93-year-old reveals the longevity tips he uses to stay fit
At 93, John Starbrook is more active than most young adults.
Starbrook plays water polo competitively and goes to the gym twice a day.
He also does other things that are thought to promote longevity, such as: B. Eating whole foods and spending time with loved ones.
At 93, John Starbrook competes in water polo games, goes to the gym up to twice a day and only stopped running marathons five years ago.
He likes to start his day with a spin class and maybe go back to the gym around 4 or 5 p.m. to work out his upper body, the retired father of three from the United Kingdom tells The Guardian. Aside from “a touch” of arthritis in one knee and an irregular heartbeat, Starbrook says he is in perfect health. “A lot of people seem to think they’re old at 50. When I hear that, I don’t know what they’re talking about,” he told the newspaper.
As average life expectancy increases and an aging population becomes a global reality, interest in staying healthy longer is growing. McKinsey estimates that more than $450 million was spent on wellness products and services such as fitness classes and wearable technology in 2022. And that number is expected to increase by five percent annually.
However, experts agree that a person’s life expectancy depends on both their lifestyle habits and their genes. A recent study found that people predisposed to diseases that could shorten their lifespan were 21 percent more likely to die earlier than people predisposed to longer lives, even if they maintained a healthy lifestyle . However, a healthy lifestyle appeared to offset the effects of genes associated with shorter life expectancy by 62 percent.
Here is Starbrook’s daily routine, which he shared with The Guardian.
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Mediterranean style diet
What a person eats can have a major impact on their health and longevity. Starbrook eats oatmeal for breakfast, lots of fruits and vegetables, and rarely eats fried foods. He also never smoked or drank a lot of alcohol.
His diet, rich in whole grains and fiber, is similar to the Mediterranean diet, which has been ranked the healthiest diet by US News & World Report for seven years in a row. The diet plan is rich in whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and healthy fats. He avoids red meat, fried foods, refined sugar and highly processed foods.
There is evidence that this diet can add years to a person’s life. A research tool created by researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway in 2022 based on existing data found that eating more plants and less processed foods can increase life expectancy by a decade compared to a standard American diet full of added sugars, refined grains and processed meats.
This diet also shares many similarities with the diet of people living in the Blue Zones, regions where residents live significantly longer than the average life expectancy of their country. They typically eat lots of beans and vegetables and mostly plant-based foods.
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Exercise daily
BI has previously reported that most centenarians remain physically active in some form, whether through light stretching or daily walks. But Starbrook seems to be in a league of its own in this regard. In addition to his gym sessions and water polo, he swims three times a week.
Born in London in the 1930s, Starbrook said he became fit through his first job, which he took at age 15, bringing milk from a horse-drawn cart to people’s homes. He also swam as a youth and took part in the national butterfly swimming championships.
He was later drafted into the army, helped build power plants, worked in various shops and delivered eggs to companies. But he didn’t really get going until the age of 53, when he started running marathons. As of 2019, he has completed 52 marathons with a personal best of four hours and 14 minutes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise and muscle-strengthening activities per week. According to the ministry, this has benefits ranging from a lower risk of cancer to better mood and sleep to a lower risk of injury from falls.
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Spending time with people
Starbrook has a lot of social interaction in his life. He has been married to his wife Judy for 62 years, ran the London Marathon with his granddaughter and is called “The Legend” by members of his local sports center.
Research shows that social connections are an important part of a long, healthy life. Researchers who analyzed the lifestyle data of 110,799 people between the ages of 40 and 75 in 2023 found that people who valued rest, exercise and socializing with friends as well as a healthy diet were 29 percent lower had a risk of dying from any cause and a 28 percent lower risk of dying from cancer than those who did not.
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