Paul McCartney's secrets to a long healthy life at 82, including eye yoga

The singer-songwriter is still touring in his 80s and shows no signs of slowing down - but many wonder how he does it

Watch Paul McCartney performing or in interviews it can be easy to forget he is now 82 years old. Despite his advanced age, the Beatles musician is still a formidable on-stage presence, earning him great acclaim for his headlining set at Glastonbury in 2022.

The prolific singer-songwriter has been gigging for almost seven decades, with his most recent tour Got Back taking him around multiple countries in 2022 and 2023. Each of these gigs ran for a staggering length of almost three hours, requiring plenty of stamina from the father-of-five.

But what’s the secret to his staying power? Over the years he has revealed a number of his age-defying methods, as reported by Express.co.uk.

Diet

One of his more famous lifestyle choices, McCartney made the switch to vegetarianism in the 1970s with his late wife Linda. Then, in 1991, Linda launched her own brand of vegetarian foods to eat at home, which is still very popular.

Speaking about this, Paul said in the 2021 cookbook Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen: “Now of course, it’s really not difficult at all. You just go down the shops and most places will have great veggie options.

“It was a joint decision and we never looked back. It was a great thing to do, and it turned out we became part of a vegetarian revolution.”

Various studies conducted over the years have shown the various health benefits of a vegetarian diet. As an example, research published in the British Medical Journal in 2019 found that vegetarians had a 22 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to meat eaters.

Moreover, findings presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in 2015 showed that people who ate red or processed meat daily had a 40 percent greater risk of bowel cancer. Even those who ate a “moderate amount” had a 20 percent greater risk of the disease.

Eye yoga

Perhaps the most unusual trick up McCartney’s sleeve, eye yoga is something the Wings frontman has practised since the late noughties to keep his vision in check. As reported by The Press and Journal, he shared this particular technique with the public during a Table Manners podcast in 2021.

McCartney said he was inspired to try eye yoga after a trip to India, claiming he hasn’t needed to wear glasses since. As with traditional yoga, there are several different exercises that make up eye yoga.

One such exercise is called palming, which requires you to place your warm palms on your eyelids for roughly 10 seconds. According to experts at Lenstore, you can also try zooming - focusing on an object far away and then focusing on one closer, and switching between the two.

Music

It is no secret that McCartney has been obsessed with music since his teenage years. It is thought this could have had a positive impact on his health. Music is commonly cited as a way to help ease symptoms for people living with dementia.

Dementia UK explains: “For some people with dementia, music therapy has been shown to improve their thinking, feeling, perception, mood and behaviour. It can be used as part of a care plan.”

And a meta-analysis of existing studies, published in 2021, found a 59 percent reduction in the risk of dementia among musicians, although study authors concluded larger scale research was needed.

Exercise

Unsurprisingly, McCartney also ensures his physical fitness is up to scratch. During a 2020 episode of the podcast SmartLess, he spoke about his fitness routine. It included foam rolling, stretching, using the cross trainer and occasionally running.

“I have a very definite routine,” he said. However, what makes it unique is the way he finishes his routine - with a headstand. This test of core strength and balance is McCartney’s “favourite part”, according to the star.