Sir Cliff Richard has revealed the key to keeping fit and healthy boils down to just three simple lifestyle rules. The singer, 85, shared how he maintains his health and fitness in his later years.
Despite the hard work he puts in to keep up his seemingly ageless appearance, Cliff admitted to being surprised by his own longevity. He once said: “I never thought I’d get to be 50 years old, let alone have a 62-year career.” Cliff isn’t bothered by ageing, but he wants to be “lucky enough” to keep up his good health.
Just this week, Cliff decided to open up on his prostate cancer diagnosis. He shared his diagnosis and said his cancer had “gone at the moment” following treatment.
The Devil Woman hitmaker has said his ongoing physical activity has helped him over the years. “I always say to people, you know, just keep moving,” he previously said.
“If you can run, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. Just keep everything moving and I think that’s helped me a great deal.”
He added: “Some people just don’t age well, but you can still age and be happy. I don’t even know what I look like now, but you don’t have to look 20 to have fun.
“You can still have fun within your age group within your standard of tennis playing, or whatever sport you choose to do. That’s what I do. I still keep active.”
Cliff credits exercise and a health diet to his fitness. “The thing is to try and keep healthy and sometimes that means giving up food that you shouldn’t eat and want to,” he said.
Cliff plays tennis twice a week as well as going to the gym. Following the death of his mum Dorothy Webb aged 87 after a dementia diagnosis, Cliff became determined to live to 100.
He once shared: “I’ve just been reading a book I bought, hundreds of ways of getting to 100. It mentions apples and celery juice and things like that.”
The National Institute on Aging notes various factors that contribute to ‘healthy ageing’, including genetics, exercise, diet, and mental health care.
Speaking on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show, he said: “I only eat what I’m supposed to eat. I have to give up certain things that I loved before, but there are so many vegetables and different things I can eat that I do.”
Cliff told Boom Radio that he follows a Blood Type diet, which is an eating plan depending on what blood type you are. Due to the diet, he has given up things he loved such as red meat, crustaceans, mangoes, papayas, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, and aubergine.
The singer, who is blood type A, explained: “There are 10 things [I can’t have]. I can’t have dairy or wheat. No red meat. No crustaceans. No mangoes, papayas or bananas. No potatoes, tomatoes. No aubergine.
“And you know, when you look at a list of foods that exist, giving up 10 of them is not that difficult. Tomatoes are probably the thing I miss most because some of the great curries I made with tomato puree. Some of the great pastas have tomatoes in them, but there’s so many different ways of having pasta.”
Cliff confessed he does have a treat “now and then”. “But if I’m gonna have a treat, it’ll be a steak about four times a year, that’s all. But I look forward to the day. You have to plan your sin,” he said.
