Meet Charles Eugster, 93 year-old bodybuilder


While many studies have shown physical exercise plays a central role in staying healthy in older age, that doesn’t mean staying fit is easy, especially for seniors in their 70s and 80s. With muscle pain and aches, getting exercise can be difficult.

But if you’re looking for inspiration, search no further than 93 year-old Dr. Charles Eugster.

Eugster, a retired dentist from Zurich, Switzerland, began bodybuilding six years ago, at the age of 87, according to a recent report from BBC News. It wasn’t health or energy concerns which prompted Eugster to begin his strict exercise regimen, however: it was the women.

“The idea is to turn the heads of the sexy young 70-year-old girls on the beach,” he was quoted as saying.

Today, Eugster exercises about two hours at a time, three or four times per week.  His routine may include rowing, weight lifting, or use of other fitness machines, and when he recently competed at a championship, he accomplished 50 push-ups, 48 stomach crunches, and 61 chin-ups, in only 45 seconds each.

While Dr. Eugster is impressive, are his exercises advisable for other seniors in their 80s and 90s? The BBC quoted Steve Iliffe of University College London, who suggested that seniors interested in rigorous exercise should take things slowly, and one step at a time.