Gary Player, a Golf Hall of Famer, is not only one of the most inspirational golfers of all time, but also a global fitness icon who exemplifies the anti-aging effects of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. At 86 years old, the nine-time major champion continues to prioritize his physical condition and is eager to share his wisdom. Player's approach to health encompasses exercise, diet, mental well-being, and a positive outlook on life.
A Lifelong Commitment to Fitness
Player's dedication to fitness began at a young age. When he was nine, his brother, who was eight years older, gave him a set of weights and made Player promise to look after his body and ‘treat it like a holy temple’ for the rest of his life. This promise sparked a lifelong commitment to exercise.
“Looking back on the attitudes of golfers toward exercise, I am very proud to be the first to have helped changed their mindset,” Player said in an ESPN interview four years ago. He was known to be serious about exercise, and he still is. His routine involves 1,000 sit ups and push ups every morning. He does lunges and squats, works with weights, and runs, swims, and does stairs. Player shared that he is in the gym 90 minutes a day, pushing 300 pounds with his legs, running on the treadmill, doing 200 sit-ups, and exercising his fingers to combat arthritis.
The 60/40 Rule: Diet and Exercise
Player emphasizes the importance of both diet and exercise for overall health. He follows a 60/40 rule, where healthy living is 60 percent what you eat, and 40 percent how you exercise. “I now put eating at 60 percent because as you get older, you put on weight, and weight stops a train,” Player said.
He believes that diet plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing age-related health issues. He told the bystander at the Greats of Golf event. “Well, if you want to live a long time, you got to stay thin,” Player said. “You won’t live a long time if you get fat, I’ll tell you.”
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Dietary Principles: Portion Control and Avoiding "Poison"
Player advocates for portion control, stating that “the smaller the portion, the better.” He eats just two meals a day, breakfast and lunch, and says the secret to longevity and health is to undereat.
He avoids certain foods, considering them "poison." He doesn’t like to eat bread, bacon, high-fat foods or too much meat, and he doesn’t drink milk. He considers bacon and white bread poison. Sugar is a killer, but I love chocolate - do not judge me, please. He aims for a mostly vegetarian diet heavy in fruits and vegetables, and aims for portions about half the size he used to eat.
The Importance of Mental Well-being
Player emphasizes that laughing is just as important as working out and eating healthy. It improves your mental well-being and has legitimate scientific benefits, too.
Four Keys to a Long and Healthy Life
Player shared his four rules to live a long, happy and healthy life.
- Eat half as much
- Exercise every day
- Laugh
- Have unmeasured love in your heart. The fourth and most important key to living a long time is being loving toward yourself and others.
Visualization and Mindset
Gary says he often found his winning mindset through prayer and gratitude practices. Even today, at the age of 85, he never misses one single day where he doesn’t say a prayer at least 5 times a day,” Gary says. “I say thank you when I have breakfast. A lot of people don’t have breakfast. Gratitude is a terribly important thing.
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Adapting to Age
As he has aged, Player has adapted his routine while maintaining his commitment to fitness. He still pushes 350 pounds with his legs and runs on the treadmill at 'max'. He says his body is really 50 years of age.
The Anti-Aging Effects of Exercise
Player stands as one of the most high-profile examples of the anti-aging effects of exercise. Even in his late 70s, Player displays a golf swing that has barely changed; he can still get the club up high on his backswing, rotate his hips, transfer the weight to his left side and really hit the ball.
A Pioneer in Fitness and Philanthropy
Player's influence extends beyond golf. He is a pioneer in the globalization of sports and in the development of spinoff commercial opportunities for top athletes. He has also used his fame and wealth to do good works.
He is doing his part to protect the environment, planting trees on golf courses to fight pollution, and save water, advocating for the use of wastewater water on golf courses where it is filtered by sand and naturally cleaned. He’s passionate about education, very astute on the political front and believes that our leaders need to do more to unify our countries instead of dividing them.
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