- 93-year-old masters athlete Richard Morgan has the heart health and fitness of someone decades younger.
- A new case study analyzed his routine — he lifts weights and does low-intensity cardio regularly.
- He also eats a high-protein diet, which may help preserve muscle mass while keeping body fat low.
A man in his 90s is as fit as someone decades younger, in part because of a simple but powerful routine of exercise and good nutrition, suggests a new case study published in December 2023 in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Richard Morgan, a 93-year-old man from Ireland, retired from his former job as a baker and chemical operator and now exercises mostly in his backyard shed for about 40 minutes a day, according to the Washington Post.
He was 92 during the study and a four-time world champion in indoor rowing (a sport that involves both cardio and strength at the same time). Researchers found that measures of his heart health, muscle mass, and overall fitness were more comparable to a healthy 30- or 40-year-old than a nonagenarian.
While Morgan may have some genetic advantages, at least some of his good health is linked to the routine he started two decades ago at age 73, according to the researchers.
His habits like regular strength training, low-intensity cardio, and good nutrition are all science-backed ways to extend your lifespan and stay fit for years to come, the evidence suggests. Here are the six factors found in the case study that may have helped him to be fit and healthy in his 90s.
1. Do most of your cardio at low intensity
For the case study, the researchers analyzed Morgan’s training, which includes about 30 kilometers (a little more than 18 miles) each week on the rowing machine.
They found that about 70% of his workouts were at a light intensity level. That’s almost perfectly aligned with what doctors and exercise scientists recommend for cardio training to improve longevity, endurance, and all-around performance.
Low-intensity steady-state cardio is often defined as a pace at which you can still comfortably hold a conversation while working out without getting out of breath. It also falls around Zone 2 in terms of heart rate, or between 60-70% of your maximum beats per minute.
Zone 2 cardio is ideal for performance and health because it helps your cells adapt to a higher output, essentially like building a bigger gas tank for your body, sports physician Dr. Morgan Busko previously told Business Insider.
2. Occasionally include bursts of max effort
The rest of Morgan’s aerobic training, according to the case study, is about 20% moderate intensity and about 10% high intensity, such as an all-out sprint pace. The latter is important because researchers found Morgan had a remarkable ability to use oxygen effectively (and ramp up his during exercise, an important marker of overall cardio-respiratory health.
Evidence suggests shorter, intense periods of exercise, at a pace you can’t sustain for long, are ideal for building this kind of fitness.
3. Lift weights to live longer
The researchers found Morgan supplemented his rowing with two days a week of strength training with weights, performing three sets of lunges, rows, and curls with dumbbells.
Again, extensive evidence suggests he has the right idea. Recent studies have found weight training can help stave off chronic disease and prevent early death. It doesn’t take hours in the gym to benefit from lifting weights, since research suggests 30 to 60 minutes a week of strength training is plenty.
Another crucial factor in Morgan’s weight training is that researchers noted he took each set of exercise close to failure, which is key to challenging the muscles over time to prompt them to grow bigger and stronger. The key word is “close” — lifting to total failure or maxing out every lift can increase your risk of injury, with little benefit for overall health, a physical therapist previously told Business INsider.
4. Get enough protein
The case study researchers that in addition to exercising regularly, Morgan also had a high-protein diet, eating about a gram of protein per pound of his body weight each day.
Getting enough protein may have helped him maintain a strikingly high amount of muscle mass (about 104 pounds of muscle, most of his 165 pound total weight), along with a low body fat (15%, on par for a fit younger man).
Protein is a key nutrition for building muscle, and maintaining it, as well as controlling appetite, and current guidelines suggest the ideal amount is about 0.7 grams per pound of body weight. As we age, however, muscle mass becomes harder to hold onto, and some evidence suggests eating more protein may help with healthy aging.
5. It’s never too late to start exercising
Besides his exceptional fitness, one of the most distinct parts of Morgan’s case study is that he began his exercise routine relatively late in life, starting to row as a hobby at age 73.
Prior to his 70s, the researchers wrote that Morgan didn’t consistently exercise.
Evidence shows that even people who start training in their 80s and 90s can still benefit from exercise and gain muscle mass and strength, which can have a big payoff for health and quality of life, too.
6. Consistency is key to long-term results
One reason Morgan may have been so successful in seeing health and fitness improvements is that he was extremely consistent with his routine, the researchers noted.
Physical changes related to diet and exercise take time, whether that’s building muscle, burning fat, or improving your health. That’s why experts generally don’t recommend crash diets or fad workouts. No matter how optimal a diet or workout routine is, you won’t benefit if you stop doing it, so the best longevity plan is something you can stick to for the long haul.
