We all know Clint Eastwood as a famous American film actor, director, producer, and composer. But did you know that he has recently turned 93 and is still living an active life? What is his secret to longevity?ย
What Keeps Clint Eastwood Staying Healthy?
The trick to a healthy life was revealed by Clint Eastwood, to โlay back and enjoyโ growing older. At the same time, it’s important to have a healthy diet, time outside, and keep your mind sharp.
Richard Schickel’s Clint Eastwood: The Biography notes that while Eastwood’s grandfather lived a long life, his father had a fatal heart attack in 1970 at 63 years of age. Eastwood himself was a grown man by then and well into his own fitness routine.
While he has denied that his father’s passing affected his personal fitness habits, he has noted that the event “hit me like a ton of bricks” and that he disliked the way Clint Sr. had lived an unhealthy lifestyle. Seeing as Eastwood has been known to monitor his cholesterol levels, one might be forgiven for thinking that he’s been rather determined to avoid his father’s unfortunate outcome.
โClint still golfsโฆ. he likes to take long walks,โ and โHe looks forward to a good meal, reading, getting scripts, golf. Heโs very comfortable with his daily routine.โ Over the years, Clint has kept a strict schedule of intense workouts until he was older, when it became too harsh on his body. This has helped him keep a low percentage of body fat.
Clint Eastwood is committed to a healthy lifestyle
Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott Eastwood, revealed that his father has had a great impact on how he lives himself due to his father’s wisdom about living a healthy lifestyle.
โMy dad is a machine about food and exercise. He showed me how to lift when I was 14 or 15, the bench press, and other basics. He made it clear it was more important to do the moves correctly than to put on more plates,โ he shared.
Scott explained that his life is a 90/10 balance, thanks to his father. 90% is healthy eating, while 10% is exercise. Clint Eastwood has always pushed his son to earn everything that comes his way. And as we know now, he also encouraged him to live a healthy lifestyle, from eating habits to physical exercise.
Perhaps as a result of his father’s lessons, Scott Eastwood himself has developed a growing interest in training and yoga. When it comes to dietary preferences, he naturally has a similar approach as his father, he said. “Healthy, good proteins like salmon, chicken, followed by lots of veggies, broccoli, asparagus, lots of greens.”
A long life starts with what you eat
In a 1991 article by Muscle & Fitness (via Physical Culture Study), Eastwood opened up about his habit of eating mostly healthy food. Apart from maintaining a rigorous workout schedule for the vast majority of his life, he also eats extremely well, and his body fat is low. “I’ve never carried much body fat, but I’ve always been pretty good about watching my diet,” Eastwood noted.
His doctor, Dr. Harry Demopoulos, agrees, saying, “He never eats fat, he takes his antioxidants faithfully, works out like a demon, and gets plenty of sleep, which is an area that is often neglected in a fitness program.”
Eastwood’s diet mostly relies on fish, fruits and veggies, pasta, and various supplements. On the other hand, he stays away from red meat and dairy. He has kept this up well into his advanced age, and in 2015, Health Fitness Revolution reported on his dietary views and some simple advice he had to share…
“Stay away from carbohydrates, especially rich desserts,” Eastwood said. “Keep a scale in your bathroom. Get proper rest. Try to be optimistic. Eat fruits and raw vegetables. Take vitamins. Skip beverages loaded with sugars. Avoid alcohol in excess.”
What could motivate Clint Eastwood to keep up with such a healthy lifestyle for decades on end?
Per Muscle & Fitness (via Physical Culture Study), Eastwood was reportedly interested in fitness and health from a fairly young age. It’s clearly just an honest interest in healthy living on his part, and, as previously mentioned, the possible link to his father.
Take advice from Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood’s longevity is admirable. He is clearly living a long and healthy life by being disciplined about what he eats and by exercising regularly.
While this may appear challenging for many, the results speak for themselves. So, before making any drastic lifestyle changes regarding diet and exercise, please speak to your trusted healthcare provider.
