At 95, William Shatner certainly isn’t slowing down. The Star Trek legend took to the stage at Chicago’s Riot Fest over the weekend, performing live alongside rock band The *uckers on 20 September.
Still working and performing well into his 90s, Shatner has long credited staying active as one of the keys to ageing well. Rather than following an extreme fitness regime, his approach has centred on finding activities he genuinely enjoys and staying consistent with them. Over the years, that’s included everything from horse riding and swimming to resistance training and cycling.
Speaking to Hello!, he said: ‘It’s important to keep your inner child alive no matter what stage of life you’re at’ – an ethos he clearly applies to his fitness.
William Shatner’s Healthy Ageing Habits
At 95, Shatner’s approach to staying active is refreshingly simple. His key habits include:
Riding horses several times a weekSwimming and doing resistance trainingCycling regularly on an e-bikeEating well, not smoking and drinking alcohol in moderationStaying hydrated throughout the dayChoosing activities he genuinely enjoys so he can stay consistent
Speaking to the Express at 91, Shatner revealed that horse riding formed the backbone of his routine, spending up to two hours in the saddle five times a week.
‘They’re highly conditioned Olympic horses that I do reining with,’ he said. ‘It may seem like it’d be tough on your body, especially at my age, but if you’re a decent rider there’s no impact.’
His broader advice was equally straightforward: ‘Eat well, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much and exercise.’
In a 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Shatner, then 87, explained that exercise had been an almost constant part of his life.
‘I always made fitness activities a part of my everyday life,’ he said. ‘Since my 20s, I’d be in a swimming pool and working out four, five times a week – swimming, running, doing resistance exercises with my lower and upper body.’
Judging by his recent heavy metal stage performance, those habits have clearly served him well.
While horse riding might not look particularly demanding from the outside, it requires considerable strength, stability, coordination and balance.
‘You’re not just passively sitting there on a horse,’ Shatner explained. ‘Riding is a stretching and strengthening exercise. It requires balance, expertise, finesse and strength.’
Having previously competed in equestrian events, he also said that riding against much younger competitors gave him another reason to stay fit away from the saddle.
When he couldn’t ride, he supplemented it with other forms of exercise.
‘I do a little weights, but that’s boring,’ he admitted. ‘So I’ve always used the pool for exercise.’
By his mid-80s, he’d also added regular e-bike rides to his routine, often covering between 20 and 30 miles.
‘The e-bike got me outside and got me fitter,’ he said.
Speaking about his daily routine, Shatner explained that his mornings typically begin around 7am, when he feeds his two Dobermans before driving them to the stables to prepare his horse.
‘I certainly don’t spring out of bed like when I was younger,’ he said. ‘But what does get me out of bed are my two dobermans and my horses.’
He also makes a point of taking water with him to the stables, noting that staying hydrated has become increasingly important as he’s grown older.
While there’s no single routine that guarantees you’ll remain active into your 90s, Shatner’s approach is strikingly simple: stay active, choose exercises you genuinely enjoy and keep showing up. At 95, that consistency appears to be paying off.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.