Norman Foster Cycles and Skis at 91: A Longevity Expert Says Walking Alone Isn't Enough

Norman Foster is 91 and still working, travelling and starting new projects. The British architect behind the glass dome of the Reichstag in Berlin and the Hearst Tower in New York survived colon cancer and a heart attack. Instead of retiring, he cycles and skis long trails - not for a photo, but out of habit.

Foster combines different kinds of movement, and according to reports on his regime, he avoids ultra-processed food and alcohol and watches how much water he drinks. None of that is a miracle. The miracle is that he does it consistently, at an age when most people stopped making plans long ago.

Manuel J. Castillo, longevity director at the Dorsia clinics, explains why it works. Functions that aren't used get weaker - a simple rule the body applies without exception. "Walking every day isn't enough," he says. A walk is a good start, but after sixty and seventy, strength, mobility, balance and coordination matter just as much. A muscle that doesn't work is a muscle you lose.

If you're over sixty and your only sport is the walk to the market, the expert has some uncomfortable news: it isn't enough. You need resistance exercises, balance work and movements that demand coordination - something that forces the body to adapt, not just walk out of habit.

According to Castillo, diet and exercise are equally fundamental and should be kept in balance. Fruit, vegetables, olive oil, even coffee - all of it has a place on a healthy menu. But quantity matters even with good food, and even with water. More isn't always better.

The expert is also honest about the limits of stories like this. Recovery from serious illness depends on many factors, so healthy habits help but don't explain it on their own. Curiosity, projects and mental activity support cognitive and emotional health, but they don't prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Foster isn't proof that anyone can reach 91 in good shape - he's proof that it's worth trying.

The final advice is simple and free of magic: move every day, train for strength, eat well, keep people around you and have something that gets you out of bed. At 91, Foster is still drawing buildings. What's waiting for you tomorrow morning?