Watching Sir Paul McCartney perform or speak in interviews, it’s sometimes hard to believe the man is already 82. The Beatles legend continues to dazzle audiences with a presence that feels utterly timeless, epitomising this with a critically celebrated headline act at Glastonbury in 2022.
McCartney has been strutting his stuff on stage for an incredible near seven-decade span, and his latest ‘Got Back’ tour has seen him captivating fans in various countries through 2022 and into 2023. Each show impressively spans nearly three hours, showcasing the rock icon’s enviable stamina — he’s not only a world-famous musician but also a doting father of five.
The million-dollar question remains: how does McCartney maintain such dynamism?
Throughout the years, Sir Paul has let slip several secrets behind his youthful vigour. When it comes to diet, McCartney’s well-known decision in the ’70s to embrace vegetarianism alongside his beloved late wife Linda was life-changing. Linda’s own line of vegetarian food products, introduced in 1991, still enjoys tremendous success today.
In discussing their shared lifestyle change, McCartney expressed in the 2021 release, “Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen”: “Now of course, it’s really not difficult at all. You just go down the shops and most places will have great veggie options.”
He reminisced about the decision: “It was a joint decision and we never looked back. It was a great thing to do, and it turned out we became part of a vegetarian revolution.”
Years of research have consistently underscored the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. For instance, a study published in the British Medical Journal back in 2019 highlighted that vegetarians enjoy a 22 percent reduced risk of heart disease compared to those who consume meat.
Further strengthening these dietary findings, research introduced at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in 2015 revealed a stark correlation between daily consumption of red or processed meat and a 40 percent increased risk of bowel cancer – even “moderate amount” eaters faced a 20 percent heightened risk.
While traditional healthy lifestyles vogue around diet and exercise, Sir Paul McCartney divulges an unconventional approach he attributes to maintaining his vision – eye yoga. As recounted to The Press and Journal during the Table Manners podcast in 2021, McCartney entrenched himself in eye yoga after traversing India, claiming his eyesight has sustained without glasses since.
Resembling conventional yoga with a variety of exercises, eye yoga includes techniques like ‘palming’, where you gently rest your warm palms on closed eyelids for about ten seconds, as guided by experts at Lenstore. Another method called ‘zooming’ involves cycling focus between a distant object and a nearer one, bolstering ocular flexibility.
Sir Paul McCartney’s lifelong passion for music might be more than just a career choice; it could be benefiting his health. Music is often recommended as a therapeutic tool for individuals with dementia, and Dementia UK highlights its potential to enhance cognition, mood, and behaviour in those affected by the condition.
A 2021 meta-analysis even suggested that musicians could have a 59% lower risk of developing dementia, though researchers called for more extensive studies to confirm this finding.
In addition to his musical activities, McCartney is also dedicated to maintaining his physical fitness. On the 2020 episode of the ‘SmartLess’ podcast, he detailed his exercise regimen, which includes foam rolling, stretching, cross trainer workouts, and occasional runs.
“I have a very definite routine,” McCartney revealed. Notably, he caps off his workout with a headstand, a move that challenges both core strength and balance, and is described as his “favourite part” of the routine.