An 83-year-old retired doctor has become the oldest person to hike the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, says The New York Times. Known by his trail name, Nimblewill Nomad, MJ Eberhart carried a 6lb backpack and slept mostly in the wild, facing bears, mosquitoes and 50mph winds.
Every day he overcame the temptation to quit. “Eighty per cent of it is mental grit,” he says, “and that’s why so many people fail.” He began the hike on 1 March and finished it last weekend, averaging 10 miles a day.
The seven-minute supercharge
A seven-minute fitness frenzy “won’t bulk you up like Chris Hemsworth”, but it will “supercharge your body more than you think is possible”, says Men’s Health. By pushing yourself to the limit, you can burn fat and develop strength and endurance. Try to do this seven-minute workout, devised by running coach Jes Woods, once a day. Warm up with a 30-second jog.
The first two minutes Run at a moderate pace, about 80% of your maximum effort.
The next 30 seconds Walk or jog to recover.
The following 90 seconds Run a bit harder than you did at the start.
The next 30 seconds Walk or jog to recover.
For one minute Run as fast as possible.
The next 30 seconds Walk or jog to recover.
For another 30 seconds Run as fast as possible.
For the last 30 seconds Walk or jog to recover.
More fun than clubbing
Spinning – “slamming up and down on a stationary bike and causing untold damage to my reproductive organs” – costs £22 for a 45-minute class and is swathed in “quasi-psychological bollocks”. But I’m hooked, says Sarah Carson in the I newspaper. The “chest-pummelling” soundtrack takes me back to nights out in my youth and the strobe lights trick me into thinking I’m 21 again. But admitting “that something healthy is fun” makes me feel very old indeed.