Born on 30 July 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger is 76 years old now. The actor, who starred in the 1993 film, Last Action Hero, has learned a lot in his years in the public spotlight, from his early days as the Austrian Oak to his time as Hollywood’s most recognized starring man to his political career.
In response to a fan query regarding his physical and mental aging during a 2021 interview, Arnold said, “Physically, you just have to accept reality and do the best you can. Not being where you used to be is hard to accept. More than 2,000,000 elderly people are depressed. I think hormonal changes induce muscle loss over time. The global anti-aging market is worth 58 billion dollars. That is a lot of people trying to hold on to their youth.”
He also offered some practical advice for how to make changes to your workout routine that will help you train more safely and stay injury-free as you get older.
Arnold said, “I’ve chosen to adapt to my age, make my workouts a little bit different and focused on staying lean, and avoiding injury. This is why I’ve moved away from free weights and stick to the workout machines.” Schwarzenegger made this transition in 2012, and he isn’t the only one: during a recent conversation with Men’s Health, three-time Mr. Olympia winner Frank Zane revealed that he also started using weight machines as opposed to free weights after turning 70.
Arnold added that he was working out every day because it’s what makes him happy, even if his training sessions still look very different now than they used to. “I’m addicted to training, and I have to start my day in the gym,” he says. “So today, even though my body won’t react the way it did 50 years ago, I can maintain as much as I can and it brings me great joy.”
As for how aging has impacted him in a non-physical sense, Arnold said he is grateful for the perspective and experience that can only come with time:
He said, “I feel much smarter than I was when I was younger, because I’ve read more, I’ve met more interesting people, I’ve become wiser, and of course, I’ve learned from my successes, and I’ve learned even more from my mistakes.”
During the interview in 2021, Arnold, said, “Today, at 74, I’m fighting for a clean environment, I’m a fitness crusader, a good government reform campaigner, a businessman, and of course, an entertainer. In my younger days, I couldn’t have talked healthcare policy or infrastructure in a really intelligent way, but now deep conversations about those topics bring me great joy. And I’ve learned life is about giving back, because in the end, we won’t be judged by how much we make, but by how much we give. It’s not just about me, it’s about we. In those ways, my life has only gotten more fulfilling.”
