with QardioArm, QardioBase and QardioCore.
