Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's Secret to Staying Healthy at 94
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad eats moderately, does not drink alcohol, does not smoke, walks and plays rugby to exercise his brain.
Mr. Mahathir was all smiles as he landed in Hanoi last night after a flight from Malaysia.At 94, he is still mentally sharp and physically healthy.
Revealing the secret to a healthy life, Mahathir said his motto is "live like a monkey and eat less".He believes that if monkeys eat a low-calorie meal, their life expectancy will be longer. Therefore, he only eats enough to be healthy to work and maintains his weight at 62-64 kg for the past 3 decades.
"I don't smoke, drink or overeat. I can wear clothes that were made 30 years ago," he said.
Mahathir often drives cars to transport guests to Malaysia. On the morning of August 17, Prime Minister Mahathir posted photos and videos of him cycling on social media with the message: "This morning we cycled nearly 11 km. Thank God, I feel very young and energetic."
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad leads a group of cyclists around Putrajaya city on the morning of August 17. Photo:Straits Times |
Not only paying attention to nutrition, the 94-year-old politician is also active in physical activities. Mr. Mahathir shared that he was not a sports fan during his school years, but because he did not want to be lazy and weak, he decided to play rugby.
The Prime Minister said that rugby is a sport that does not require much skill but requires players to use their brains and involves a lot of body movements.
Playing football can help him exercise his memory. Besides, he also reads a lot of books and keeps his mind busy.
Mr. Mahathir shows less signs of aging compared to when his term ended in 2003 (left) and 2017 (right). Photo:Reuters |
To exercise his muscles, Mahathir takes the stairs instead of the elevator. The Prime Minister also reminded people to walk more, not to smoke and eat too much, and to avoid alcoholic drinks to maintain health.
A former doctor, Mahathir said it was important for older people to maintain good health by controlling their weight because when the body is small, the heart can easily pump blood to the entire body.
The Malaysian prime minister says he is not in perfect health. Mahathir has heart problems, pneumonia, and occasional coughs, so his aides have had to limit his daily schedule to protect his health.
Mahathir Mohamad was born in 1925. He first became Prime Minister in 1981 at the age of 56 and retired in 2003 after running Malaysia for 22 years. In 2018, Mr. Mahathir returned as head of government and became the oldest Prime Minister in the world.