Buy book or eBook

Prev: Quality of life

Next: Centenarians talk

The athletes

Think your body packs up when you're old? Think again!

If you look after your body and avoid disease, you may end up as fit as these men and women. Have a look at this selection of videos that show older people can be as active as many middle-aged people: from the 95-year-old who does 1500 stomach "crunches" every day to the 117-year-old martial artist.

Athletic 95-year-olds

Kozu Haragachi sprints 100m in 22 seconds (0:27) Merrill Matzinger trains with weights and does 1500 stomach crunches a day! (2:30) Ida Keeling, American sprinter. (2:16) Frank Levine, 5000m runner. (1:56)

Fit 100-year-olds

Ruth Frith, shot-putter, trains with weights 3 times a week, and doesn't even eat vegetables! (1:46) The amazing Fauja Singh, a Sikh from London, here setting a record for the 100m (1:13) Fauja Singh again, here running the Toronto marathon. (0:46) A longer video for fans of Fauja Singh - breaking 8 world records in one day, plus plenty of footage of the marathon. (9:13)

... and a 117-year-old

Lu Zijian from China, reputed to be 117, is an impressive martial artist... by any standards! Could you do a somersault with swords? (1:40) Lu Zijian again, this time doing tai chi in the street (1:46)

How to Live to 110: Longevity, living longer and the steps to take for a healthy old age