A 90-year old man dubbed as Popeye is still able to lift weights and exercise regularly, thanks to his regular consumption of spinach, the Daily Mail reports.
John van Walwyk currently lives in a shelter but walks two miles to the gym at least three times a week. He completes 14 different exercises which includes weight lifting up to 30 kilograms and climbing 226 meters on a step machine. All this he finishes within one hour. Walwyk is also a vegetarian and he says his strength comes from spinach that gives him his much needed dose of protein for muscle building. "We live in a sheltered complex and most of the people here are either using frames or walking sticks."
"I think in some cases that's because they do not exercise and if this encourages people to take up exercise I think it's worth it. I lift weights that are far heavier than the young people lift. I'm a vegetarian so my wife feeds me spinach all the time. It's a great source of iron that people who lift weights usually get from meat. I also drink Guinness, which is another great way of getting iron."
John started going to the gym 14 years ago when he noticed that he has put on some weight. "My weight went up to 217 pounds or 15 and a half stone, but that extra half is all muscle. His wife, Marjorie, said: "They students sit and watch him but I don't think they've got any idea how old he really is. I'm proud of him. He is there three times a week. He is very fit and I'm very lucky."
