{"id":541929,"date":"2026-03-17T08:16:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T08:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/541929\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T08:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T08:16:07","slug":"at-76-i-still-cycle-train-every-day-and-can-do-5-muscle-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/541929\/","title":{"rendered":"At 76, I Still Cycle, Train Every Day, and Can Do 5 Muscle-Ups"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ngai Hin Kwok, a 76-year-old living in Singapore. It has been translated from Mandarin and edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been active for as long as I can remember.<\/p>\n<p>Growing up in Fujian, China, I lived near a university, and would watch the students running, playing sports, and working out. Seeing them move like that left an impression on me, and I think that&#8217;s where my <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/committed-to-twenty-minutes-of-exercise-a-day-it-worked-2026-2\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">interest in staying active<\/a> began.<\/p>\n<p>In the &#8217;70s, I moved to Hong Kong and stayed fit by running regularly and even walking to work. After living there for 16 years, I decided to <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/moving-abroad-expat-singapore-opportunity-far-from-home-guilt-aging-2026-1\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">move to Singapore<\/a> with my wife, where we raised our two sons.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#8217;t think much about aging back then, but I always felt health was important. When I moved overseas, I quit smoking completely. I haven&#8217;t touched a cigarette since, and I don&#8217;t drink alcohol either.<\/p>\n<p>              <img xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"lazy-image \" encoding=\"UTF-8\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" data-content-type=\"image\/jpeg\" srcs=\"{&quot;https:\/\/i.insider.com\/699bb698156648bc16a8ad52&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:6040,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:4026}}\" alt=\"A man doing muscle-ups at a fitness corner in Singapore\/\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                      Ngai quit smoking completely, and doesn&#8217;t drink alcohol.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>              Amanda Goh for Business Insider.<\/p>\n<p>I spent most of my career in the jewelry business. In 2010, I transitioned to working for the company part-time, handling export documentation and running errands. I&#8217;m still mobile and able to get around, so I don&#8217;t see a reason to stop completely.<\/p>\n<p>But with more time on my hands, I wanted to find like-minded people to stay active with. I read about a seniors&#8217; gym at a community center in a local newspaper and decided to join them \u2014 that&#8217;s how I became a part of <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/teamstrongsilvers\/\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;click_type&quot;:&quot;other&quot;,&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;outbound_click&quot;}\" rel=\" nofollow noopener\">Team Strong Silvers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even though we&#8217;re older, we&#8217;re serious about <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/how-to-make-an-exercise-routine-that-actually-works-2025-7\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">working out<\/a> and staying healthy. A lot of people are surprised when they see what we can still do. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re sometimes invited to share what we do with other seniors to encourage them to keep moving.<\/p>\n<p>On a typical day, I usually wake up around 7 or 8 a.m. and do some <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/a-few-light-workouts-a-week-relieve-anxiety-study-suggests-2021-11\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">light exercise<\/a> downstairs to get moving. In the afternoon, I go to the gym.<\/p>\n<p>              <img xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"lazy-image \" encoding=\"UTF-8\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" data-content-type=\"image\/jpeg\" srcs=\"{&quot;https:\/\/i.insider.com\/699bb6982237a6a8f0cd9e59&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:6240,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:4160}}\" alt=\"A man doing muscle-ups at a fitness corner in Singapore\/\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                      He exercises every day, and can do pull-ups and muscle-ups even at his age.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>              Amanda Goh for Business Insider.<\/p>\n<p>I typically do calisthenics, which uses your own body weight to build strength. <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/crossfit-fittest-women-success-sense-of-stability-danielle-brandon-2025-3\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Muscle-ups<\/a> have become something of a signature move for me, along with pull-ups. I used to be able to do about 25 pull-ups, though it&#8217;s fewer now. For muscle-ups, I can still manage about five.<\/p>\n<p>For breakfast, I usually rotate between two eggs with whole-wheat bread, steamed sweet potatoes, or roti prata, a fried flatbread of South Asian origin.<\/p>\n<p>I keep my diet simple. I don&#8217;t restrict myself too much, but I don&#8217;t overeat either. I avoid fried foods and cook most meals myself, so nothing is too oily.<\/p>\n<p>This story is part of our Still Going Strong: Singapore series, which follows Team Strong Silvers \u2014 a group of Singaporeans 70 and up who stay fit while inspiring others to keep moving.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re over 70 and have a story to share about aging well, email this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.<\/p>\n<p>I also enjoy cycling, singing, and writing Chinese calligraphy. Occasionally, I lead calligraphy classes at the <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/how-to-prevent-loneliness-retirement-boomer-helps-americans-find-connections-2025-11\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">senior citizens&#8217; activity center<\/a>, guiding others interested in the craft.<\/p>\n<p>When people ask me for advice about staying active, I keep it simple.<\/p>\n<p>Start by walking. When your stamina improves and you feel steadier on your feet, you can add simple arm movements. It&#8217;s important to start light \u2014 don&#8217;t jump straight into intense workouts, or you&#8217;ll get injured.<\/p>\n<p>Have a story to share about healthy aging or staying active later in life? Contact this reporter at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/mailto:agoh@businessinsider.com\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;click_type&quot;:&quot;other&quot;,&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;outbound_click&quot;}\" rel=\" nofollow noopener\">agoh@businessinsider.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>            <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ngai Hin Kwok, a 76-year-old living in Singapore. It&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":541930,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":["post-541929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}